ThAct:- Hard Times by Charles Dickens

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is a part of a Thinking Activity, Paper:- 104 - Litrature of the Victorians given by Dilip Barad From English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar. In this blog I am going to discuss or to try to elaborate the ideas, themes, plot, review of Hindi paly on Hard Times and etc attached with Hard Times novel by Charles Dickens. 

CHARLES DICKENS:-

Charles Dickens born on 7 February 1812 in United Kingdom and died on 9 June 1870 in United Kingdom. His full name is Charles John Huffam Dickens and known by it's short form Charles Dickens. He is very  well known as a greatest novelist, short story writer and critic in now times also. By his birth and death year we can easily see that he was Victorian Era writer. He wrote some of his work under the influence of realism. For more detailed information about him visit Britannica (Click here ).

Here are some of his works:-

• A Christmas Carol (1843)
• A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
• All the Year Round (1859)
• American Notes (1842)
• Barnaby Rudge:- A Tale of the Riots of Eighty (1841)
• Bleak House (1852)
• David Copperfield (1849)
• Dombey and Son (1848)
• Great Expectations (1860)
• Hard Times (1854)
• Little Dorrit (1857)
• Martin Chuzzlewit (1844)
• Nicholas Nickleby (1839)
• Oliver Twist (1837)
• Our Mutual Friend (1865)
• Sketches by ‘Boz’ (1836)
• The Cricket on the Hearth (1845)
• The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870)
• The Old Curiosity Shop (1841)
• The Pickwick Papers (1836)

HARD TIMES:-

Hard Times: For This Times

Publication date:- 12 August 1854 

Language:- English

Genre:- Novel, Fiction, Industrial thought, Realistic novel

Setting:- Cocketown (mythical place) 

Writer:- Charles Dickens

Literary Period:- Victorian 

Construction of the novel:-

Three Parts:-

Book 1 - Sowing

Book 2 - Reaping

Book 3 - Garnering 

Hard Times by Charles Dickens was his tenth novel and published in serial form. Hard Times is unlike the rest of his novels in several ways. It is the shortest published novel by Charles Dickens. Only Hard Times and Great Expectations were originally issued without illustrations. Hard Times is the only novel by Dickens not to have scenes set in London. Instead, it takes place in the fictional Coketown. (Charles Dickens Info)

This is the novel which story doesn't go in London (normally he has setting in London). Dickens criticises Industrial Revolution. It looks like that it has a biblical idea that "For a whatsoever a man soweth, that shall be also reap. Protagonist of the novel is Louisa Gradgrind. Here are the important characters of the novel:-

• Thomas Gradgrind
• Josiah Bounderby
• Louisa Gradgrind/Bounderby
• Sissy (Cecilia) Jupe
• Thomas (Tom) Gradgrind
• Stephen Blackpool
• Bitzer
• Rachael
• Mrs. Sparsit
• James Harthouse
• Jane Gradgrind
• Mrs. Gradgrind 

ADAPTATIONS ON HARD TIMES:-

🎭 HARD TIMES (1988):-

This movie is adaptation of Hard Times novel by Charles Dickens. Original title of those movie is Tempos Difíceis and made in Portuguese language. The initially released date is 31st August 1988. This movie directed, edited and produced by João Botelho. Cast of the movie is like below:-

• Henrique Viana as José Grandela
• Júlia Britton as Luisa Cremalheira
• Eunice Muñoz as Mrs. Vilaverde
• Ruy Furtado as Tomaz Cremalheira
• Isabel de Castro as Teresa Cremalheira
• Joaquim Mendes as Sebastião
• QIsabel Ruth as Sebastião's Wife

🎭 HARD TIMES (1977):-

This version of the adaptation is a TV series of 1977 between 25 October to 15 November and has 4 episodes. This series created by Arthur Hopcraft and directed by John Irvin. Cast of the series is as below:-  

• Patrick Allen – Thomas Gradgrind
• Rosalie Crutchley – Mrs. Sparsit
• Michelle Dibnah – Sissy Jupe
• Alan Dobie – Stephen Blackpool
• Barbara Ewing – Rachael
• Edward Fox – Capt. James Harthouse
• Ursula Howells – Mrs. Gradgrind
• Jacqueline Tong – Louisa Gradgrind
• Timothy West – Josiah Bounderby
• Richard Wren – Tom Gradgrind
• Sean Flanagan – Bitzer

🎭 HARD TIMES (1915):-

This movie is silent adaptation of Hard Times novel by Charles Dickens. This film is directed by Thomas Bentley and released in September 1915. Cast of the silent movie is as below:-

• Bransby Williams as Gradgrind
• Leon M. Lion as Tom Gradgrind
• Dorothy Bellew as Louisa
• Madge Tree as Rachael
• Mr. Forrest as Stephen Blackpool
• F. Lymons as Josiah Bounderby
• Clara Cooper as Sissy Jupe
• J. Wynn Slater as James Harthouse

🎭 HINDI PLAY OF HARD TIMES:-

Apart from all this adaptation as a movies and series, the performance on the stage has more influence on us. As the same now take a look into the Hindi language performance by khilona Theatre on Hard Times by Charles Dickens. 

Source:- Khilona Theatre

Major Diffrence between the novel and play is that the novel starts with a very typical thaught of a teacher (Thomas Gradgrind),

"Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts".

And the play starts with the Chorus and introduction of the novel that what is going to be happen in the play. 

In this play their are so many scenes catch our eyes on them but this one scene got my attention, The scene when Louisa Descend the stairs and the lady screams inside that I am waiting for this moment come Louisa come towards your death and downfall. 

Here are some interesting photos, while play screening in the classroom:-

There is also a very interesting scene of Blackpool that Bounderby asking or try to bribe Blackpool that he tells him to support him cause he is not with the workers but he says his statement in his value that:-

"If I am not with them that doesn't mean I am against them".

This dialogue by him clearly represent that how he is respectable for his own thoughts and moral values. Through this dialogue of Blackpool Dickens reflects his thaught clearly that he is with workers. Even though he is not with workers, he is not against them. 

In this blog i tried to figure out how and what Charles Dickens wants to say through his works according to me and other sources also. 

Note:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know ☺️ some of the information are collected from the different sources, books and websites. 

Words:-1022

Photos:- 10

Videos:- 1

Quotes:- 2