In Dickens' Hard Times, Christianity is often alluded to both symbolically and literally. Due to the time period 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Many Bible stories are incorporated into the stories of separate characters in the book, and events or quotes from the Bible find parallels in the events of Coketown. Both Rachael and Stephan can be seen as Jesus figures, Rachael because she always cares for 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 angel figure, because she brings light and love to Louisa and Jane Gradgrind. Many characters, especially those like Stephan, Rachael, and Sissy, quote passages from the Bible, 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 inserted throughout the text, hidden in descriptions and passive passages rather than in dialogue or action passages. These are allusions that add to the overall tone of the novel. Some are also referenced in chapter titles, as in chapter I of Book One, "The Only Thing Necessary." This refers to the story in the Gospel of Luke in which Jesus praises Mary for valuing God as “the only thing necessary” over the banalities of everyday life. In addition to providing an immediate idea of ​​future religious allusions that might be used in the book, the title of this chapter establishes one of the main themes of the novel: the idea that facts are, for Gradgrind, Bounderby and other characters, deemed as important as God, the only “necessary” thing to remember and follow, and to value above everyday life. Similarly, an Anglican prayer is inserted into a description of Coketown “…the McChoakumchild school was all a fact, and the design school was all a fact, and the relations between the hospital where the workhouse was located and the cemetery, and what could not be stated in figures, or demonstrated to be purchasable in the cheapest market or salable in the dearest, was not, and should never be, a world without end, Amen. (Book 1; chapter V; pages 37-38). The final line, “…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 establishes them as a dogmatic presence in Coketown, more important and respected than religion itself. For the most part, Christian references are incorporated into descriptions of Coketown and its surrounding areas. fact-based values ​​that many of the characters hold dear. These references exalt Fact and utilitarianism to an almost divine status, held dearer in the minds of some figures than religion itself. “A city so sacred indeed, and so triumphant in its assertion, of course he got along? Why not…who belonged to the eighteen (religious) denominations? Because whoever did it, the workers didn't do it..." (Book one: chapter V; page 38). This quote alludes to the fact that religion is not of as high a value to most citizens of Coketown as the utilitarian view of work and production. Furthermore, for high society men like Gradgrind and Bounderby, religion is idle and not based in fact, and therefore not worth spending time on. The fact is much more important. In the.