In Dickens's Hard Times, Christianity is often referred to both symbolically and literally. Due to the time in which the novel was written, the presence of these religious themes is not surprising, but the way Dickens presents these allusions, sometimes with an air of humor and cynicism, is unique.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Many biblical stories are incorporated into the stories of distinct characters in the book, and biblical events or quotes are paralleled in the events of Coketown. Rachael and Stephan can be seen as Jesus figures, Rachael because she always cares about others and is Stephan's light and love, and Stephan because he is, in a sense, a martyr at the hands of the upper class (Bounderby, Tom and others). ). Sissy can be seen as an angelic figure, as she brings light and love to Louisa and Jane Gradgrind. Many characters, notably those like Stephan, Rachael, and Sissy, quote biblical passages, such as "Do unto others as you would unto me", which is Sissy's response to a statistics question at McChoakumchild School. Many other allusions to Christianity are placed within the text, hidden in descriptions and passive passages rather than in passages of dialogue or action. It is these allusions that add to the overall tone of the novel. Some are even mentioned in chapter titles, such as in Chapter I of Book One, “The Only Thing Necessary.” This refers to the story in Luke's Gospel in which Jesus praises Mary for valuing God as "the only thing necessary" in the face of the trivialities of daily life. In addition to giving an immediate idea of ​​future religious allusions that might be used in the book, the title of this chapter defines a major theme of the novel: the idea that facts are, for Gradgrind, Bounderby, and other characters, considered as important as God, the only “necessary” thing to remember and follow, and to value above daily life. Similarly, an Anglican prayer is inserted into a description of Coketown: "...the McChoakumchild School was entirely a fact, and the School of Design was entirely a fact, and the relationship between the hospital and the cemetery, and what 'we couldn't say. in numbers, or being buyable in the cheapest market or sellable in the most expensive market, was not, and should never be, a world without end, Amen. (Bk the 1st; Ch. V; p. 37-38). The final line, "...a world without end, Amen", is the final line of many Anglican prayers. This, like the chapter title, helps glorify the facts on a divine level and defines them as a dogmatic presence in Coketown, more important and more respected than religion itself. For the most part, Christian references are woven into descriptions of Coketown and the region. fact-based values ​​that many characters hold dear. These references exalt facts and utilitarianism to an almost divine status, dearer in the minds of certain characters than religion itself. “A city so sacred in fact, and so triumphant in its assertion, of course it went well?” Why not… who belonged to the eighteen (religious) denominations? Because whoever did it, the workers did not do it…” (Book One: Ch. V; p. 38). This quote alludes to the fact that religion does not hold as high a value for most of the citizens of Coketown as the utilitarian view of work and production. Moreover, for upper class men such.