The Satire of Utilitarianism

I heard about Hard Times for a long time, but I didn’t know about its contents until this term. Which made me decide to read this book is its opening—— “Now, what I want is, FACTS……” The sentences are not too difficult to read so I have the interest to continue reading it.

The more chapters I read, the much understanding I have that behind the straightway language was the serious and deeply consideration. The author Dickens described the bourgeoisie vividly and satirized the utilitarianism very powerfully. In these people’s philosophy, everything was secondary to benefits. This philosophy was not only honored as the life principles by the heroes Grandgrind and Bounderby, but also stuffed in the brains of chirldren.

I am very sympathy to these poor children. They were forced to accept the “facts”, and their na?ve imagenation was killed. Even watching the circus was considered as the bad behavior.

“Nothing is useful unless it can produce substantive benefits”, such thought was popular at that age, however, in my opnion, it still exists broadly in our society today. Many kids are sent to learn varies of interests-orinted classes: Mathematical Olympiad, piano, singing, dancing, and so on. Most Parents do this because they want their children to succeed in entering a better school, while they care little about the true intersests of children. This utilitarian education is also found in school. When I was a primary student, my classmates were treated differently by teachers because of their different marks. It is obviously harm for children’s growing.

Also adults have the utilitarian thoughts. We are becoming more and more frickle. In 1980s, many youngsters were keen on writing poem. They wrote poems just for pleasant. But today few people read and write poems for they think that it can not bring benefits for them. The phenomenon should arouse our attention.

Hard Times is a great novel because its influence was beyond the counties and times. I am benefit a lot from it.

第二篇：艰难时世读后感

这本书在狄更斯的小说中不算最好的，但是他在书中给我们提了一个问题供我们大家思考，那就是人类是不是只要理性，实际和功利主义，而不要感性、感情和爱。如今我们大多数人已变成了只讲实际的人，交朋友只交往以后对我们有用的人；读书只读励志类、财经类（以上两类书，我们可将其称为发财书），及业务类的书，而不读小说、诗歌，因为这类书对我们以后的发展貌似没有帮助；找对象，主要看对方的各种条件，经济、长相、家庭、学历、工作等。讲实际的人，做任何事情都用金钱来衡量，他们缺少感情，缺少爱，缺少情趣、缺少幻想，他们一旦达不到心中设定的目标，就会觉得没意思。他们忘了如何生活，他们不知道如何过得幸福、快乐。其实人类有的时候还是需要这些看起来没用的东西的。个人评分4.5分。