As you finish reading Book the Second, explore the site
Fact and Fancy from The British Library. Consider how the elements of fancy or wonder (circus, fairy tales, allusions, satire) have contributed to the idea of "Reaping" as the second book is titled.
I want to focus my comment on Mrs. Gradgrind's death.
ReplyDeleteOn her deathbed, Mrs. Gradgrind is worried that she has missed something. SHe's very worried and asks to write a letter to Mr. Gradgrind asking what it is.
I think this is very signifigant because it shows that at the time of her death, Mrs. Gradgrind has some notion of the lack of "fancy" in her life. (Even though she doesn't realize herself that it is "fancy" that she is missing)
I think it's also a testament to Mrs. Gradgrind's character that even as she is dying she is looking to her husband for answers.
Mr. Gradgrind and his love of fact is undoubtedly the cause of Mrs. Gradgrind's emptiness.
For Louisa, I think her mother's death is another stressor that leads her to ultimately collapse at the end of book the second. Louisa too has felt something is missing in her life, and I think at this point, she is starting to figure out what it is.
Another mention of fancy is in Jane (Louisa's younger sister) I think Jane is happier because she has been raised by Sissy who knows the notion of "fancy" very well.
I also found Mrs. Gradgrind's death to be deserving of attention and analysis. Like Fiona said, Mrs. Gradgrind recognizes that she is missing something before she dies. I think it is clear that what she has been missing is a sense of wonder and fantasy. Her husband is a strict believer in fact, so her life likely lacked any sort of imagination. Though Mrs. Gradgrind does not recognize that this is what she is missing, she has subconsciously been made aware of this because of Sissy's wondrous presence in her household (as made clear by the fact that Jane seems to be having a much more fulfilling childhood--because Sissy is practically raising her). I think it is ironic that Mrs. Gradgrind asks Mr. Gradgrind what it is that she is missing because he is likely the main reason why her life lacked a sense of wonder, fantasy and "fancy".
DeleteThe "Fact and Fancy" article pointed out that "the circus provides a window on to values (Dickens) held passionately", which I think is important to note because it highlights the relationship between Dickens' own views and the story. He clearly uses the circus and Sissy Jupe to contradict Gradgrind's beliefs and emphasize his own disagreement with the standards that Gradgrind upholds.
I really agree with what Grace had to say about the way that Dickens conveys his own philosophy through the conflict of fact and fancy. It is evident that he favors the latter of the two in the case that they can not coexist, however Jane is the demonstration of the amalgamation of both concepts. Because she has been the benefactor of Sissy's warmth and love as well as the recipient of extensive schooling, she is both imaginative and practical. While a childhood consisting solely of facts has emotionally scathed both Louisa and Tom and an upbringing of whimsy has inhibited Sissy from achieving a greater level of education, the forces of fact and fancy when combined produce the greatest happiness.
DeleteI agree with Sarah and her point about achieving the proper equilibrium of "fact" and "fancy". Louisa was deprived of the "fancy" aspect of her childhood and she was forced to endure a restricting lifestyle driven by "fact." Her wonder and imagination was constantly suppressed which ultimately lead to her personal downfall/ epiphany. The first book is titled "Sowing" while the second is titled "Reaping." This goes along with the expression "you reap what you sow." In the first book, Sissy experienced a life of pure imagination (the circus) and is ultimately adopted into a life based on fact (the Gradgrind household). Because she has experienced both worlds, she has achieved an equilibrium that is beneficial and satisfying. However, Louisa has been raised solely on her father's strict philosophies. She had to deal with the consequences of "reaping" what her father "sowed". Her early life was stripped of every ounce of imagination leading to her unhappiness with her relationship with Bounderby, her lust to be with Harthouse, and her discontent with her childhood.
DeleteI think that the title of the second book “Reaping” is very fitting to the meaning of the book specifically because of Mrs. Gradgrind’s death as well. A lot of people have mentioned this already but it is clear that before she died that she acknowledges the lack of life she lived and feels like there is something missing. To me, it is obvious that that would be the lack of fantasy and imagination that she had in her life because she had to conform to her husbands ways of living a factual based life. The definition of reaping means to cut groups. I think this directly relates to the “cutting off” of the characters fantasy side, individualism and forcing them to conform to a life full of strictly facts.
Delete"Reaping" in the context of Hard Times means to receive (a reward or benefit) as a consequence of one's own or other peoples actions. I think the union meeting is a really great example of this happening because Slackbridge's whole idea is to get people worked up into a frenzy so that they will be impassioned towards their employers. This allows Dickens to satirize the everyday spokesman such as Slackbridge. The reason for having a character that is so exaggerated, is to promote a comical and grotesque effect among people. He is there to "stir up trouble" which essentially ties back into the definition of reaping which is someones actions (being Slackbridge's) serving a consequence among others. (which are the factory workers)
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of what everyone has said. I think the elements of fancy and wonder come in to the novel a lot in the last few chapters of Book the Second. It’s first seen when Mrs. Gradgrind is about to die. She tries to explain to Louisa that she feels that her husband had not taught his family something. While he taught them a lot of fact, there is something that she cannot name that has been left out. In this same part of the novel, it says “She fancied” which is something that Mr. Gradgrind has restricted his family from doing. These elements are also seen again when Louisa confesses to her father how she feels. She comes to the realization that he had forced her to live a certain way, causing her to never experience a real life that made her happy. She feels as though her path was paved for her by Fact and that she never got to make decisions on her own. She begins to wonder if she loves Mr. Harthouse as she admits that she does not love Mr. Bounderby.
ReplyDeleteI’m having a hard time relating the title to what happens in the book. I think what Caitlin had to say about it makes the most sense, but I’m still struggling to really understand the connection.
The titles of the first two book, “Sowing” and “Reaping” come from the biblical concept of "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” I think that in this second book, the reader begins to see the outcome of Gradgrind’s stress on facts. This is especially seen as Montana mentions above, when Mrs. Gradgrinds expresses to Louisa her discontent with the way that the kids were brought up. Mr. Grandrind will soon reap what he sowed, as Louisa is now questioning her upbringing.
DeleteI agree with Montana. I think "Reaping" is interesting as we see Louisa pushing back against what her father has spent her whole life teaching her. Louisa has seemed to be numb through her entire life and it seems her Mother's death provides the force which allows her to look into what she wants from her life. I think Dicken's is showing through Book the Second how no matter how hard you try a person can not fully suppress 'fancy.' Imagination and creativity will always be there somewhere it's just a matter of time. I he's also commenting on how miserable a life can be without having things to 'fancy.'
DeleteReaping can mean the cutting and gathering crops such as grain. Reaping is a productive way to harvest and sort out the farm's crops. In Hard Times, the same principle is applied to both the lower working class and Gradgrind's upper class lives. For the lower class, the workers are gathered in factories unions and what not. Then their individualized thoughts and desires are cut off. Their pleasurable activities are inaccessible because of their financial situation. Also, their mentalities (the roots of their identity) are set apart from their monotonous lives. For the Gradgrind's, the same thing applies except it isn't because of a lack of wealth. It is because of the search for ultimate utility and efficiency. It's interesting how the two very different lifestyles leave the same emptiness.
ReplyDeleteI think what Parth said is an interesting way to look at things that I hadn't thought of before. I also think that "reaping" could apply to the Gradgrinds because the children are sort of being "cut off" from a normal childhood. Because Mr. Grandgrind forces facts onto his children (and his wife) they are missing something. We can see this especially when Mrs. Grandgrind dies, trying to tell Louisa that she has missed something.
DeleteAlso, I definitely agree that Sissy is a symbol of "fancy" as opposed to fact. I also think that Harthouse contradicts Gradgrind's philosophies. We can see this take effect when Louisa goes to her father and finally calls him out for taking her childhood. I think that it is Harthouse that has brought this stronger side out of her.
I think the definition Parth found makes sense as the title for Book the Second, Reaping. In this sense, reaping seems to mean cutting something off, mostly for efficiency of the whole, and gathering the bulk. This is similar to the idea of utilitarianism presented in Hard Times. Ideas in Coketown are cut down so much that they are just left as facts; which, is believed to be for the greatest good/whole.
DeleteAdditionally, reaping seems to have a meaning of bringing something in. This could be looked at symbolically as Mrs. Gradgrind is finally bringing in/discovering her true thoughts and recognizing her emptiness upon her deathbed. Moreover, the circus is bringing in, or bringing to light, the values and importance of fancy and wonder.
I agree with Porth's analysis of the situation and especially at the end with the idea about how two seemingly different lives have the same emptiness. Adding on to his idea, is the symbolism in the staircase which leads to a darkness of shame. Furthermore, I believe that at the end of book 2 the effect of the utilitarian way of thinking becomes obvious and the need and benefits of fancy have been highlighted through the character of Harthouse and his relationship with Louisa. In this relationship Dickens presents the idea that as human beings we can only be controlled for so long eventually and inevitably beginning to wonder thus releasing the lack of knowledge we actually have.
DeleteI think both interpretations of the title of Book the Second, “Reaping”, can be supported. On one hand, the cutting of the crops relates to the brisk and factual society initiated by Mr. Gradgrind and Bounderby. Coketown has been stripped of fanciful imagination similar to the harvesting of a field of crops. At the same time, we see in the last section of the second book, Louisa starts to realize the spark of happiness within Jane. It could be possible for Louisa to “reap” benefits from a more vibrant and imaginative lifestyle. In the articles it immediately begins by stating that Dickens “took lifelong delight in the amusements of ordinary people” and intended to “defend their right to leisure and recreation”. Actions such as, noticing quirks in others and valuing the right to leisure, lead us to believe that Dickens was strongly opposed to the utilitarian views that are being mocked in his novel.
DeleteWhen I looked up the exact definition of "reaping", I found that it meant to cut or gather crops as well as to receive a reward or benefit as a consequence of other's (or your own) actions. Immediately, I thought of how the majority of Coketown had the benefit of not being exiled by conforming to the fact-based way of thinking. This benefit is the consequence of them separating themselves from any desire of individuality. Obviously, in this novel the ideas of fantasy and wonder are frowned upon by the general census of Coketown which is Dickens' strategy to discredit utilitarian philosophies. Especially seen in Mrs. Gradgrind's death, it is apparent to some that they have not been living their lives to full capacity; there is some missing element and to the readers it is clear that it is individuality and imagination. With all of the allusions to the Bible and mythology, the bland aspects of Coketown are highlighted with imaginative details. These details make readers consider the idea that it is ironic that the community is so against fantasy yet Dickens is constantly introducing it in his writing. This further emphasizes the idea that Dickens is satirizing the utilitarian philosophy.
ReplyDeleteDickens is definitely commenting on and satirizing utilitarianism throughout this novel. I think the characters are a very interesting way to evaluate his commentary on the importance of fancy and wonder. Mr. M'Choakumchild is very obviously named to comment on the negativity of his incessant factual teachings. In addition, Tom is a product of a "reasonable" upbringing, yet he ends up being poorly adjusted to society. Sissy does not have this factual foundation, and she often seems to be the most in-tuned and empathetic character. I think this is intentional because it emphasizes the importance of wonder and fancy and degrades utilitarianism. Tom is unable to "reap" the benefits of his financial standing because of his factual childhood and education. Mrs. Gradgrind comments very directly on the failure of Mr. Gradgrind's utilitarian philosophy directly before her death. She finds it urgent to tell Louisa, with her last breaths, "there is something... that your father has missed, or forgotten." What he has forgotten is the value of fairy tales, the circus, and imagination. Without these, it is impossible to "reap" society's benefits that require more than just facts.
DeleteI think both interpretations of the title of the second book “Reaping” fit the story. One one hand, the cutting of the crops relates to the brisk and factual society initiated by Mr. Gradgrind and Bounderby. Coketown has been stripped of fanciful imagination similar to the harvesting of a field of crops. At the same time, we see in the last section of the second book Louisa start to realize the spark of happiness within Jane. It could be possible for Louisa to “reap” benefits from a more vibrant and imaginative lifestyle that she is beginning to recognize around her. In the articles it immediately begins by stating that Dickens “took lifelong delight in the amusements of ordinary people” and intended to “defended their right to leisure and recreation”. Actions such as, noticing quirks in others and valuing the right to leisure, lead us to believe that Dickens was opposed to the utilitarian views that are being mocked in his novel.
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ReplyDeleteThrough using fantasy allusions within Hard Times, Dickens argues that wonder and fantasy is as necessary as reason is. Louisa, having grown up in a fact based environment that lacked any wonder becomes unable to show affection or love anyone/anything except for Thomas. Her brother Thomas later becomes a whelp. Bounderby loses his humanity and instead retains a "metallic laugh." Before Mrs. Gradgrind's death, she's able to understand that she is missing something within her life. Furthermore, the text refers to Mr. Bounderby as a giant, Mr. M'Choakumchild as an ogre, and Mrs. Sparsit as a dragon and evil fairy. Ironically, Dickens uses fantasy just to highlight the characters lack of love and compassion as a result of growing up in a anti-fantasy world.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, reaping, meaning "to receive (a reward or benefit) as a consequence of one's own or other people's actions" ties into the fantasy incorporated in Hard Times. As a result of being deprived of fancy, the consequence is living an unsatisfied life.
I agree with this conclusion that being deprived of fancy, the character's consequence is living an unsatisfied life. Dickens is an intelligent writer and he really knows how to highlight irony in such a way that it becomes apparent. I absolutely love how he uses fairytale language in order to display exactly what is missing.
DeleteI agree with this conclusion that being deprived of fancy, the character's consequence is living an unsatisfied life. Dickens is an intelligent writer and he really knows how to highlight irony in such a way that it becomes apparent. I absolutely love how he uses fairytale language in order to display exactly what is missing.
DeleteThe ending of the Book with regard to Mr. Gradgrind is significant with regard to his development. In it, Louisa fairly plainly states her oppression by Gradgrind's methods and the issue with Harthouse. Despite this denouncement, Gradgrind does continue his fundamental compassing demonstrated when he takes pity no Louisa. The very ending, where "the pride of his heart and the triumph of his system, lying, an insensible heap, at his feet" (164). In addition to referring to Lousia, again reflecting this human side, "the pride of his heart and triumph of his system" may refer to his utilitarian philosophy which he prized. The description of "system" again references the mode in which he raises hit children. It is now even made out to be a "lying" and "insensible heap." Thus, the entire encounter tears his philosophy down, the Reaping of his efforts and also the cutting down as others have mentioned. It will be interesting to see how this proceeds for him.
ReplyDeleteAn additionally note is how much more powerful this impact has on him than does, say, the death of Mrs. Gradgrind. While that probably also has some impact, the greater change brought on by Louisa may indicate the fundamental regard he should have for symbols of the Freedom of Fancy (Louisa vs. Mrs. Gradgrind).
The elements of fancy and wonder have contributed to the idea of "reaping" in regards to the connection between Dickens and Louisa.
ReplyDeleteIn Book the First, I focused in on satire and the idea of fairy tales and loss of innocence. These ideas continue into Book the Second and develop a further connection between the author and the (arguable) protagonist. Fancy and Wonder appear a lot more towards the end of Book the Second when Louisa is able to confess to her father how she feels about her upbringing revolving around fact. Louisa is rebelling against her father in a sense "reaping" her childhood and allowing fancy and wonder to be a greater part of her life.
With satire, tone is very important. The scene I mentioned prior is a very dense scene that explores Juvenalian Satire where the tone is resentful and heavy. She ironically is stating facts about her childhood that were "sowed" in Book the First. In a sense she is releasing her past and moving towards a life focusing more on fancy as she starts to think about her feelings for Mr. Harthouse.
Before reading these comments I was very confused on how to relate the title "Reaping" to the plot of Book the Second. I think Owen’s comment was the most clear and interesting. “Reaping” describes all the effects of what happened to the characters in Book the First. For Louisa, she finally understands how dramatically her childhood of Facts affected her. For Tom, he is growing more unsatisfied, which leads him to rob the bank. Even with Mrs. Gradgrind, in her last hours of life, she feels an emptiness cause from her lack of Fancy. Through all these examples of “Reaping” Dickens is explaining how much of necessity Fancy is to live a fulfilled life. When Louisa see’s Sissy, a girl who lived a life of both Fact and Fancy, she seems happy and content, arguing that one needs both some Fact and some Fancy to be happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kate's interpretation of the meaning behind "Reaping" and its role with elements of fancy and wonder. I think that Dickens also has more than one meaning behind nearly everything in his stories. The idea of this fantasy world mixed into reality is key to the story. The idea that Sissy Jupe lives in both Fact and Fancy which she appears to be content with this gets ride of Louisa's contentment with her own life. I believe it is mean to show the disturbance in one's own life on how another life appears. Without these so called Fact and Fancy they hold this emptiness.
DeleteThroughout the novel, Dickens implies that fact is just as important as fancy. While he makes this point, he also suggests that fact is a matter of perspective. For example, Mr. Bounderby sees the factory workers as lazy and unsuccessful. In contrast, the employees see themselves as hardworking and believe they are being taken advantage of by their employers. Both of these facts are based on the opinions of the individual characters. In this situation, Dickens implies that fact is based on personal belief. Mr. Gradgrind also raises his children to value fact over fancy. As a result, they lead unsatisfactory social lives, proving people need a balance of fact and fancy to live life to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, Dickens employs a stark contrast between fact and fancy. There are characters who display the utilitarian beliefs of the society at the time, such as Thomas Gradgrind and Josiah Bounderby, and characters from the circus that represent the fancy and whimsy that also existed, such as Sissy Jupe. The former tend to be the richer characters, and the latter the poorer characters. However, the characters who don't worship only the facts seem to be the happiest characters in the end. When Dickens flashes forward to the future at the end of the novel, he writes about "happy Sissy" and how her and her family "beautify their lives of machinery and reality with those imaginative graces and delights, without which the heart of infancy will wither up, the sturdiest physical manhood will be morally stark death." This demonstrates the balance of fancy and fact that is needed in life, and how without it, one is just a shell of a person.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate Dickens' opinions about fact and fancy. I too believe them to be equal in importance however i understand his idea that individuals' perceptions of the two can vary for a multitude of reasons. To reflect the utilitarian mindsets of the time Bounderby and Gradgrind exist. They serve to contrast the characters from the circus including sissy jupe. On a broader scale they contrast the two concepts of hard fact and fancy. Ultimately those who appreciate fancy end up happier, though those who value fact are physically more wealthy and well-to-do. Though this stark contrast is clear, Dickens overall message is that a balance between both fact and fancy is needed to truly have the most fulfilling life.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the entire aspect of circus and pageantry in book the second contributed greatly to the idea of reaping. This idea, for me, is particularly in the moments of Mrs. Gradgrinds perspective. Mrs. Gradgrind realizes that she has married a man completely lacking in imagination or any modicum of creative happiness. She has, in a sense, married fact. While there may have been significant financial influence behind her decision to marry Gradgrind, she is now locked in matrimony with a terrible man. She chose security of the circus, and now she is reaping what she sowed.
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