What is the theme of 'Utilitarianism' in the novel 'Hard Times'?

Answer 1

The theme of utilitarianism, along with industrialization and education is explored by Charles Dickens, in his novel Hard Times.

Utilitarianism dominated as the form of government in England's Victorian age of eighteenth century. Hard Times written in those times intended to explore its negativisms. Utilitarianism as a government was propounded as a value of system which evaluated its productivity by its overall utility. It substantiated the idea of "highest level of happiness for the highest numbers of people". Since the overall happiness of the nation depended open the overall productivity, industrialism became the walk of everyday life.

The impracticality of overall happiness in clearly visualized in the description of the industrialized Coketown as an influence of utilitarianism. The smoke that hovers around the town like "serpents" and the machines of the town that works like "mad elephants" are to show the meaningless participation of people in insane productivity.

The schools are described as jails and the churches are merely storehouses of the utilitarian products, the bells of which drive people mad.

Since the formation of utilitarianism required rationality and mathematical approach in every walk of life, there was a stupendous amount of importance given to 'facts'. The utilitarian fundamentalists negated the concept of 'fancy', imagination and human emotions depriving people of enjoying the qualities they were inherently carrying with them. This is better expressed in Dickens' own words, "There was fact, fact, fact every where in the material, there was fact, fact, fact everywhere in immaterial".

The school teachers are compared to a gun loaded to its muzzle by facts ready to be exploded to the children. The children in schools don't have names and are called by numbers. There is no room for imaginative answers. When the teacher asks to answer what 'horse' is, a student named Bitzer gives a factual answer, "quadruped" having this-many teeth etc, but by no means the 'qualities' of the horse is exemplified and considered.

The influence of utilitarianism is shown particularly by two characters in the novel, Gradgrind and Bounderby. Both are money-oriented, have materialistic outlook and give importance to 'facts'.

Thomas Gradgrind in particular always gives importance to facts and raises his children to be hard, machine-like and epitomes of facts and they lack any emotions. Even while justifying Louisa's marriage to 'old' Bounderby, he does so by some mathematical calculations and logic.

Josia Bounderby is also a self-interested and selfish person absolutely influenced by industrialization and owns a mill and a bank. He marries Louisa for his selfish benefits.

Utilitarianism, as rightly claimed by Dickens, robbed the people of their individuality and joy; deprived the children of their special period of their lives, 'Childhood' and deprived women of their inherent right of equality.

Answer 2

The theme of Utilitarianism in Charles Dickens' novel 'Hard Times' explores the consequences of prioritizing practicality, efficiency, and productivity over human emotions, creativity, and individuality. The novel critiques the rigid adherence to utilitarian principles at the expense of human compassion and personal fulfillment. Dickens presents the damaging effects of a society governed solely by utilitarian values on its characters and their relationships.