"Hard Times" by Charles Dickens is a novel set in the fictional industrial town of Coketown. It explores social and economic issues of the Victorian era such as education, wealth, class, and family ties. The story mainly revolves around the harsh upbringing of the Gradgrind children who are taught to value cold hard facts over imagination and emotions. As their lives unfold, Dickens effectively criticizes the industrialization and utilitarianism of society.
