Hard Times is a story of
conflict but shows how truth in the end will triumph although with sad consequences.Conflict
between right and wrong,the poor and the rich,the educated and the uneducated. The story is centered around Stephen Blackpool one of the ''hands'' who works in Bounderby''s factory. It is about a man who has suffered so much that as the writer says it seems that Stephen Blackpool''s ''roses'' were taken away from him and he was given another person''s thorns. There is a lot of
conflict in the book between right and wrong,between the educated and the uneducated. Gradgring''s daughter finds herself in a loveless marriage. Here is a man, Mr Harthouse who notices her state and wants to take advantage. What should she do? Go aganist her ''
fact, fact, fact'' upbringing by her father or go along with the man who is declaring his love for her? Then there is Stephen Blackpool. A poor uneducated man who thinks he understands the problems in his society. ''All a muddle'' he says ''from the beginning to the end a muddle''. Should he speak his mind or just live like the rest of the hands, keep quiet and accept the situation as it is. How about Cissy, ''girl number 20'' the girl who could never get it right in class because she was not brought up in a fact, fact, fact enviroment and could not define what a horse is! Conflict between right and wrong is again seen in the case of Rachael a woman who loves Stephen Blackpool and yet can only do so from a distance because the laws that favour the rich and are aganist the poor make sure that Stephen Blackpool can never marry this woman with a heart of gold and instead has to be stuck with a woman who is filthy and is a drunkard.But instead of becoming resentful Rachael continues to care for Stephen Blackpool''s wife after his death.
What exactly is the best education is addressed in the case of Tom, Gradgrind''s son who turns out not only to be a thief but sets up a good man and in doing that causes his death.
At the end of it all Tom is shown to be the thief and Stephen Blackpool''s name is cleared,Cissy and Mr Sleary are shown to be heroes although they are of low education and from the circus which Mr Gradgrind initially despised.