Hard Times
Charles Dickens (cdickens@RMPLC.CO.UK)
Tue, 15 Oct 1996 14:14:24 -0100
My dear Mr Heyde,
You ask me about "Hard Times" and the class struggle. Nor does
this surprise me, because I know how prevalent talk of the class
struggle has become. But what I tried to suggest in "Hard Times"
is that there need be no struggle.
The interests of master and man, to be sure, are not identical,
but I cannot see they are so divergent they must always
yield conflict. It is the blind devotion of the philosopher,
indifferent to his fellow man, that does that: the political
economist heeding nought but the market, the Chartist heeding nought
but the sufferings of labouring men - real enough sufferings, to be
sure, but not all there is to be thought about, if solutions are to
be found.
The master who sees his hands as men like himself, the man who
sees his master - and is permitted to see his master - as a fellow
creature: these can do much to prevent struggle. Not everything,
it must be agreed. Some differences of interest can be resolved only
by conflict. But it should be possible for conflict to be tempered
with humanity.
That was what I strove to show in "Hard Times."
Faithfully yours,
Charles Dickens
======================
Charles Dickens
charles_dickens@rmplc.co.uk
Author