The Satire of Utilitarianism
I heard about Hard Times for a long time, but I didn’t know about its contents until this term. Which made me decide to read this book is its opening—— “Now, what I want is, FACTS……” The sentences are not too difficult to read so I have the interest to continue reading it.
The more chapters I read, the much understanding I have that behind the straightway language was the serious and deeply consideration. The author Dickens described the bourgeoisie vividly and satirized the utilitarianism very powerfully. In these people’s philosophy, everything was secondary to benefits. This philosophy was not only honored as the life principles by the heroes Grandgrind and Bounderby, but also stuffed in the brains of chirldren.
I am very sympathy to these poor children. They were forced to accept the “facts”, and their na?ve imagenation was killed. Even watching the circus was considered as the bad behavior.
“Nothing is useful unless it can produce substantive benefits”, such thought was popular at that age, however, in my opnion, it still exists broadly in our society today. Many kids are sent to learn varies of interests-orinted classes: Mathematical Olympiad, piano, singing, dancing, and so on. Most Parents do this because they want their children to succeed in entering a better school, while they care little about the true intersests of children. This utilitarian education is also found in school. When I was a primary student, my classmates were treated differently by teachers because of their different marks. It is obviously harm for children’s growing.
Also adults have the utilitarian thoughts. We are becoming more and more frickle. In 1980s, many youngsters were keen on writing poem. They wrote poems just for pleasant. But today few people read and write poems for they think that it can not bring benefits for them. The phenomenon should arouse our attention.
Hard Times is a great novel because its influence was beyond the counties and times. I am benefit a lot from it.