Hard Times (with an Introduction by Edwin Percy Whipple)

Set in the industrial town of Coketown, the narrative explores the stark social and economic divides of Victorian England, focusing on the lives of Thomas Gradgrind, his children Louisa and Thomas Jr., and Sissy Jupe, a spirited circus girl. Dickens critiques the rigid utilitarian philosophy by illustrating the detrimental effects of such an upbringing, as Louisa faces an unhappy marriage and Thomas Jr. succumbs to moral decay. Gradgrind's eventual realization of his educational shortcomings highlights the novel's central themes of human emotion versus cold practicality.