1. Write your critical comment on the views of F. R. Leavis and J. B. Priestley on ‘Hard Times’. With whom do you agree? Why? For 10 marks
Introduction
Charles Dickens’s Hard Times (1854) is one of his most compact yet thematically powerful novels. Critics have responded to it in very different ways, particularly F. R. Leavis and J. B. Priestley. Their contrasting evaluations open up important debates on whether the novel should be valued more for its artistry or for its social critique.
F. R. Leavis’s View
In The Great Tradition (1948), F. R. Leavis dismisses Hard Times as one of Dickens’s weakest works. He considers it “a moral fable rather than a work of art.” For Leavis, Dickens limits his creative scope by confining the narrative to the industrial town of Coketown, unlike his other expansive novels. He also criticizes Dickens’s characters as caricatures rather than psychologically complex individuals. Figures like Mr. Gradgrind and Mr. Bounderby, in his view, are mere embodiments of abstract ideas—utilitarianism and hypocrisy—rather than real human beings. Leavis ultimately sees the novel’s social criticism as lacking subtlety and its literary artistry as compromised.
J. B. Priestley’s View
J. B. Priestley, in Charles Dickens: A Study of His Works (1961), defends Hard Times as one of Dickens’s most effective novels. He values the novel for its focus, conciseness, and moral urgency. According to Priestley, the symbolic characters are not weaknesses but deliberate artistic devices. Through them, Dickens sharply criticizes the dehumanizing effects of industrial capitalism, the flaws of utilitarian philosophy, and the dangers of an education system that denies imagination. Priestley also emphasizes the enduring relevance of the novel, as it dramatizes the conflict between fact and fancy, compassion and calculation.
Evaluation and Personal Standpoint
Between the two, Priestley’s defense is more convincing. While Leavis rightly notes the use of caricature and the restricted setting, these features should be understood as part of Dickens’s chosen artistic strategy. By narrowing the setting to Coketown, Dickens creates a symbolic microcosm of industrial England. Characters like Gradgrind and Bounderby, though exaggerated, expose the dangers of utilitarian thought and false self-made myths with great clarity. Similarly, Stephen Blackpool and Sissy Jupe embody the neglected values of kindness, imagination, and humanity, reinforcing the novel’s moral force.
Conclusion
Leavis undervalues Hard Times by equating symbolism with artistic weakness. Priestley, on the other hand, recognizes the novel’s concentrated intensity and continuing cultural significance. Although less expansive than other Dickens works, Hard Times remains a powerful critique of Victorian society. Therefore, Priestley’s assessment is more persuasive and better reflects the novel’s lasting impact.
1. Write your critical comment on the views of F. R. Leavis and J. B. Priestley on ‘Hard Times’. With whom do you agree? Why? For 5 marks
Leavis’s View
F. R. Leavis, in The Great Tradition, considers Hard Times one of Dickens’s weakest novels. He regards it as “a moral fable rather than a work of art,” criticizing its limited industrial setting and characters, who he believes are mere caricatures representing ideas rather than real people. According to him, the novel’s social critique is superficial, and its artistic value is compromised by the focus on moral lessons.
Priestley’s View
J. B. Priestley, on the other hand, praises Hard Times for its focused social and moral critique. He appreciates Dickens’s use of symbolic characters, arguing that figures like Gradgrind, Bounderby, and Sissy Jupe effectively highlight the dangers of utilitarianism, industrial exploitation, and the suppression of imagination. Priestley emphasizes that the novel’s moral urgency and concentrated satire make it a powerful social commentary.
Personal Standpoint
I agree with Priestley. The novel’s brevity, setting, and symbolic characters are deliberate strategies to critique Victorian society. Though less expansive than Dickens’s other works, Hard Times remains a strong moral and social novel with lasting relevance.
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