• ISBN13: 9788126921775
• Binding: Paperback
• Subject: English Literature
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd
• Publisher Imprint: Atlantic
• Publication Date: May 20, 2019
• Pages: 312
• Original Price: INR 395.0
• Language: English
• Edition: N/A
• Item Weight: 360 grams
• BISAC Subject(s): General

Dickens offers us in Hard Times (1854) a morally serious content cast in the form of popular entertainment. The principal motive of Hard Times is to use fiction for purposes of social protest. It is a critique of industrialism, of capitalism, and of utilitarianism. The story is based on Dickens’ own observations of industrial conditions. The novel protests against the separation of politics and humanity. In the novel, Dickens is for the intuitive as against the mechanistic. The opening discussion of the book will help the readers to develop an understanding of Dickens as a novelist even before reading the original text. In the detailed critical summary of the novel, the author has maintained his best to give an idea of the novelist’s language in the text so that the readers may have the benefit of reading the novel itself to some extent. The book discusses different issues of the novel with critical insight. The author has penetrated the text from varied angles of genesis, vision, title, education, social picture, industrialism, narrative art, symbols, etc. with several rich critical references. The characters of the novel have been critically sketched with deep thinking and insight. In addition, some critical responses and a rich bibliography have been given. The discussion in the book is marked by a critical insight that serves not only the advanced scholars but also the college and university students who will be benefited by the in-depth presentation.

Pulakesh Ghosh, a full-time Assistant Professor under West Bengal Education Service, is currently serving as an Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of English at APCR Govt. College, North Bengal University. He is M. Phil and Ph.D., in English. He has a number of publications in scholarly journals of international standard having global circulation. He has attended and chaired quite a few seminars and international conferences. In addition to Dickens, his areas of interest are Indian Writings in English, Ibsen, Tagore, Feminism, and Translation Theory. He is the author of the book, Feminism in R.K. Narayan’s Novels.

• General Preface
• 1. Introduction: Charles Dickens
• 2. Hard Times: The Story Outline
• 3. Genesis, Vision, and Titling
• 4. A Chapter-wise Critical Summary
• 5. Issues
• (i) Critique of Education/Utilitarianism
• (ii) Narrative Art
• (iii) Thesis/Social/Industrial Novel
• (iv) Plot
• (v) Coketown
• (vi) Circus Party
• (vii) Images, Metaphors, and Symbols, etc.
• (viii) Moral Fable/Fairy World
• (ix) Most Moving and Amusing Scenes
• (x) Flawed Classic
• 6. Characters in Hard Times
• 7. Some Critical Responses
• Bibliography
• Index