Portrait of Middle class in Hard Times

Portrait of Middle class in Hard Times

During the second half of the eighteenth century in Britain, there had been a small class of merchants, trades and small farmers. This small class was “the middle class”, and it had increased with the rise of industrialists and factory owners. Then, in the nineteenth century grew quickly. Industrialists of this class were successful and self-made men who came from poor beginnings. The middle class made up of factory owners, bankers, shopkeepers, merchants, lawyers, engineers, businessmen, traders, teachers, and other professionals. In other words; it included everyone between the working class and the upper class.

The challenge of the Middle class with the upper class was not to worsen and aggravate the political tensions between the partials of the powerful and rich class, or to destroy their benefits and virtues, but rather it disagreed on the political leadership of the society. If the aristocrats, or the landed gentry, benefited from the wealth of those industrialists, the Middle class would enjoy the virtues of “social prestige” that was measured by the extension of land owned.

 New roles were defined for middle class men and women; middle class men went for work in business, while their women stayed home and cared for the family needs. Middle class men did not get married until the age of 27 or 30 because of the importance of being financially stable. This class made up about fifteen percent of the population. A man’s status depends on his values, education, and community position. One of the main characteristics of this class is that the idealization of family life and togetherness because the opportunity of its members in being together. The middle class children were raised by servants, and they had the chance to go to local grammar schools or went to private schools. Their education became increasingly important. People of this class shared set of values and ideas. They valued hard work, sexual morality, and individual responsibility.

Mr. Josiah Bounderby was used as an example of the growing middle class or bourgeoisie. He constantly talked of how he had grown up on nothing (which was slightly exaggerated, but he still did grow up poor) and was constantly flaunting his wealth. He bought a country estate, something that many middle class members did to imitate the upper classes. He married a daughter of a wealthy man and hired a former member of high society to keep house for him. In general, he and other members of the bourgeoisie attempted to become high society by acting like them.

The novel was written to depict what life was like during the industrial revolution and to reflect the distinctions between the classes during that era. The novel can be summarized as a book about two struggles. One struggle is between fact and imagination and the other is the struggle between two classes.

The second struggle, is between the classes, which is illustrated between Stephen Blackpool and Bounderby. Blackpool represents the working class and Bounderby the bourgeois or middle class. He is a warm hearted man who feels he deserves this mediocre life. Struggle has a general meaning as a way to get the best result and something worth. People will do everything to get it. This occurs in many kinds of field, one of them in literary works.

Charles Dickens’ Hard Times is a novel with a social message which the author brings to life through character and setting. Dickens apparently expects his readers to accept his portrayal of Bounderby as being typical of this new breed of industrialists, but the character reflects none of the beginnings of modern scientific principles of management date emerging in the first half of the 19th century.

                                                                      (collected and assembled from internet)