Characters Representing Fact or Fancy The Key Note Which Unveils Humanity
... 2003 Characters Representing Fact or Fancy: The ‘Key-Note’ Which Unveils Humanity Throughout history there have been many classic works of literature which demand the respect and attention of the public. ... Within this story there is a combating theme of fact versus fancy and the characters reveal the soul of humanity by the extremes of their situations. ... While its products were economically beneficial, the soul of humanity was in the hands of a machine. ... Dickens’ characters are illustrated to be extremes of the fanciful optimists and the factual realists of society. ... The blatant division between fact and fancy is prevalent throughout the course of the novel and it dictates the actions and emotions, or lack there of, of the characters. Fact is the obvious dominating theme within the novel and it is manifested within Coketown itself as well as the majority of its citizens. ... While these are not all of the disciples of fact they are crucial in comprehending the philosophy of a purely factual existence. Judging these characters upon their names alone is quite revealing. ... Gradgrind’s philosophy of fact, “. ... what I want is Fact. ... Gradgrind, “is offensive in a serious way constantly reducing everything to ‘facts’ constitutes a gradual grinding away of the humanity of his pupils and his own children” (Magill 2752). ... It is his reduction of complex emotions into cold hard fact, which diminishes the soul of the all who are confronted by its shrewdness. ... The overpowering clouds leave no room for imagination and provides proof of the reality which Gradgrind and Bounderby Moore 6 enforce, facts shall overcome fancy. ... It is due to these characters’ purely rational thought which drives them to do irrational things. Louisa Gradgrind is perhaps the only ‘factual’ character who does not want to follow the path paved purely by fact, but rather grow and learn how to feel. ... The division between fact and fancy becomes questionable through Louisa’s character. ... The extremes separating fact and fancy are made obvious through the drastic differences between Coketown and Sissy Jupe. ... She is the most radical form of fancy portrayed throughout the novel. ... This type of action manifests a moralistic decision rather than a self-interested one and the true heart of humanity emerges.