Fact is the obvious dominating theme within the novel and it is manifested within Coketown itself as well as the majority of its citizens. The fanatics of facts are Thomas Gradgrind, Mr. McChoakumchild, and Josiah Bounderby. While these are not all of the disciples of fact they are crucial in comprehending the philosophy of a purely factual existence. Judging these characters upon their names alone is quite revealing. For example, the name Mr. McChoakumchild is painfully ironic because he is a school teacher. His methods of teaching are based upon Mr. Gradgrind's philosophy of fact, .what I want is Fact. Teach these boys and girls nothing else, and root out everything else.nothing else will ever be of service to them.
Moore 3.
(Dickens 1). These words are the opening lines to Hard Times and definitely sets the .
tone for the rest of the novel.
Thomas Gradgrind is perhaps the father of facts. It is his philosophy which the town adopts and his name portrays the essence of a factual existence. Gradgrind, is offensive in a serious way constantly reducing everything to facts constitutes a gradual grinding away of the humanity of his pupils and his own children (Magill 2752). This analysis of Gradgrind's name manifests a sense of mechanization throughout all of Coketown. It is his reduction of complex emotions into cold hard fact, which diminishes the soul of the all who are confronted by its shrewdness. There are no exceptions according to Gradgrind. He has raised his own children to be machines which respond to everything in life with hard data. Louisa and Thomas Jr. are the result of a non-fictional childhood. These two children demonstrate the consequences of a childhood without any form of fantasy.
The extent of Mr. Gradgrind's influence does not end with his own children, but rather extends to the children of the entire town through the school, which he controls. The school is instructed by Mr.