A Study on the Hard Building Images in Hard Times Abstract Hard Times is important as a realistic novel for reflecting and revealing the labor-capital conflict in the middle of nineteenth century by Charles Dickens. As a giant in literature, Dickens is good at symbolism, which means he places extra indications on images used. 47629

The thesis analyzes images and their symbolic meanings in the novel. There are mainly two kinds of images, namely static ones and dynamic ones. The static ones include factory and room, an the dynamic ones include serpents of smoke and fire. There is a perfect connection between these two, because serpents of smoke is the product of factory, and similarly, fire the product of room. And all images symbolize the miserable lives of characters.

Keyword: image; symbolic meaning; misery; Charles Dickens 

从意象及其象征意义解读《艰难时世》

摘  要《艰难时世》是英国作家狄更斯所写，主要是为了反映并揭示十九世纪中叶英国严重的劳资矛盾。当时正值工业迅速发展的时期，资产阶级和工人阶级产生了巨大分歧。他看到了生活在底层人民的生活，决定用自己的力量来抨击揭露这一事实。作为一位文学巨人，狄更斯很擅长借助意象来表达感情，并赋予意象一种象征意义。

本文将分析小说中的意象和其象征意义。主要分为两种：静态和动态意象。静态包括工厂和房间，动态包括烟蛇和火焰。这两者之间也有关联。烟蛇是工厂的产物，火焰是房间的产物。但无论是静是动，他们最后的命运都归于沉寂。这也象征了小说中主要人物的悲惨命运。

毕业论文关键词： 意象； 象征意义； 悲惨； 《艰难时世》

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

           1.1 Charles Dickens and Hard Times

           1.2 Literature Review

           1.3 The Structure of the Paper

Chapter 2 Images and Their Symbolic Meanings in Hard Times

           2.1 Static Images

             2.1.1 Factory: Grave for Stephen Blackpool

             2.1.2 Room

          (i) Classroom: Grave for Pupil

               (ii) Mrs. Gradgrind’s Room

               (iii)Louisa’s Room

           2.2 Dynamic Images

             2.2.1 Serpents of Smoke

             2.2.2 Fire

Chapter 3 Conclusion

Bibliography

1. Introduction

1.1 Charles Dickens and Hard Times

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was the second child of navy John Dickens and Elizabeth Barrow. Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was in prison. Though he did not have much education, he learned by himself and became a prolific writer. The literary success began with the publication of The Pickwick Papers, and due to his careful observation of social reality and description of lower class men’ life, he became a successful critical realist. Dickens was regarded as the literary giant of his age. John Jordan and Edmund Wilson all speak highly of him. They compare him with Shakespeare, and agree that he is no inferior to Shakespeare at all. After he died, his epitaph was like this, “He was a sympathizer to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England’s greatest writers is lost to the world”, from which we can see his popularity and contribution to the whole world.