Hard Times

Description:

Charles Dickens’ Hard Times is set in Coketown, where school owner Mr. Thomas Gradgrind dominates as a model of Utilitarian success. Feeding both his pupils and his family with facts, he bans fancy and wonder from young minds. As a consequence his daughter marries a loveless businessman, and his son rebels to become embroiled in gambling and robbery. And, as their fortunes cross with those of a free-spirited circus girl and a victimized weaver, Gradgrind is eventually forced to recognize the value of the human heart in an age of materialism and machinery.

Grade Level: 9-12 (ages 13-18)

Required Materials: Hard Times by Charles Dickens and Student guide. Please purchase the physical copy. Access to a microphone will be helpful for this course.