Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Character Analysis of Thomas Gradrind in the Hard Times Essay Example for Free
Character Analysis of Thomas Gradrind in the Hard Times Essay Thomas Gradrind is the first character presented in the book Hard Times by Charles Dickens. He is one of the central figures through whom the author weaves a web of intricately connected characters and plotlines. The main central features of his character are his monotone attitude and appearance that is mechanized. Mr. Gradrind’s opening speech to a group of young students during the opening scene embodies his dryness and the hard fact that he impounds in his student’s heads.            Gradrind is best described physically as an obstinate carriage, square coat, square legs, square shoulders by the narrator, which is suggestive of Gradrind’s unrelenting rigidity (Dickens, 2001, p.47). During the first few chapters, Gradrind expounds his philosophy of calculating his rational self interest. He believes that human nature can be governed by complete rational rules. He is also ready to weigh and measure any parcel of human nature and be able to tell what it comes to. He lives by a joyless, pure memorization approach to education and life. In the novel, his dull approach regarding education is shown: Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone     are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to       them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the  principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to Facts, sir! (Dickens, 2001 p.47) By this philosophy, he was able to triumph financially and socially. Even his way of living as a hardware merchant is an implication of his fixation on hard material reality. He also became a member of the Parliament and this position allowed him to indulge his interest tabulating data about people from England. Though he is not a factory owner, he evinces the spirit of Industrial Revolution as he treats people like a machine that can be reduced to a number of principles of science.            Although it seems that the narrator’s description of Gradrind seems depressing, the latter also undergoes significant change in the novel which later catches the narrator’s sympathy. This is when Louisa confessed to Gadrind that something really important is missing in her life and that she is unhappy about marrying Bounderby. This makes Gradrind realize that the education system that he has is not perfect. This is also proven when he learned that Tom, his son, robbed the bank of Bounderby. After Gradrind realizes his failures, he admits to himself that he is really sorry for relying too much on facts. The dilemmas of his children made him feel and learn love, compassion and sorrow. He later becomes a humble man and making his facts and figures in greater connection with the virtues of faith, hope and charity.            Throughout the book, Thomas Gradrind was a man who clings to facts and statistical objects as the only truth. He believes that these are the important things that should be dealt with in order to achieve a healthy productive life. This makes him somewhat closed-minded since he solely sticks to his own vision of truth about life. He can be quoted as a perfectionist who strives to make his children perfect and raised them with perfection. Ironically, his children cannot absorb all that he was feeding.            Thomas Gradrind lives in a reality where he always depends on meanings and calculations. This trait of his was shown in his dialogues such as this: Herein lay the spring of the mechanical art and mystery of educating the reason without stooping to the cultivation of the sentiments and affections. Never wonder. By means of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, settle everything somehow and never wonder†(Dickens, 2001 p.89) This implies that he has a scientific and mathematical approach to life.            After being a prominent citizen of Coketown he later becomes one of the Parliament members. This gives him a chance to implement a one-sided practical philosophy on local schools. He is often viewed as rationalist, self-centered and cold. In raising and teaching children like Louisa, Tom, Jane, Adam, and Malthus, he sees to it that they are equally practical. They are also always forbidden to nurture emotions and fill their minds with imaginations. He also views love and forbearance as a means of regulating facts and figures. Not until Louisa runs to him in full distress of the impending misfortune when she marries Bounderby that he realizes the limitations of his philosophical notions about hard facts. Despite his stubbornness and fixation on logic, Gradrind is a great father to his children. He raised his kids well because he always wanted the best for them. He does things which he thinks will benefit their individuality. Thus, after hearing Louisa’s troubles, he makes it a point to change himself and support her in her agony. For his children, he learned to repent for his wrongdoing and became ready to change his ways that caused his children’s unhappiness.            The main conviction of Gradrind in the story is his utilitarian point of view regarding facts and figures. Being a man of facts and figures, utilitarianism is manifested in his view of every individual. Rather than see people as a unique person, he develops a general view of people, which focuses on their productivity and usefulness in the society as a whole. He feels that everything in life can be measured through universal calculation and tabulations. Everything can be computed, from interior designing to marriage.            Further analysis of Gradrind’s character suggests that he also mirrors the way people think during the era of industrialization. Charles Dickens wanted to explain to his readers the ideals and disadvantages of industrialization. Thomas Gradrind is an embodiment of how an individual embraces the beliefs and practices of industrialization. The way factory owners think during the time of industrialization is shown in the character of Gradrind. They are only after the monetary gain rather than the individual worth of the workers. Dickens created an enduring tale that reflects the issues of an era filled with historical transformation.            The philosophy of utilitarianism and its connection to industrialization is given enough meaning through Thomas Gradrinds character. After practicing the fact philosophy, his daughter Louisa made him realize that something is more important than the lessons of facts and figures. Before the novel ends, she ends up confessing to her father that â€Å"there seems to be nothing here but languid and monotonous smoke†(Dickens, 2001, p.78). She complains how mechanized the way her father raised her that brought her such misery.            It is in the near end of the novel that Gradrind realizes and sees his errors. He feels sorry for the way his children suffered his ideological principle. For the first time he did not dwell on facts and figures and humbly felt sorry for what he did, Dickens used Gradrind to tell readers how to understand that there is more to life than facts and figures. He wanted to use Gradrinds character to show that everyone can change even the industrialized society during that time. Thomas Gradrind can be viewed by readers as character of change. He changed his philosophical ideals in place of something more importantâ€â€his family’s happiness. Each individual has his or her own set of principles. Although it is worth sharing with others, it should not be shared to the extent of imposing it to others to follow. It should also not be used to manipulate other people. Gradrind can be an eye opener for many people who live under the influence of abusive power and authority. Louisas case made a turning point on her fathers life and paved the way for a better life for his children. Work Cited Dickens, Charles. Hard Times. Norton Critical Edition 3rd Ed. 2001.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Affirmative Action is Reverse Discrimination Essay -- Argumentative Pe
Affirmative Action is Reverse Discrimination  When the Civil Rights Bill was being debated on the floor of the Senate, Barry Goldwater predicted that this particular bill might be abused. Herbert Humphrey, however, stated that he would eat every page of the bill if ever it were used to justify discrimination against anybody on account of race or sex. The bill eventually passed and became the Civil Rights Act. From college admissions to government contracts, the Civil Rights Act has been grossly abused by giving race and gender primary consideration in admissions and hiring, resulting in blatant reverse discrimination. Paul Craig Roberts and Larry Stratton, co-author of The New Color Line: How Quotas and Privileges Destroy Democracy, document the silent change of the 1964 Civil Rights Act from a statute forbidding preferences based on race and gender into a weapon to coerce employers to adopt and implement quotas. This change is not so silent today. Roberts and Stratton show that, "quotas are based on an intentional misreading of Title VII and are strictly illegal under the 1964 Civil Rights Act." An explicit example of this intentional misreading, or abuse, of the Civil Rights Act is when a person is fired to fulfill a quota. On August 8, the Federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals agreed. The court ruled that the Piscataway, N.J. Board of Education violated the Civil Rights Act when it fired Sharon Taxman, an "overrepresented" Jewish female school teacher, to make room for a black woman under the school system's affirmative action plan. The school district was ordered by the court to pay $144,000 in back pay. The judges' decision was based on their own investigation into the legislative history of Title VII ... ...they are black? There is no question that racism did exist in our society and still does today, but the solution is not reversing the discrimination. It is hard to imagine that segregation of our schools was still legal in California as late as 1974, it is even harder to imagine that university admissions are still based on race in 1996. The solution to preferences in hiring and college admissions should be stricter penalties to those who discriminate based on race or gender. Also, it is a little late in the game to squeeze unqualified students into graduate school. We should be working with these students in grade school. Our universities and our government will unlikely look at any logical solutions because of their reputation of putting bandaids on social problems. There is no doubt, if Herbert Humphrey were here today, he would be eating a lot of paper.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Essentials of a Valid Contract Essay
To be enforceable by law an agreement must possess the essential elements of a valid contract as laid down by Sec. 10 of Contract Act in the following terms; ‘All agreements are contracts if they are made by the free consent of parties competent to contract, for a lawful consideration and with a lawful object, and are not hereby expressly declared to be void. ’ Following are the conditions for validity of the contract in detail. 1. Offer and Acceptance: There must be an agreement based on a lawful offer made by one party and a lawful acceptance of that offer from the other party. The adjective lawful implies that the offer and acceptance must satisfy the requirements of the Contract Act in relation thereto. 2. Legal Relationship: The parties must have intended their agreement to have legal consequences and legal obligations. Agreements of a social or domestic nature do not contemplate legal relations, and as such they do not give rise to a contract. 3. Lawful Consideration: Consideration means something in return (quid pro quo). For a valid contract both parties must have provided consideration, i. e. each side must promise to give or do something for other. However, it must be legal, real, harmless and not immoral. 4. Competent Parties: The parties to an agreement must be competent to contract. The contracting parties must be of the age of majority and of sound mind and must not be disqualified by any law to which they are subject. (Section 11) 5. Free Consent: Free consent of all parties is another essential element. Consent means that the parties must have agreed upon same things in the same sense. Consent is said to be free if it is not obtained by coercion, undue influence, fraud, misrepresentation or mistake. (Section 14) 6. Lawful Object: Object means ‘the purpose of entering into a contract’. For the formation of a valid contract it is also necessary that the parties to an agreement must agree for a lawful object. According to Sec. 23 the object of an agreement is lawful, if it is Not forbidden by law; Not fraudulent; or Not involves or implies injury to the person or property of another Not regarded immoral by the Court Not opposed to public policy. Not immoral. 7. Not Expressly Declared Void: The agreement must not have been expressly declared to be void under the Act. Sec. 24-30 and Sec56 specifies certain types of expressly declared void agreements: Agreement in restrain of marriage, trade, or legal proceedings. (sec. 26,27,27) Agreement by way of wager. (sec. 30) Agreement to do impossible acts. (sec. 56) Agreement the meaning of which is not certain. (sec. 29) 8. Writing and Registration: The prescribed legal formalities of writing, registration, etc. necessary for the agreement to be enforceable by law must have been observed. It must be in writing, properly attested by witnesses and registered if so required by law. The absence of any of the essentials explained above will not result in a valid contract but a void contract.
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Peer Pressure Towards Negative Behaviour and Classroom...
Children are often viewed as happy, carefree beings without having to care for most stressors in life. However, take a closer look and we would understand that children do have their growing pains as well. In this research, children are defined as young kids below the age of 12. As they grow older, they undergo many changes in their life, and it is of no surprise that they need to learn to cope from the situation based on those changes. This study is designed to understand the underlying theories and factors that could affect the children’s development through the environmental influences that may promote or affect the development of behavior and achievement through peer pressure and classroom quality (Adams, Ryan, Ketsetzis, and Keating,†¦show more content†¦Although conformity and compliance are relatively similar, they too, have differences. Compliance is a specific response to a specific request, while conformity generally involves unspoken pressure to behave in a particular manner. Generally, compliance involves request which could be explicit such as using the foot-in-the-door technique. Most of the time, in compliance, the child is told to respond or complete the task told in a desirable manner; while in conformity, a person is expected to behave in a particular manner (Cialdini and Trost, 1998). Compliance plays a major role in building and maintaining relationships where children learn to behave in a certain manner to maintain status quo (Cialdini and Trost, 1998). When we comply with an instruction, we receive praises, or lavished with social acceptance and gifts. By doing so, the children feel accepted, wanted and loved by other peers. In a way, compliance acts as a form of conditioning the behavior expected from their peers (Cialdini and Trost, 1998). It is easy to view compliance as a form of concession due to the obligation children might have towards their peers. Studies have found that with compliance, children tend to bend towards peer pressure and it has a significant effect towards negative behavior (Adams et al, 2000; Fanti and Henrich, 2010). This isn’t surprising, as childrenShow MoreRelatedBarriers Of Learning For A Child Affected By Learning Difficulties ( Ld ) Essay1985 Words  | 8 Pagessupported, can result in a variety of academic and behavioural problems (Riddick, 2009; Selikowitz, 2012; Skues Cummingham, 2011). Conversely, learning disabilities, although frequently identified interchangeably with LD within most Australian states and contemporary literature, are distinctly recognised as â€Å"neurological and permanent†¦[and] resistant to intervention†(Skues Cummingham, 2011, p.160). 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