When one thinks of a “fairy tale” story they think of the themes and characterization of any common “fairy tale” such as; good vs. evil, hero/heroin vs. evil villain, good triumphs evil and love conquers all, these are some of the obvious themes of any ”fairy tale” story. Many stories contain a “fairy tale” base or components. The novel Hard Times by Charles Dickens has been termed a “fairy tale” for the industrial revolution.
Hard Times resembles a “fairy tale” story by expressing “fairy tale” characterization in several ways. In this essay I’m going to focus on the “fairy tale” theme “love conquers all”, this is a classic “fairy tale” theme and does occur in most all classic “fairy tale” stories. In the beginning of the novel we are introduced to Tom and Louisa Grangrid, brother and sister, we soon find out that Louisa has a great love for her brother Tom, a love that was so strong to the extent that she would give her life in an instant for her brother.
Tom takes advantage of Louisa’s love in many ways and doesn’t treat her fairly at all. Tom uses Louisa; Tom knows he will need financial help in the near future, he also knows that a wealthy man and friend of his father’s has a love for Louisa. Tom essentially forces Louisa to marry Mr. Bounderby for his beneficial gain. Louisa soon becomes Mrs. Bounderby despite her opposing feelings toward Mr. Bounderby, this again goes to show that she will do most anything for her brother Tom.
After being married for a while Louisa meets a man named Mr. James Harthouse. Mr. Harthouse, only in Coketown for a short while, has growing feelings and attractions for Louisa. Louisa is heartbroken by the fact that her marriage is going nowhere from the lack of love she has for Mr. Bounderby and she too discovers that she is attracted to Mr. Harthouse. Louisa is lost for words when she finds herself in a scandalous love triangle, which is another theme of a “fairy tale” story.
At the end of the story love does not prevail even though the book did start with that “fairy tale” theme with Tom and Louisa but the classic theme still comes alive during the novel. This novel has “fairy tale” themes intertwined in the entire story. The themes I recognized as more obvious were the “love conquers all” and the classic “love triangle”; early on in the novel we get the sense that love will prevail and conquer all in the case of Tom and Louisa but soon after that theme takes an unfortunate turn for the bad.
We are introduced with the classic love triangle and/ or the start of a scandalous affair which again is the climax of many “fairy tale” stories. The characterization similarities with a “fairy tale” exist in the novel as well; Louisa can be thought of as a “damsel in distress” along with her “Prince Harthouse” and the evil villains Thomas Gradgrind an Mr. Bounderby. This is an excellent novel and it’s coin the “ Fairy Tale of the Industrial Revolution” serves it well.
Author: Frank Frazier