Characterization in Dickens' Hard Times

A firm character basis is the foundation upon which any good novel is built. For an allegorical novel, Dickens' has a surprisingly complex character foundation. The characters in Hard Times have both the simplistic characteristics of a character developed for allegorical purposes, as well as the intricate qualities of "real" people. These characters think and feel like we do and react to their situations in the same way that most of us would. These attributes …

…use of believable characters makes his novel more realistic and therefore more effective. If Dickens had chosen to write his novel using shallow, "cartoon-like" characters, it would be immediately dismissed as a social commentary and would not be hailed for its novel-like qualities. Only when a literary work is appreciated on many levels can it truly be effective in any one area. Works Cited Dickens, Charles. Hard Times. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1990