Class Consciousness and Revolution in Hard Times

 

Abstract:

 In this study Charles Dickens’s Hard Times is analyzed in terms if Marxist views. The author Charles Dickens, in this novel, discuss on the issues related to Marxist notions that are especially based on the class consciousness, the working class and revolution. Dickens depicts how the labourers are forced to work like machines under the capitalist society and how they are exploited by the capitalist. In Marxist theory Karl Marx urges the working class or the proletariat group to stand against the capitalists or the Bourgeois and ensure their dictatorship. In this way they can establish an exploit less and classless society. Marx calls this state as communism. A gap is seen between the two classes and such a division of society leads to a battle of classes. Dickens in his novel Hard Times shows this battle of classes through his characters. The novel presents the picture of a materialistic town namely Coke town which is surrounded by industries and its smokes where the laborers are exploited and how they decide to start a revolution. He also reveals the most urgent issues the mechanization of human beings. Social inequality and extinction of fancy due to industrialization. Like Marxists the characters of the novel try to start a strike against the ruling class exploitation. To portray this exploitation. Dickens states that the rule of bourgeois or capitalist employers do more permit their employers to behave like human beings who have wisdom and reason. Due to the capitalists, the workers capacities and abilities are ignored. This study displays that in Dickens’ novel Hard Times the influence of Marxist views is emphasized.

 

Keywords: Marxism, Class consciousness, Revolution, exploitation, dictatorship

The aim of this paper is to explore the class consciousness or the class struggle between the upper class and lower class in the novel Hard Times also shows a class picture of some urgent issues the mechanization of human beings and social inequality. The argument of the paper to depict that despite of the atrocities and explanation of the capitalists on the working-class society, the working class could success at least in raising their voice against the injustice going on with them

The objectives of this paper are:

(1) To observe the class struggle between the upper class and lower class and the

(2) Revolution of the working class against the capitalists in the novel

(3) To examine the mechanization and alienation of human beings

 

Charles Dickens living in nineteenth century is an English writer who reflects the nineteenth century’s social issues in his works. Hard Times generally means a person of economic depression with food shortage, low wage and unemployment.The novel shows a situation where mechanization and industrialism led to slavery . The Victorian age was primarily based on facts, figures and calculations. According to Gradgrind facts alone are wanted in life. He is a man of realities an eminently practical man a man of facts and calculations whereas his son-in-law Mr. Bounderby operates an industry and he calls the labours of the industry as Hands who don’t get proper wages from their masters (Bounderby). As a result of such a physical and mental torture, the Hands or the laborers start a revolution against their master. This paper will analyse the novel Hard Times in terms of Marxist views.

Marxism is a social economic and political philosophy that analyses the impact of the ruling class on the laborers. Leading to uneven distribution of wealth and privileges in the society. It stimulates the workers to protest the injustice. The theory was formulated by Karl Marx and Fredrich Engel in their work “Communist Manifesto “.According to Marx, history demonstrates the existence of class struggle centuries earlier. He explains the struggle through five stages. Primitive communism the age of Hunter gatherers where every human was treated equally hence there was an absence of class.

The age of slavery where there was class distinction between the aristocrats and slaves. Feudalism where the struggle was between landlords, owners and the people who rented or used their lands for agriculture. Capitalism where the labor community (Prolitariat) worked their lives off only for the ruling class (Bourgeois) to profit from them. This is the stage where Marx and Engels compile ‘communist manifesto’ from their plight as workers for the British factory workers. Socialism is the phase that Marx believes the proletariats would revolt for their justice and eventually from a communist society free of class distinctions and equal wealth. In the novel the last two stages i.e capitalism and communism have been depicted.

The preliminary survey of literature proceeds with the study of relevant books, articles, research papers in relation to the area of research for the mentioned chapter. In “The Journal of International Social Reaserch” issued in August ,2019 the topic entitled “Marxist Elements in Charles Dickension’s novel Hard Times “, an attempt has been made to discuss the Marxist elements like class struggle, revolution, and mechanisation of human beings in context to the novel Hard Time. Rajiv Kumar has discussed the society of Victorian England through its industrial setting ‘Coketown’ and class division in Hard Times in “Charles Dickens: A Marxist Reading of Hard Times”. The article published in “The Economic Times” and the article published in egyankosh Marxism and it’s other principles has been discussed.

 

There are two obvious divisions in the capitalist society the Bourgeois and proletarians. The exploitation of the latter is the essence of Marxism ideology. The Bourgeois enjoyed the power to control the toiling masses wages and work leading them vulnerable to even replacements in the future. The former had access to modern equipment and tools to make work easier and quicker leaving the laborers with low wages and adding more profits to themselves.The novel is based on a fictional town named coke town . There are factories and black smoke all over the town. As mentioned in the novel. ‘’It was a town of red brick or of brick that would have been red if the smoke and ashes had allowed it but as matter stood it was a town of unnatural red and black like painted face of a savage. It was a town of machinery and tall chimneys, out of which interminable serpents of smoke trailed themselves for ever and ever and never got uncoiled. It had a black canal in it, and a river that ran purple with ill smelling dye and vast piles of building full of windows where there was a rattling and a rembling all day long and where the pistol of the steam engine worked monotonously up and down like the head of an elephant in a state of melancholy madness’’

“Oh my friends the down trodden operatives of Coke town! Oh my friends and fellow country men the slaves of an iron handed and a grinding despotism! Oh my friends and fellow sufferers and fellow workmen and fellow men! I tell you that the hour is come when we must rally round one another as one united power and crumble into dust the oppressors that too long have battened upon the plunder of our families upon the sweat of our brow upon the labour of our hands, upon the strength of our sinews, upon the God created glorious rights of Humanity and upon the holy and eternal priviledges of Brotherhood!

In the quotation above one of the hands slack bridges tries to form a union for strike in the factory. He wants his friends to aware of their bad position. He thinks that the ruling class exploit them. To him they should earn as much as their labor. They are used like machines and to stop this inhuman working a strike is necessary. Marx calls this strike as ‘Revolution’. They are alienated because they have no control over labor or product which they produce. But another hand Stephen refuses to join this because he feels that a union strike would only increase tensions between employers and employees. There is a labor dispute that shows the stained relations between rich and poor. There begins a class struggle and the workers wants to get rid of high-class oppression. Like Marxists belief that oppression of the working class leads to revolt by the workers and the establishment of a classless society.

Marxists have sympathy for the working class and proletariat. To them the condition of workers is the same all over the world. So, their position is universal. To them, there should be class consciousness or class awareness in order not to come across a class revolt. The ruling class controls the society’s means of production the superstructure of the society and its ruling ideals. To Marx exploitation is an element of capitalism and face markets. The profit gained by the capitalist is the difference between the value of the product made by the workers and the actual wages that the workers receive. In other words, capitalists pay workers less than the value of their labor. Because of this fact the workers become isolated day by day. Thus, alienation is an unavoidable result of capitalism. The working circumstances do not allow workers to feel and think.

Hard Times includes the effects of Industrial revolution of the1940s.There are class dibberences and class struggle’s, People lead to live life like machines on robots and they begins to be alienated. The novel Hard Times begins with the life philosophy of a wealthy merchant Thomas Gradgrind in the industrial city of coke town, England.

“Now, what I want is, facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts, facts alone are wanted in life , Plant nothing else and root out everything else .You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon facts.Nothing else will ever be of any service to the them.This is the principle on which I bring up my Own children and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to facts, sir!(Dickens,1854).As seen above, one of the major characters, Mr.Gradgrind devotes his life to rationalism, self – interest And -acts. He wants teachers to teach the student only facts of life, in school .He raises his oldest children Louisa and Tom according to this philosophy and never allows them to interest in fanciful on imaginative things.Mr. Gradgrind believes that human nature can only governed by Rational rules . He represents spirit Of Industrial Revolution and bourgeois in the novel .He treats people like machines. Gradgrinds oldest children Tom states that he resembles a donkey since he should not use his feelings and stick to only facts in life.His father teaches his children only the truths and indicates that they should not wonder. Mr. Grandgrind wants their children to be modern  that resemble each other. Nevertheless, his life philosophy does not help his Children and make them robots. Since, Gradgrind does Not wand his children to behave according to their -feelings, he marries his daughter Louisa with his wealthy friend Bounderby. He states that the marriage is a reasonable thing to do. To him, Louisa’s emotions are not important. Mr. Gradgrinds life philosophy life philosophy leads to a mismatched marriage. Josiah Bounderby another important characters’ tells his childhood story to Gradgrinds. He states that when he was born, like his parent, he was poor and miserable, After he was abandoned by his mother as an infant , his grandmother  began to take care of him. Nevertheless, he can not stand her treatments and ran away. Telling his life story His like story Mr. Bounderby wants to indicates that he is a self – made man and boastfully  declares this bact. Now he is a wealthy man In coketown. He is owner of a factory and a bank, he is not on wealthy but also powerful mobility. His social mobility demonstrates the social mobility in nineteenth century England.Formerly in England, birth or bloodline determined the social hierarchy . But in an industrialized Capitalist society wealth determines who has the power.His own ambition enables Bounderby to from poverty to become the wealthy owner, of a factory and a bank. Josiah Bounderby is more interested in money Power than in facts . To. Him, his determination and set discipline lead to his power.One of the “Hands’ in Bounderby’s industry is Stephen Blackpool. He is  struggles with his love for Rachael who is also a factory workers. Stephen asks Bounderby if he can divorce. “But its not for you at all. It costs money It costs a mint of money “ (67). As seen, Black pool learns that only the wealthy men can do this. Stephen Blackpool is a man of honesty and compassion . He lives a life of poverty .Even if Stephen does notwant to join the strike he goes to Boundinby’s bank and they talk about the Strike of the Hands. Stephen states that They have not been allowed to use their minds since they were born. They are used like machines from generation to generations.Stephen wands to show the employer that the hands are used up and are not treated like real human .Stephen is also deceived by Tom. When Stephen needed money Tom asks him hang around the Bank every night and he can get he  can get something. In accordance with Toms request, Stephen hangs around the bank for an hour every night before he leaves town, Nothing happens, and so stephen departs after a few days to seek employment in another town. Later when Bounderbys Bank is robbed, Tom is accursed of robbing the bank. Capitalism made man prioritize money over love and other emotions. Karl Marx calls this false consciousmess where people are made to believe money and materials are the ultimate. The novel main character Mr. Gradgrind does not prionitize emotions. For him facts and reasons are only important along with money. For this reason he teaches his children and students only the knowledge of facts and give his daughter marry to a wealthy man of his age: He does mad parionitze his daughter emotions, which led to an unhappy marriage  life of his daughter.

When Charles Dickens’s novel Hard Time is analysed, it is seen that Marxist elements and thoughts are used in this literany work . In the novel People are allowed to behave only according to some rules of bourgeois and capitalist employers. The ruling classes do not permit the lower class people to feel and think. So, these rules lead them to behave like machines or robots. Capitalists pay workers less attention than the real value of their labor. The workers become alienated gradually: The proletarian class sells their labor power and they do not own the means of production. The workers. Salary is not enough when their labor is compared with the production.

Therefore, the employers exploit the working class.The workers want other people to give them importance and appreciate their hard work in Hard Times with the  of industrialization the position and life circumstances of people began to change. There emerge class Struggles. The capitalists began to rule the workers and they ignore the workers capacities and abilities, therefore, the workers want to strike in order to get rid of the oppression of capitalist employers. Due to there kinds of Marxist issues Dickens’s fictionalized world Can be dealt with its relation to Karl Marx’s social philosophy.Hard Times reflects class consciousness, sacrifice and social injustice of the nineteenth century Victorian age.Doing that, Dickens portrays the social truths, of this period vividly. In this novel the oppressed people, especially workers found a voice, that is, finally they comprehend that they should behave like human beings not machines. For achieving their goal the characters in the novel realized that they must revolt against the bourgeois. Additionally when analyzed in terms of Marxist views, it may be said that both Dickens’s novel Hard Times and Marx’s ideal notions requires revolution and sacrifice . In the novel in the hands of Capitalism the workers experiences inequality and oppression. Moreover not only dickens portraits the bad living condetion of worker but also the characters from the middle and upper classes in industrial town.

Submitted by

Sumaiya kalam, Halima begam, and Safina Yeasmin

Supervised by:

Aditi Ghosh

HOD

Department of English

Maryam Ajmal Women's College of Science & Technology, Hojai