The novel Hard Times by Charles Dickens is a fictional look at the lives of various classes of Englishmen who lived in a town called Coketown during the Industrial Revolution. The general culture of Coketown is one of utilitarianism. The school is run by a man ready to weigh and measure every particle of human nature. This man, known as Thomas Gradgrind, is responsible for exterminating all that is imaginative and integrating all that is relevant and real into the young and flexible minds of the children of Coketown. The older characters in the book, and particularly Mr. Bounderby, are examples of how years of living a utilitarian life can turn someone into an arrogantly bland and ignorant individual, which I think is one of Dickens' main points in the book. There is no doubt that a lifetime of frugal and pragmatic living in a capitalist system can make you rich, but at what cost? I think this question is the essence of this book. As for the question of the seriousness, or realism, of the book, the basis of the previous question must be analyzed through the lens of logic and reason to deduce the extent to which Hard Times can and cannot be taken seriously. validity study relating to historical and sociological environments, I will analyze the situations and personalities portrayed in Hard Times. Why not start from the beginning? In the first sentences of the book, Gradgrind makes it clear that “in life only facts are necessary” and that everything else must be “eradicated.” The first scene described in the book is that of Mr. Gradgrind harshly singling out the supposedly newest and least experienced (in terms of the rigid principles cherished by the people of Coketown) student in his class and ordering her to describe a horse. Although the girl, Sissy Jupe, has traveled her entire life with the circus, which can be considered an entity prone to using the power and grace of an equestrian compliment, she is speechless when asked about the simple task of describing a horse, because she is very shy in the first place, but has no idea what this authoritarian terror of a teacher expects of her. Following his bewilderment, the boy Bitzer is asked to comment and provides a textbook, indeed heavy, definition of a horse that the instructor likes. This scene demonstrates that…the middle of the paper…helps you understand that his telling of the story is definitely meant to have a lot of exaggeration built in for effect. I believe this is an excellent technique for fictional stories with fictional scenarios, but it is questionable whether it is in good taste to use this technique in a book whose implicit intent is to serve as a representation of the story. It may give the wrong impression to those readers who are not familiar with the historical information. Although Dickens's attempt at historical fiction leaves unanswered questions about the book's factual basis, it must be acknowledged that his understanding of human relationships and emotions is impeccable. Hard Times describes some of the most vivid and lively characters I've ever read about in a book. So, if one wants to read the book with the intention of gaining an understanding of the issues relating to the English Industrial Revolution, then he is better advised to look elsewhere, but if mixing fact and fiction doesn't bother you and you want to read an excellent book by one of the greatest authors of the 19th century, then Hard Times is an excellent choice.