Hard TimesBy 1854, when Hard Times was published, Charles Dickens' magisterial progress as a writer had come to incorporate a many-sided, coherent vision of English society, both as it was and as he wished it to be. Hard Times. a classic Dickensian story of redemption set in a North of England town beset by industrialism, everywhere benefits from this vision - in the trenchancy of its satire, in its sweeping indignation at social injustice, and in the persistent humanity with which its author enlivens his largest and smallest incidents. |
Contents
SOWING | 1 |
A Loophole | 3 |
Mr Bounderby | 6 |
The Keynote | 9 |
Mrs Slearys Horsemanship | 11 |
Mrs Sparsit | 16 |
Never Wonder | 19 |
Sissys Progress | 22 |
Men and Brothers Men and Masters | 52 |
Fading Away | 55 |
Gunpowder | 60 |
Explosion | 63 |
Hearing the Last of it | 66 |
Mrs Sparsits Staircase Lower and Lower | 68 |
Down | 71 |
GARNERING | 73 |
Stephen Blackpool | 24 |
No Way Out | 27 |
The Old Woman | 31 |
Rachael | 33 |
The Great Manufacturer | 38 |
Father and Daughter | 40 |
Husband and Wife | 44 |
REAPING | 46 |
Mr James Harthouse | 48 |
The Whelp | 50 |
Very Ridiculous | 75 |
Very Decided | 78 |
Lost | 80 |
Found | 83 |
The Starlight | 85 |
WhelpHunting | 87 |
Philosophical | 89 |
Final | 91 |
Notes Questions and Language Exercises | 93 |
Common terms and phrases
answered appeared asked Bank Begin believe better Bitzer Bounderby Bounderby's brother Chapter child close Coketown coming cried daughter dear don't door eyes face fact factory father girl give gone Gradgrind hand happy Harthouse head hear heard heart hope horse hour husband James Harthouse Jupe kind kiss knew lady LANGUAGE EXERCISES leave live looked Louisa ma'am manner marriage married mean mind never night NOTES novel observed old woman once passed poor present QUESTIONS Rachael reference returned round seen sentences Sissy sister Sleary soon Sparsit speak Stephen Stephen Blackpool stood stopped street sure tell thee thing Thomas thou thought told took town turned waiting walked wish young