Hard Times

Hard Times is at heart Dickens' critique of economists and utilitarians, and so the book was at times slightly incensing, in that it seemed to portray people like me and Rachel as nothing but rational calculators, and this oversimplification and mischaracterization was certainly the genesis of a stream of disutility that led to sub-optimality in terms of both pure utility and productivity for me for the period of three days, four hours, and eighteen minutes, but I digress.

The criticism of early utilitarianism is much more potent than that of economics, as the main family in question, the Gradgrinds, bring up their children much as James Mill raised J.S. Mill, leading to horrific consequences in terms of their happiness and character. The book demonstrates the obvious effects of depriving children of play, imagination, and emotion. It seems that Dickens did not fully understand the economics of his day, and does not address their arguments abstractly, but does point out the flaws of early classical economics by offering clear examples of serious pollution and individuals caught in machinery. These, particularly the first, are now seen as inefficient and detrimental by economists, and of course the second is seen as just as horrible and barbaric as it always was. Thus what he lacks in abstract understanding Dickens makes up for in practical example.

The book is, overall, quite humorous and interesting, although not as good as either David Copperfield or Oliver Twist. It is certainly worth the time it takes to read it, though.