Hard Times, Post 1

2/25/2013

“Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to the Facts, sir!” (1).

Complete a SAY, MEAN, MATTER entry for this quote. Divide up your post like this:

Say:

Mean:

Matter:

Then respond to one other person. Your initial post is due on Friday, March 1st. Your response is due on Sunday, March 3rd.

143 Comments

naomy cueva

2/26/2013 06:34:46 am

In Hard Times by Charles Dickens:
Say: In the begging of the book it seems like the main character is very focus on his work as a teacher he doesn’t want to teach the basic he wants to teach the reality in a science type of matter, because only facts matter to him.

Mean: Everything must be accurate on a scientific or proven way if it’s not is not valid on the main characters world he is very focus on behind what he is and it appear that his students don’t mind it at all and are very used to his way of teaching

Matter: His eloquent style might cause a new student to burst out at him. The new student might not be prepare to his style of teaching and might take him the wrong way.

Ju Ly L., Period 1

2/28/2013 07:27:56 am

I agree with your post because Mr. Gradgrind does have a different teaching style than most of other teachers. His concentration on facts set him apart from teachers, students, and even his own children. I don’t think he will live a pleasure life because life does not revolve around facts, but also imagination.

Jessica Lai, per. 6

3/13/2013 03:29:32 pm

Mr. Gradgrind's style of teaching appears to be not up for discussion. The students will not be able to debate with the teacher, which may result in students opposing him and being rebellious, as you have said. It would be hard for newer students educated in other methods to adapt to Mr. Gradgrind's style.

Evy Z, Per.6

3/14/2013 01:20:12 am

I also agree with your post. Once you have your own philosophy it is hard to makes people believe you as well. As Ju Ly said our world isn't made up with just facts there is also imagination and many other things.

Chi Ying Yu (Period 1)

2/26/2013 04:09:13 pm

Say: The quote speaks Mr. Grangrind's philosophy to succeed in life, using rational reasoning, calculation, and facts. He wishes to enforce this view onto his students and own his children.

Mean: . Mr. Gradgrind teaches students around principal rationalism, self-interest, and cold, hard fact, and practicality, leaving no room of imagination, creativity and dreams.

Matter: This matter because his kind of personality contrasts that of Sissy, whose actions are inspired by her feelings. This also show how inhumane and selfish people can be during the industrial revolution. He was much alike with the machines and factories, acting only on owns' interests. There are many people like him in the society. They need to learn to feel compassionate or their personality will soon lead to their downfall.

Benny C., Period 2

2/28/2013 01:36:19 pm

I like how you connect the story to the industrial revolution. You enlighten me with your idea and made me realize that this can be during the industrial revolution. I also agree that facts is not all there should be. Imagination, creativity, and dreams are also essential to life.

Cynthia C., Period 1

3/3/2013 11:32:41 am

You're idea of how people were selfish and only act on their own interests than of others. People should act by their own views on things rather than follow everything by facts. Things shouldn't always be based on facts.

Randall C., Period 6

3/3/2013 04:58:19 pm

The way Mr. Grangrind acts is very much like the way you described relating the industrial revolution. He is action the way he wants not caring about the way about how his children feel. Him forcing his ideals onto his children is frowned upon.

Johanna F

3/4/2013 12:16:44 am

I like how you described how people think. A lot of us believe in facts that we hear or see. Not everyone should only believe in facts, because it's not always true.

Courtney C. Period 2

3/5/2013 01:39:42 am

I really like the way you connected Mr. Gradgrind's personality to the real world. It shows the kind of environment that Charles Dickens was in when he wrote Hard Times. I hadn't made the connection like you had, and this really helped me to understand the book. Like you, I also agree that many people in society need to be more compassionate.

Janssen F., p.1

2/27/2013 06:25:55 am

Say: This is saying that we should only pay attention to Facts. Facts are the only ones that are important and nothing else. Anything that isn’t a Fact, we should not pay attention to.

Mean: I don’t completely agree with this quote. I don’t agree because we shouldn’t only live in facts. When we dream, when we imagine to be some thing someday, that isn’t a fact yet. It might become a fact in the future so we shouldn’t just dismiss it and discourage someone who’s inspired to do or become something great. Also, yes, it would be nice to have everyone not tell lies but just facts, but what if that lie saved someone from being hurt?

Matter: This matters because we should know what we believe in or what we WANT to believe in. We should ask ourselves if we care about whether something is just a fact or an opinion or just an idea and if we should invest ourselves into it. This is important because it makes us reflect on what we have faith in.

Kimble Y, Period 1

2/28/2013 11:32:17 am

I will really agree with you. You will use Facts to try to understand a lot of the famous people. But, sometimes we won't need to use Facts. Facts will depend in some of the ways. We will need to know that Facts are very clear. Facts will let us memorize a lot.

Tiffany L., Period 2

2/28/2013 12:00:00 pm

I, too, agree with the reasons supporting why you don't agree with this quote. Even though facts are solid and reliable, your imaginations should not be completely disregarded, for many great feats were established through imagination itself. Many tend to accept facts for what they are just because they are labeled as "facts", but they fail to realize the reasoning behind why they believe it.

Marisa Lim Period 6

2/28/2013 12:17:53 pm

I agree with Janssen when she says that she disagrees with this quote. I agree when she says that we should be allowed to dream. I also believe that we should be allowed to have imagination, that we should be able to let our imagination along with the facts of life make our dreams come true.

Jackie T. Per 2

2/28/2013 02:42:46 pm

I also don't agree with this quote because i think that people would be completely bored if they just lived by the facts. Facts aren't the only thing in the world. Many of the world's most beautiful artworks and books aren't inspired by facts, but by the creators' imagination. I believe that people shouldn't completely disregard facts, but should take into consideration that facts aren't the only things in the world.

Fnu Leni.,Period 1

3/1/2013 05:32:26 am

I agree that we shouldn't only live in facts but rather live in dream.Because when we dream about something, we have the passion to make it happen no matter how impossible it may seem.

Jiaxin(Janet) W., Period 1

3/3/2013 09:51:19 am

I also do not agree with this quote. First, nowadays, it is difficult to determine what is fact. People usually assume their beliefs to be facts/truths. However, the arguments on these topics never end. Secondly, I agree with your opinion that people should at least have the opportunties to dream or imagine.

Gloria M., Period 2

3/3/2013 12:01:20 pm

I don't agree with this quote because I believe that we can make facts happen when we use our imagination. It's not that we shouldn't use facts, but that we shouldn't always use them for everything.

Kevin T., Period 1

3/3/2013 01:53:39 pm

I agree with you that we should know what we are believing in and we should know if something is a fact or opinion, or it could be a big waste of our time if we believe in something, and later on find out that it doesn't make sense. Though, I also believe that faith is not always in fact, sometimes it's just something that cannot be scientifically proven and just something that you want to believe in.

Tara K., Per. 6

2/27/2013 12:08:02 pm

Says: This quote says that facts are the only things that people should be taught in life since they are useful unlike anything else people can possibly learn.

Means: It means facts are very important since they are logical and you can't argue against them. People can get through life fine with just facts.

Matters: This matters since it is a narrow approach to learning. Facts are important but they're not everything in life. Things aren't always clearly black and white. There are times when facts can't be the only things to consider in important matters. In addition, facts can sometimes be proven to be wrong.

Kristin W., Per. 1

2/28/2013 07:28:46 am

I like how you said that things aren't always clearly black and white. I definitely agree with you. Sometimes the facts aren't the only important aspects in certain situations or important matters. Facts definitely aren't everything in life. Imagination and ceativity can be the bests parts of life!

Siyao Li, Period 1

2/28/2013 12:30:19 pm

I agree with you that learning facts only will result in a constricted mind set. It is true that facts are reality but sometimes they can also be proven wrong and they can also change. In addition to that, it is not facts by imagination and opinionated thoughts that produce the next reality.

Berlin T period 2

3/2/2013 06:41:45 pm

I agree with you that learning facts is a mindset. . It is true that facts are reality but sometimes they can also be proven wrong and they can also change resulting to diffrent views of the character is shown, giving us diffrent opinions to what we may think about them giving them a more better result.

chi ying yu Period 1

3/1/2013 06:40:28 am

This is an interesting way to put it. You are right. Life can't go wrong with facts but it is dull and predictable. Emotion is of half of most people when it comes to decision making. Without it, we are just machines and smart computer that are able to analyze data and do what is told.

Anna V Period 6

3/3/2013 05:29:00 am

Hi Tara!
I agree that facts are "not everything in life." There are always other aspects in looking at a situation and because of this, there is a limited extent to which facts are applicable. It is almost impossible for a society to survive based merely on facts.

Leon Ye Period 1

3/3/2013 11:44:19 am

I agree that knowing the facts are good but in life facts are not the only things that you need to know. In life getting opinions from other can be better than getting just facts because it is nice to hear what others have to say about it.

David Dang Per 2

3/3/2013 12:45:32 pm

I completely agree with your notion of things not always being in black and white and how you related it to facts. People seem to only put things in binary terms, not realizing that there is a silver lining. Putting everything in black and white is easy, it is analyzing the silver lining and coming up with your opinion of it that shows how advanced and developed someone is.

Man Ieng(Winnie) Cheong, Period 1

3/3/2013 01:59:59 pm

I agree with you that things aren't always clear and things are not the only things that are important. There are always other things that matter to be considered as important along with the facts.

Kenny V. Per 6

3/3/2013 02:17:09 pm

I agree that not everything in life revolves around facts, we often find things that are unreal and fake to shape us rather than cold hard facts. An artist can paint the truth with lies. Telling a lie does not make your nose grow longer but many parents in today's society tell that to their children. This conditions their children to tell the truth more often and often does not have a negative effect on their life. Weeding out these false information is not always the best thing to do.

Ryan C., Period 1

2/28/2013 02:43:45 am

Say: This quote describes Mr. Gradgrind's philosophy on life. He believes that people should be brought up to value facts above all else.

Mean: Mr. Gradgrind's opinion on the importance of facts represents the mindset of society during this time period. People tended to favor factual evidence and put less emphasis on creativity, such as in the case of putting flower designs on the carpet.

Matter: The style of learning during this time period seemed to be very narrow and inflexible towards creativity. This could possibly affect the way of thinking for people, and ultimately how they make their decisions.

Jose F., Period 6

2/28/2013 06:10:28 am

Say: What this quote is referring to is the unbreakable demeanor in which Thomas Gradgrind has decided to live his life.

Mean: This quote means that the overall belief of Mister Gradgrind is one of closed mindedness similar to the rest of the Inhabitants of Coketown, this "Truth seeking" pervades throughout the entire story and ultimately display's Gradgrind's character as someone who is completely out of touch with their surroundings.

Matter: This quote is important due to the fact that Thomas Gradgrind displays a character that is presumed to be an extremely negative trait

Tara K., Per. 6

3/1/2013 12:08:36 pm

I like how you referred to Mister Gradgrind when talking about this quote especially your characterization of him as being out of touch with his surroundings. It's a different perspective from the one I had. I just felt that he was merely narrow-minded and approaches matters as logically as possible.

Thuc T. , Period 6

2/28/2013 06:27:43 am

Hard Times by Charles Dickens
Say: This quote, expressed by Thomas Gradgrind, says that nothing in life matters but fact. Fact alone is superior to all else, not feeling or fantasy. Everyone should pay attention to Fact and make it the core of their principle to live life.

Mean: It means that human beings should live life in a strict, factual way. Whatever they do, it must be able to be presented in a factual way, not abstract concept. For example, when Thomas Gradgrind asks Sissy Jupe what a horse is, he wants a factual answer like "quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders."

Matter: It matters because living a life full of facts diminishes the empathy and sympathy in one's mind. It takes away the happiness and meaning of life that we are supposed to cherish not with the factual mind but with our heart. Living solely with facts can make life monotonous and turn a person into a machine.

Janssen F. p.1

3/2/2013 01:52:40 pm

I agree with this. If we only live with facts, we detach ourselves from being human and feeling things like prefering to have horses on our paperwalls, just like Sissy.

Yang Y., Per2

3/3/2013 06:53:09 am

I can't imagine a world with everyone's brains filled with nothing but fact. If everyone only know facts nothing would be fun in this world, all the fun and creativity would be gone. The fun toys, video games, incredible movies, would disappear.

Jennifer P., Period 2

3/3/2013 12:09:05 pm

A world with just facts sounds so boring and monotonous. We wouldn't have our imagination and our creativity that can often lead to the discovery of new facts.

Adam K., Period 2

3/3/2013 02:26:09 pm

I like how you mention that if we live only by facts, then we become monotonous like machines. We as humans are more than capable of living by facts alone. We are able to make our own decisions, have feelings, and express emotions when we feel the need to. It's just human nature to desire variety and creativity instead of having to live only by strict laws and boring daily routines.

Michael Zhang Per.2

3/4/2013 01:24:01 am

Kristin W., per.1

2/28/2013 07:22:19 am

Say: This quote is by Mr. Gradgrind who is saying that in life, nothing but the facts matter. He wants the kids to only be told facts and nothing else. Facts are the only pieces of information that will be useful for them.

Mean: Mr. Gradgrind believes that you don't need to know anything but facts in life. He thinks that imagination and fantasy are pointless and useless. Because of his belief, he has raised his children and wants to teach the other children to live on only the proven facts of life.

Matter: This matters because it is a controversial topic. Facts are very important, but so is imagination and creativity. Being brought up to only follow the facts may lead to hard times in the Gradgrind children's lives.

Erin T., Period 2

3/1/2013 10:47:24 am

I completely agree with you. Although facts are important, imagination and creativity are just as important. If Mr. Gradgrind tries to change the younger generations in order to follow his philosophy on life, the children will face hard times as their lives will become boring and depressing. Everybody should be able to think how they want.

Ju Ly L., Period 1

2/28/2013 07:25:25 am

Say: This quote is from Mr. Gradgrind. It represents his rational philosophy. Mr. Gradgrind believes nothing is more important than facts and facts are the only things that are wanted by everyone. To Mr. Gradgrind, facts are the most perfect thing as well as the only things that bring everyone happiness. From the quote, Mr. Gradgrind reveals to be an unemotional character.

Mean: This quote means that facts are the only things that enable individuals to further their own interests and work better. Mr. Gradgrind views the students as “reasoning animals” and treats them like unemotional machines. Concentrating on facts, Mr. Gradgrind “kills” off students’ imagination, thinking that it is useless to the students.

Matter: This quote matters because Mr. Gradgrind’s concentration on facts has caused his children, Tom and Louisa, to live an unhappy childhood. Ironically, the book is a fiction one that calls focus on facts. This suggests to us that facts alone cannot bring intellectual pleasure.

Thuc T. , Period 6

3/13/2013 02:51:04 pm

I really like how you state that facts alone don't represent a person's intellect. Often time, we associate knowing facts with being knowledgeable that we strive to absorb facts like machines.

Leon Ye Period 1

2/28/2013 08:36:50 am

Say: This says that everyone should only be taught the fact and only the fact and everything that is not a fact should not be taugh. If it is not a fact it should not be learned because it won't be in any use to them.

Mean: This means that the facts is the only thing that should be learned and knowing the fact is all that you will need. Its also means that facts are really important.

Matter: This matter because knowing the fact for things is alot better than not knowing it. Facts are important in life but there are alot more things than just that.

Gloria M., Period 2

2/28/2013 10:35:21 am

Say:
This says that facts are important and is the only thing you will ever need in life. Facts form minds that reason.

Mean:
This means that facts are the truth and that anything that is not a fact is not true. The amount of facts you know and that you stick to facts means you are smart and logical. Our imagination and emotions are to be disregarded so that our lives can be ruled by facts.

Matter:
Facts are important because it is what separates us from imagination and reality. I don't agree with what he says because our imagination is what makes things become facts. An example would be the Wright brothers, they imagined that they could create a working plane, and eventually they did, every plane today is proof that planes can fly for long distances.

Yen Tran, Period 1

3/3/2013 07:00:57 am

I agree with you when you say facts are not everything because there is so much more to life than plainly stated facts. Imagination is key to individuality.

Kimble Y, Period 1

2/28/2013 11:21:21 am

Say: This quote says that we will need to learn more about Facts. Facts will let you succeed in your thinking. You will be able to tell everything. Facts are very good to a person in a lot of problems.

Mean: Facts will really make you want to listen to them. You will need to be able to talk about the facts. Facts are more easy to give you more ideas. You can use them as your information.

Matter: This quote matters because we will need to be together as a group. We will need to try to concentrate with each other. Facts will let us see the solutions, then we can study.

Kaylin T. Period 6

3/3/2013 09:33:23 am

I agree with your say, mean and matter. I agree that we need to learn more about Facts and you will succeed later on in life.

Siyao Li, Period 1

2/28/2013 12:10:25 pm

Say: This quote is saying that schools should only teach their students about facts.

Mean: This quote argues that facts are the only useful knowledge in life for smart "reasoning animals."

Matter: This matter because it is completely opposite of what I have been taught as I was growing up. I was encouraged to make opinions about everything, and thus this opening line made the book a little revolting. Though I cannot argue that facts are also important knowledge, I believe only opinions and imagination can help a society continue to grow.

Ryan C., Period 1

3/5/2013 11:47:08 pm

I agree that forming opinions on things is important and is what makes people unique. If everyone only knew facts, there would be no individuality in the world.

Marisa Lim Period 6

2/28/2013 12:16:04 pm

Say: This quote is saying that only the facts are important in life. It says that children in school should be taught nothing but facts and that is what this man is raising his children upon.

Mean: I think this quote means that only the facts are useful in life and that you can only improve your mind upon facts. It is saying that only facts can get you by and make you successful. I don't agree with this because children should be allowed to dream and have a childhood. I believe that dreams and imagination will get you farther in life than any fact could.

Matter: This quote matters because if our world thought like this man here and we were all taught facts and only facts, it would be the dullest life we've ever known. The entire world would be the same and nothing good or creative would come out of the world. I like the freedom that we have of having dreams and creativity, it makes us individuals and who we are.

Cynthia H., Period 1

3/4/2013 12:30:59 am

I agree with you, in school all the students are taught about facts and facts only, but facts are not what makes up life. The world would not be the same. What will happen when one fact contradicts the other, another fact isn't going to fix it cause the controversy of the two facts will still be evident.

Tiffany L., Period 2

2/28/2013 12:17:02 pm

Say: This quote is simply stating that anything other than pure facts are useless to us and will do no service to anyone. Mr. Thomas Gragrind fully endorses the idea of teaching facts, and nothing that goes astray of them.

Mean: Mr. Thomas Gragrind is saying that everything should be based off of solid calculations, hard facts, and logistics. Everything else that strays away from these are pointless and should be disregarded. He had spread this philosophy to his own kids, robbing them of a childhood experience they never had.

Matter: This matters because many people nowadays accept facts solely because they are labeled as “facts”, however, they fail to realize the reasoning behind why they believe in them. Just as scientists experiment by testing out different variables, they do not have a definite answer, however, they do have a hypothesis that can be proven right or wrong after experimenting. If our world relied solely on facts alone, innovators would not have a purpose behind discovering anything new and different opinions would not exist.

Adam K., Period 2

2/28/2013 12:50:27 pm

Say: This quote says that teaching children nothing but facts are important in shaping their lives and that nothing else matters in a child's life.

Mean: My interpretation of this quote is that facts are the basis of reasoning in people and that facts are most wanted in making a person become who they want to be. More importantly, it is facts that enable children to form minds of their own and live independent lives filled with knowledge and self-fulfillment.

Matter: This quote matters because facts gives each of us a general direction of where to go in life. Without being taught certain facts about life, then we would not be able to discover our true potential and may be oblivious to what we want to do and what society wants out of us.

Jiaxin(Janet) W., Period 1

2/28/2013 01:27:08 pm

Say: This quote in the beginning of HARD TIMES mainly states that facts are the only factors that people should consider in their lives. Due to the importance of facts, the next generation or the children should also learn to focus on facts instead of other unproven ideas or imaginations.

Mean: It means that everything in the lives of people is based on real facts. Humans are unable to reason or understand anything without the use of facts. The next generation should be taught only with facts so they will never relay on any unproven data or ideas.

Matter: This matters because the society is having a large discussion on the ways to determine “facts”. Some people say that facts are not facts until you believe them. Therefore, people sometimes just consider the things or facts that they believe in. Since it’s difficult to define the word facts, people tend to allow any ideas to flow into this society as long as they believe those are trustful opinions.

Benny C., Period 2

2/28/2013 01:32:23 pm

Say: This quote says that the school only teaches facts to the students because the principle of the school, Mr. Grangrind, has the philosophy of only using facts in life. Therefore, the teachers in that school would only teach facts to the students. The quote also says that Mr. Grangrind raises his children with this philosophy.
Mean: This quote means that students are not allow to use their imagination, dream, or creations. Since students can’t use these, there won’t be any improvement for the world.
Matter: This quote matter because it shows a problem in the story. Since Mr. Grangrind is teaching his children to only use facts, they won’t be able to have improvement and succeed in life. Therefore, his philosophy is the cause of the problem for his children.

Lilian D. Per. 2

3/1/2013 10:23:40 am

I think this problem is also a contemporary issue. In school, we regurgitate everything our teachers say to us (facts, facts, facts) and because we are able to remember all this knowledge, we are considered as part of the school's top tier. This conservative definition of what is considered smart should be reformed. So should the school system.

Eric H (Period 2.)

2/28/2013 02:01:18 pm

Say: This quote is stating that Facts are the ideas that run the world.

Mean: It makes the claim that facts are the most important aspect in life and without it would be detrimental. By the same token, a life filled with absolutely nothing else but facts would satisfy all of humanity's inquiries. This dualistic view of fact vs. feelings is a very important issue at the turn of the Industrial Revolution, and it became an important issue for workers trying to transition from the country life to a more mechanized style of life.

Matter: This is an integral issue that we have to think about because we are often treated as if we are machines in this academic institution. Us students are given a one size fits all type of education, thinking that just because all of these things are facts and knowledge we are suppose to be heavily receptive to it. But our feeling towards the way of presentation of facts are just as important to us as learning them. Thus, there is no clear cut answer whether one is more important than the other.

Tom Huang, Period 6

2/28/2013 02:37:33 pm

Say: This quote is important because it proclaims that facts are what matters in life. It says that facts matter because that is what should be taught to others because that's what reasoning is based upon and we'll grow from it.

Mean: This quote means that the more knowledge we have, the more powerful we are. This quote is a good example of the saying "Knowledge is Power".

Matter: This quote is important because facts are indeed extremely important in life. If someone chooses to believe opinions because they don't know the facts, they may be going to wrong path. There are times where facts don't matter, but facts can help provide an insight on the subject at hand and can help give you an idea of what to do or believe.

Art Medina Period 6

3/1/2013 02:52:42 pm

I agree when you state that facts give a good insight on the subject at hand and can help you form an opinion. Without facts, the individual would truly be clueless and not be able to form an opinion on the subject. Facts truly influence the individual by providing them with the knowledge necessary to make a good judgement.

Jackie T. Per 2

2/28/2013 02:40:11 pm

Say: According to this quote, the only thing that really matters are facts. Everyone should just disregard everything and know and say only the facts of life. Facts are the base for learning and that the only thing that should be focused on.

Mean: I personally do not agree with this quote because facts aren't the only things in life that are important. Artists, musicians, actors, innovators, etc. don't just focus on facts. In reality, they are who they because of their creativity and to think outside of the box. If they lived by the facts, then there wouldn't really be any artists out there.

Matter: This matters because people should be able to believe in whatever they want. Letting their imaginations run wild may not be a bad thing. Some of the best ideas in the world come from diversifying themselves away from just the facts.

Vivian H., Period 2

2/28/2013 02:41:17 pm

Say: This quote says that Facts are the necessities of life. Everything else should be ruled out and considered useless and unreasonable. It also says that the minds of animals are reasoned with Facts.

Mean: This quote means that people like to know and reason through Facts. We want to see, feel, touch, and taste what is real instead of imagining and feeling. It also means that many people tend to rationalize to believe in the truth instead of the unthinkable.

Matter: This quote matters because many people are stuck in these bubbles. They conform to social norms of how we all should think, say, and feel. This shows that there's more to life than reason and Facts. There are other great things such as imagination and dreams. These, along with our feelings, also matter.

Maggie W. Period 2

3/2/2013 04:40:46 pm

I like how you connected that fact and reason are like the reality that we experience everyday with sight, smell, taste, and sound. Some people need actual experience or proof in order to believe in something. Until you mention it, I never noticed the importance of the difference between fact (reason) and feeling (imagination and dreams) and how we need both.

William Lam, Period 6

3/3/2013 12:36:15 pm

I agree with what you are trying to convey about life being more than just facts and reason. We should also consider our own imagination as important as well because that characterizes who we truly are.

Yen Tran, Period 1

2/28/2013 02:49:10 pm

Say: The opening lines of this novel sums up Mr. Gradgrind's philosophy about teaching nothing but facts because he believes it is essential for individuals to further their interests.

Mean: This quote means that facts are important because they cannot be argued against. When we have facts, we feel more secure and we do not need to worry about our information being correct or incorrect.

Matters: This idea of speaking fact and only fact matters because if everyone were to think this way, we would live in a very organized society where we are afraid to have our own opinions since we have been living by facts only. What makes us individuals is the ability to think for ourselves and argue for what we believe in. That is an important step to creativity and too many facts can get in the way of exploring the world around us.

Cassidy Adams Period 1

2/28/2013 03:42:51 pm

Say: What this quote is saying is not to teach the youth anything other than what is proven. There is no such thing as imagination because all that's important are the facts.

Mean: This quote means that all traces of imagination or innovation are discouraged. Only tangible and things that are undoubtedly true can be spread by the people.

Matter: This quote matter because it makes you realize how much we take our own creativity for granted. If we were forced to only see things as either black or white, we could have missed out on so many great things.

Michael (Wenda) Zhang Per.2

3/1/2013 12:20:58 am

Says: The quote says that facts are the only things that people should be taught in life, and people always thinks that is the only way or this is very logical since they are useful unlike anything else people can possibly learn.

Means: It means facts are very important since they are logical and you can't argue against them. People can get through life fine with just facts. And they never think about other thing.

Matters: This matters since it is a narrow approach to learning. Facts are important but they're not everything in life. Things aren't always clearly black and white. There are times when facts can't be the only things to consider in important matters. In addition, facts can sometimes be proven to be wrong.

Angelo Shimada

3/1/2013 01:41:03 am

Say: This quote is stating that the protagonist, Mr. Gradgrind, believes that facts are the only important things in life.
Mean: The speaker means that reasoning is based upon facts, and without knowing facts, one cannot be intelligent. He also means that fancy and imagination are useless burdens that impede one's intellectual growth.
Matter: This quote shows how dry and pompous a character Gradgrind is. Without giving any time for imagination, Gradgrind is suppressing his own, and others' emotions. People should be allowed to think freely, as this helps to spur innovation and advancement. In fact, imagination has helped to create new facts- which can be seen in any major technological advancement. Without the capacity to understand this, Gradgrind cannot advance in life.

Benjamin Lin period 6

3/3/2013 02:46:11 am

I agree with your conclusion that the only important things in life are the facts. Many times facts are confused with other things. In economics especially, the confusion between positive and normative statements is one of the reasons we are in this economic mess that no one seems to be able to solve.

Andy B. Period 1

3/3/2013 02:55:10 pm

I find your revelation of spurring new facts from imagination and creativity, both aspects abhorred by Gradgrind, to be an excellent point. In adhering only to proven facts, Gradgrind misses new opportunities to improve on himself and the rest of society.

Fnu Leni.,Period 1

3/1/2013 05:30:34 am

Say:This quote says that facts are the only things that people should be obeying or imply to in life. Facts are more important than anything people usually think are useful.

Mean:Everything must be scientific proven if it’s not, the main thing about this quote is that this world something believe in so many nonsense thing and we should start opening our eyes and look into the facts.

Matter:This matters because the most logic way to learn stuff in this world is to learn about fact. Nothing else but fact.

Joanne W., Period 6

3/2/2013 12:23:46 pm

I agree with you that the most logic way to learn stuff in this world is to learn about facts. People now demand truth and evidence and knowing your facts is the way to show it.

Brilliant Hua, Per 2

3/1/2013 05:49:12 am

Say: This quote says that facts are the only thing that should be taught to children. Only facts are useful, and anything of fantasy is then deemed irrelevant.

Mean: This quote means that the speaker of this quote, Mr. Grandgrind, is extremely strict and believes that all children should be only filled with facts. He refers to them as "pitchers" and objects that can be filled. He fails to realize that children are often curious and imaginative.

Matter: This quote matters because of how imopssibly ridiculous it is. Students and children are not textbooks or robots who should be simply filled with facts. People have feelings, thoughts, and imaginations that create some of the most beautiful things in the world. A person like Mr. Grandgrind finds "fancy" as a sin, this includes art and anything that is fiction. If the world were actually strictly fact, and the people in the world only filled with fact, it wouldn't be a world I'd want to live in.

Alan V Period 2

3/2/2013 12:14:29 pm

I agree completely. Students are not machines and should not be taught a mechanistic way of living. Academia is not all life should be. Students need to learn to be creative and imaginative so that they may be able to live in a world of innovation. We need artists, musicians, writers, dreamers, etc. in this world to make it a better place to live in. Mr. Grandgrind needs to learn that because he is truly depriving these kids of a vital essence in life.

naomy cueva period 6

3/4/2013 06:22:47 am

Students are not machines i agree ,but sometimes we should be treated that way to remain some sense of control, when people get to much freedom especially in classroom things become chaotic.

Elaine T., Per. 2

3/3/2013 11:49:29 pm

I also believe that humans are not robots that are simply meant to learn facts in life. Our world is not purely made up of facts. Many of the greatest inventions are first imagined then brought to reality. Some people thought that the airplane could not be possibly work, but with hard work and innovation, people brought it to life. This shows that imagination and innovation is under appreciated because we do not take the time to take a look around and realize how the human imagination has greatly contributed and influence society.

Kaycel Carlem., Period 6

3/1/2013 06:16:18 am

Say: This quotes says that facts are important. In the story, the character believes that people should be taught facts and nothing else.

Mean: To me this means that people should learn to look at the facts. And to make it a habit to only learn and acknowledge facts. That facts are important in order to remain knowledgeable.

Matter: This quote matters because in the real world knowing your facts are important. People demand truth and evidence. And in order to inspire others you must work with passion along with providing facts to support your point.

Jason Tran Period 1

3/1/2013 03:54:37 pm

What you wrote really relates to what the quote has to say especially the "must work with passion along with providing facts to support your point." because without facts your work is meaningless.

Elaine T., Per. 2

3/1/2013 06:22:35 am

Says: Mr. Grandgrind believes that facts are the only thing that is useful in life. He believes that if people know all the facts in life that kids will grow up to be intelligent and become successful in their life. Mr. Grangrind believes that the facts will help nourish children minds and that imagination will have no benefit to them.
Means: This passage means that there are some people who live their lives based on facts and others who live their lives based on innovation and imagination. People grow up being influenced by different factors in life. People who just learn facts in life may grow up having lots of book smart, but in reality people also need street smarts in order to become successful in the real world.
Matters: This passage is important because as students, many teachers always try to shove facts into our brains and never tell us the importance of learning facts. Therefore, when many students enter the real world they find that facts cannot always help them all the time. People in the real world need to be fun, energetic, and relatable in order to form connections and make friends. When there is a problem that appears, facts will not help people overcome obstacles, rather it is ideas that will help people find solutions to their problems. I believe that imagination, innovation, and experience is more important because after all if facts are not relatable to people, they are just meaningless statements.

Jasmine Li, Period 1

3/1/2013 02:23:10 pm

I agree with you, because we shouldn't limit our minds with just facts. we need imagination and much more in order for us to grow, without imagination our lives would be so dull. Facts are important, but it's not the only thing that matters, and successful poeple think big. so I feel that Facts are not enough for us to find the true meaning of life.

Brilliant Hua, Per. 2

3/1/2013 03:04:11 pm

I really like your point about how students need to have "street smarts" as well as "book smarts." I feel that schools today stress textbook knowledge to an extremity and "street smart" skills, such as communication and social skills, are not given enough attention. Although facts are important, it is also important to know and understand fiction. This is because the real world is filled with fantasy. The human mind cannot be strictly controlled and imagination is something that runs wild.

James W., Per. 2

3/3/2013 10:16:53 am

I feel that your position is the same as everyone else who has read this book. We do not need to base life on facts even though it is nice to know some facts for reality rather than to compare the smartness of others. The brain has no limit in holding memories but why let all the memories be on facts rather than the adventure of life/

David Dang per 2

3/1/2013 06:36:32 am

Say: The character is stating that facts are the basis for everything and therefore, should be the only thing to be taught to children. Only then will those children be able to develop mentally.
Mean: The character is arguing that facts are the only things people need to learn in life. Anything else, such as interests and hobbies, would be worthless.
Matter: This matters because this proposal’s argument takes a too narrow and dogmatic approach to life. In the context of the statement, he is only talking about schools. When one learns that way, creativity and individualism will be compromised. That would a serious issue because those aspects are the very things that make us human beings. The method of learning that the character is arguing would only produce robotic people that can only spew information from a book. No one would be different from one another.

Lilian D. Per. 2

3/1/2013 10:20:52 am

Say: Mr. Grandgrind is saying that facts are the only essential necessity in life. Facts is and should be what makes the world spin on its axis. Everything else is irrelevant and irrational.

Mean: Mr. Grandgrind's quote displays his overly rational mind. He believes that hardcore facts underlie everything in the world. Therefore, everyone need only to live by the facts in the world, making decisions and rationalizing everything with the world's facts in mind.

Matter: As previously said, this quote reveals Mr. Grandgrind's overly rational mind. Because he is so focused on the facts, he sounds almost like a machine or a computer where facts are imputed to calculate algorithms for life. It implies that Mr. Grandgrind lacks or perhaps suppresses his emotions as they are not facts, but simply gut feelings. I see his thinking as extremely detrimental to his humanity.

Erin T., Period 2

3/1/2013 10:36:16 am

Say: This quote is Mr. Gradgrind's philosophy on life. He believes that nothing else but facts matter in life and he wants to instill his philosophy in the younger generations.

Mean: This means that Mr. Gradgrind only believes that children should be filled with facts. He thinks that creative and imaginative thoughts are useless. Although many children have fantasies and great imaginations, like Sissy Jupe, Mr. Gradgrind tries to change them in order to follow his own philosophy.

Matter: This quote shows how emotionless and strict Mr. Gradgrind is. Although facts are very important, I do not agree with this quote because everybody should be allowed to think however they would like. Mr. Gradgrind should not try the change the childrens' imaginative minds.

Kenny V., Period 2

3/3/2013 02:23:28 pm

I agree with you that facts are very important, but not as important as someone imagination, especially a child. Everyone should have the ability to think for themselves.

Johanna F. Per 1

3/1/2013 01:52:41 pm

Say: This quote says that we only focus on facts. That's all we care about and look for. If its not facts then don't believe it. it's that simple.

mean: I personally think this mean that we should look for facts in things. Thats' what we should believe in.

Matter: This is important because when we learn about facts we know the truth. Its not lies or anything, so its good to understand the truth. You will always need facts to prove things to others.

Jasmine Li, Period 1

3/1/2013 02:16:44 pm

Say: This quote says that facts are the key to life. It's saying that we should always follow the facts and learn nothing but facts, and that nothing is more important than facts.

Mean: Means that some people in this world only live by the rules. They are the ones with no imagination and stubborn people. In their world there's no such thing as hopes and dreams, because their mind is limited by facts. so they can't live as freely as others.

Matter: The quote matters because it tells us that we shouldnt let facts limit our thinking. we should always be free thinkers, we shouldnt always stick to the facts. Yes, facts are important but what you believe in is way more important. You can't be a dreamer if your mind is limited, and usually people who think big are the ones who are most likely to have a happier life.

Jodi A, Period 1

3/3/2013 12:06:38 pm

I agree with you when you say that we shouldn't be limited to facts and we should be free thinkers. Everything would be so boring if we only lived by facts. I also think it's interesting that you said the people in Hard Times are stubborn with no imagination. I also agree that those in this book who know only facts are very stubborn. They demand that evryone else be like them and "stick to the facts."

Art Medina Period 6

3/1/2013 02:47:37 pm

Say: This quote clearly reflects the mentality of Mr.Gradgrind and his approach on life. He has a very strict perspective and refuses to let anything other than facts define his life.
Mean: According to Mr. Gradgrind, facts rule everything around society. Facts make the world go round and facts defines the mind of reasonable individual. Clearly, nothing else is needed to fulfill the meaning of life. He wants to clearly implant this in the minds of his students. The students must understand the significance of facts and how nothing else around them truly matters.
Matter: The way Mr. Gradgrind approaches life is quite radical and shows his true personality. This perspective will give the reader a good idea about his character and how his beliefs will influence his actions throughout the novel. It is important that the reader is introduced to his radical beliefs early in the novel so he/she will not question his actions later on.

Tom Huang, Period 6

3/4/2013 05:54:29 am

I agree with this post because I have the same view as Art. I believe Mr. Gradgrind only cares about facts and lets these facts dominate everything in his life. He refuses to let anyone tell him otherwise and just waits for facts to prove what he needs to know and why. This way of life is definitely radical, but living life by facts is helpful in some ways as well.

Kaycel Carlem., Period 6

3/4/2013 05:59:12 am

I agree with your post because facts are important in order to have a knowledgeable society. It is what drives an individual into making decisions. Which makes it very important to learn the facts in the real world.

Ryan Ly., Period 1

3/1/2013 03:23:57 pm

Say: This quote is stating that facts are important. The character in the story is trying to say that nothing else is important but facts.

Mean: It means that people should start to look at facts instead of their opinions. If you don't know facts then you're not very knowledgeable.

Matter: This matters because if you're in court you're going to need facts. In this world we live in, people want to know the truth not lies.

Albert Le Period 1

3/3/2013 09:48:45 am

Lawyers need to memorize facts because of there job. Without facts there would be chaos in the world due to lack of knowledge. In reality people want the truth not false information that does not benefit the person

Jason Tran Period 1

3/1/2013 03:53:27 pm

Say: What Mr. Gradgrind is trying to say is that facts are the meaning of life. It gives logic and reason to everything and that nothing can go against that.

Mean: What Mr. Gradgrind means is that without facts nothing makes sense and nothing is logical. This means that the facts of something go above all else.

Matter: This matters because it's the way Mr. Gradgrind has lived his life and how he intends to spread his philosophy to his students.

Kenny V., Period 2

3/1/2013 06:41:36 pm

Say: This quote says that the only things important to know in life are facts, and nothing should be taught to the student but facts.

Mean: This quote means that facts are important because it will always be true and can never be argued against unless with another fact. This will allow people to argue for what they stand of believe in. If a person would stick to only believing in facts it restricts a person imagination, hopes, and dreams.

Matter: This quote matters because if everyone were just to believe in only the facts it changes who people should truly be. Everyone would just believe in one thing, facts, instead of what they truly believe in.

Kenny V., Period 2

3/1/2013 06:53:08 pm

Say: This quote says that the only things important in life are facts. Nothing should be taught to the students but facts, since everything other than facts is useless.

Mean: This quote means that facts are important because it will always be true and can never be argued against unless with another fact. If a person were to stick to only believing in facts it restricts a person imagination, hopes, and dreams.

Matter: This quote matters because if everyone were just to believe in only the facts it changes who people should truly be. Everyone would just believe in one thing, facts, instead of what they truly believe in. Going with our imaginations and dream changes people attitude and gives them their own unique personality.

Man Ieng(Winnie) Cheong, period 1

3/2/2013 06:57:10 am

Say:
This says that Mr. Gradgrind believes that FACTS are the most important thing in his philosophy and that everything is based upon facts.

Mean:
It means that he wants to teach his children and students only facts because facts can explain everything in life. It only explains instead of creating something that's not real or true.

Matter:
It matters because facts are the essential part of all things and we all have to rely on it. If we don't know or misunderstand facts, the world could be a mess that no one knows what is true.

Alan V Period 2

3/2/2013 12:12:04 pm

Say: This quote emphasis practical over creativity. It is trying to say that people should only learn things that are useful and serve a purpose. Anything else for “fun” or “recreation” is not significant enough to learn.

Mean: This means that facts are important since they are universal truths. Everyone agrees with them. They tell you information that you need to know. It gives a clear black and white definition on things.

Matter: This matters because simply learning the facts is very narrow minded. The children are being deprived of imagination and creativity which helps make this world a better place. The kids may be able to fill their minds with academia, but it is the imagination and creativity that will spark innovation in their lives. It is the passion for things such as art and music that help make this world a better place to live in as well.

Eric H Period 2

3/3/2013 10:58:52 pm

i totally agree with you view on how you view facts. there is only one way this story presents the case about facts and its important that we get the whole picture before we start to make judgement about the characters in the story. Although we might see the actual thing happening, the exact opposite might be actually happening

Joanne W., Period 6

3/2/2013 12:19:02 pm

Say: This quote says that facts are the only things that people and children should be taught in life. Fact is more important than anything in this world so everyone should pay more attention to it.

Mean: This quote describes that the speaker of this quote, Mr. Grandgrind, is always strict because he wants children to know how important the " fact " is. People should learn to look at the facts.

Matter: This matters because facts show you the real thing and the history of that thing. We should know what we believe in or what we want to believe in, and this is important because it happens in the real life.

Kevin W. Per 2

3/4/2013 01:11:40 pm

I believe that facts comes from the conclusion of ideas and opinions, which are what we believe in. facts can teach us a lesson, but lack of ideas cannot make facts which is use to teach us the lesson.

Pinwen L., Per.1

3/4/2013 11:57:56 pm

I agree with your view on fact is more important than anything in this world so everyone should pay attention to it. Because I feel like the people nowaday always forget about the FACT, they rather go for the lie. We should really believe in the fact, rather believe in lies.

Jessica Lai, period 6

3/2/2013 01:18:51 pm

Say: Mr. Grandgrind only wants facts. He will only believe and accept hard, concrete facts and believes that everyone else should also. Everything in life should be defined by concrete facts and nothing should ever be decided based on "fancies."
Mean: This is how Mr. Grandgrind will raise his children and those in his school. This also illustrates some people's view of the world, where they depend upon books and knowledge.
Matter: This is one way some people choose to look at the world. It also explains their motivation in doing some things, like excelling in school for example. However, this is also one-sided and close-minded thinking that can lead some astray and cause problems.

Maggie W. Period 2

3/2/2013 04:32:09 pm

Say: This quote is from Mr. Gradgrind. He believes that facts are the foundation of life and all that it should be. The word "fact" is repeated so many times to emphasize the importance of fact. Later in the story, he also identifies what is the opposite of fact which is fancy.

Mean: This means that Mr. Gradgrind teaches his students at the school all about facts and their importance in life.

Matter: This quote matters because it sets the atmosphere of the school as well as describe Mr. Gradgrind. The quote is also at the beginning of the book which is pretty interesting as well as unique. However, after reading it you start to wonder if you will understand the weirdness of the book.

Berlin T period 2

3/2/2013 06:38:28 pm

Say: Mr. Grangrind's philosophy to succeed in life, using reasoning. He believes to enforce his own views onto his students and own his children.

Mean: . Mr. Gradgrind teaches students about interest, and facts,

Matter: This matter because personality are inspired by Sissy's feelings. This also shows how unselfish people can be during the industrial revolution. There are many people like him in the society. They need to learn to feel compassionate with others and themselve

Benjamin Lin Period 6

3/3/2013 02:44:08 am

Say: This quote defines the strict boundaries of what is wanted. The speaker wants to teach in the purest form possible.

Mean: This quote defines what we as society have done to the most basic things. Everything today is so sugar coated and twisted in order to make it sound better or worst than it is.

Matter: This colorful use of wordplay may sound nice in practice and reality, but it distracts from the core meaning of the message. It directs peoples attention to a place that might not be as significant as what was originally implied.

Anna V Period 6

3/3/2013 05:22:32 am

Say:
Thomas Gradgrind, a worshiper of facts and rightful owner of the quote in Charles Dickens's HARD TIMES, unconditionally believes life can only be based on facts. Carrying his belief even further, Gradgrind establishes a school to expose children to a world built merely on facts.

Mean:
This quote expresses the idea that many individuals live their lives based solely on facts, holding a realist perspective that distinguishes nearly everything between right and wrong. Their narrow perspectives of the world provide these individuals with essentially nothing.

Matter:
With only the education of facts, the development of imagination will be stunted and ultimately eradicated. The existence of imagination is as equally significant as the existence of facts. Through the mere absorption of facts, children will learn to see the world in the "right" way. However, this singular aspect of the world will only allow for so much progress, which will gradually decline with the loss of imagination.

Mark Chang Period 6

3/3/2013 06:00:14 am

Say: This quote from Hard Times says that the only thing that matters in life are the facts. The teacher is trying to get this way of thinking into his students because he believes that this is the only way to live in life.

Mean: This quote is trying to say that many people are living their lives in this manner and that it is the superior way of living. It is hinting that if one were not to follow this way of thinking that person would ultimately fail at life.

Matter: This quote matters because many people do not know how to deal with life and this will offer one way of living. This way offers a logical approach to life so people will have confidence and reason in what they chose to do.

Bryan Luong P.6

3/3/2013 01:19:57 pm

I agree that a person with this type of narrow-minded thinking find trouble in dealing with their lives. I also agree that they will offer a logical approach to their lives so they will not feel weak, but confident.

Jeremy C. Period 6

3/7/2013 06:00:28 am

I agree with your explanation because it emphasizes the importance of the point in the beginning chapters. Narrow-minded people will have trouble dealing with problems in their lives because of their resistance to change. Despite their weakness, they present an adamant position on their beliefs.

Yang Y., Per2

3/3/2013 06:42:31 am

Say:
The quote is saying that, Mr. Gradgrind believes only in the facts of this world and nothing else. The only thing he wants the kids in the school to learn are facts, facts, and more facts.

Mean:
The quote is saying that nothing is the truth besides the facts in this world. The children should only learn the facts and nothing else. Everything must be scientific proven and everyone should know it.

Matter: This passage is important because in schools, teachers teach students the facts they know and the facts in the books. There is this saying that "too much of a good thing is a bad thing." If all everything a student knows are facts, what would happen if it was a creativity essay test? They would fail it so bad.

Qi HONG C Period 6

3/3/2013 02:08:00 pm

i think what you said is true, we should believe in something that is scientific proven. However, it's also true that if we only believe in something that is scientific proven, we would fail a creativity essay test, because we will lose our creative power.

Kaylin T. Period 6

3/3/2013 09:43:58 am

Say: This quote in Hard Times by Charles Dickens says how Mr. Gradgrind's perspective on how to live life. Also on how children in life should be educated.

Mean: This quote means that facts are important because they help children and students to further their own interests in the future.

Matter: This passage matters because like Mr. Gradgrind said facts are important and they matter in society today we all need facts to prove a point and with out factors there can be no assumptions.

David L., Per. 1

3/4/2013 10:56:25 am

I agree with you in that facts are important and they are used to prove a point but sometimes I also believe that a lot of facts that we use are based on opinion and our own thoughts.

Albert Le Period 1

3/3/2013 09:44:46 am

Say:The quote is saying that the world revolves around facts and nothing but facts. Mr. Gradgrind is trying to teach the next generation that there is only facts in this world.

Mean:The quote is saying that everything is created by something that is eventually recognized. Nothing in this world is created by miracles or luck.Everything must be scientifically proven so there are no religious facts.

Matter: This quote matters because in schools that is what the teachers teach us also, the facts. In education there is always facts. One thing wouldn't work without the knowledge or manual to guide.

James W., Period 2

3/3/2013 09:50:51 am

Say:This quote is saying that only the facts are important in life. It says that children in school should be taught nothing but facts and that is what this man is raising his children upon.
Mean:Mr. Grandgrind's quote displays his overly rational mind. He believes that hardcore facts underlie everything in the world. Therefore, everyone need only to live by the facts in the world, making decisions and rationalizing everything with the world's facts in mind.
Matter: This matters because it eliminates the creative side of the brain and only using the analytic side of the brain. Life based on facts is not how humans should live or would live without the idea of committing suicide. Sissy however, shows the only true source of human life where feelings and creativity show up rather than facts so Sissy could probably change the whole outcome of the book.

P.S: Srry that this was late Ms. Sutton. I was busy and forgot to do the posting.

Joe Arguijo Period 2

3/13/2013 10:12:26 am

I completely agree with on the idea that humans shouldn't just based their life on facts. For it is the emotion and thought we have that makes our lives meaningful. Facts are just one thing that we should use during our life experiences.

Jodi A, Period 1

3/3/2013 10:28:45 am

Say: Mr. Gradgrind is a man who emphasizes facts. He sees everything by it'd definition and the facts behind it. He intends to teach school children nothing but facts because that is what they need to succeed in life.

Mean: In the eyes of Mr. Gradgrind, imagination is an evil that should not exist. It doesn't do anyone any good to think of absurd, surreal things because it doesn't get people anywhere in life. Imagined things also take up space in the brain where more facts could be stored.

Matter: This passage matters because it reveals a lot about Mr. Gradgrind's character as a practical man who doesn't have an open mind. However, it also opens our minds to the idea of living solely by facts. What if we all thought like Mr. Gradgrind and based everything off of true, proven facts? This book Hard Times (or any other fictional book) would not even exist if everyone thought that way. Every class we took would consist of only facts without any input or question from students. Imagine that (which is ironic).

Tracy O,. Period 2

3/4/2013 12:26:31 pm

I agree with what you said about Mr. Grangrind and how he thinks that imagination is evil and has no place in school or the education of children. He truly believes what he says, but i disagree and I think that the children in the school need some imagination with the facts.

Jennifer P., Period 2

3/3/2013 11:34:27 am

Say: Mr.Grangrind's philosophy in life is to stick to the facts that have been already established.

Mean: He is a teacher and he wants to pass on his philosophy to his students and other people he may encounter.

Matter: Facts are important because it separates reality from our imaginations. They are important but they limit our will to think otherwise. Our imagination is an important quality in each and one of us.

William Lam, Period 6

3/3/2013 12:25:52 pm

Say: This quote is saying that Mr. Gradgrind believes in facts more than anything else. He is preaching for society to raise children merely only by facts.

Mean: This quote means that facts are the only truth in the world; facts cannot be argued in any way possible. Mr. Gradgrind views facts as important because it makes people feel secure, knowing that the information they receive will always be correct.

Matter: This quote matters because living life only by facts will reduce society''s mindset dramatically. Also, the progress we will make living life only by facts will be insignificant.

Bryan Luong P.6

3/3/2013 01:17:08 pm

Say: Mr. Gradgrind's quote says that facts are the rudimentary principles in life, and can explain life by using pure and basic concepts that involve nothing but the truth.

Mean: This means that Mr. Gradgrind would like to spread his philosophy to the people around him that facts are necessary to keep sustain his life. To him, fascination and imagination hinders the growth of knowledge of the human mind.

Matter: This quote matters because it shows that Mr. Gradgrind lacks imagination, which in the past fueled many extraordinary, life-changing events around the world.

Kevin T., Period 1

3/3/2013 01:51:02 pm

Say: This quote says that "facts" make up everything in life. Nothing else is important, and facts are the only thing that should be focused on, everything else is irrelevant and unnecessary. He believes that everyone should grow up only being taught by facts and nothing but facts.

Mean: This quote means that, he believes that facts are like plants, when you teach kids and as they grow up, you only want the plant and you ignore everything else but the plant.

Matter: This quote matters because facts are the things that make up the things in life, and anything else besides fact aren't so important, even though now in everyday life, it seems that facts are less important than everything else. Facts should be taught and planted in a young age and the person will grow up believing this.

Qi Hong Chen Period 6

3/3/2013 02:04:14 pm

Say: The quote is saying that, Mr. Gradgrind only believes in the facts of this world and nothing else and he use fact as the principle of teaching his children.

Mean: The quote is saying that the only thing we should believe in is the truth, the fact. The children should only learn the facts and nothing else. Everything must be scientific proven and everyone should know it.

Matter: i think this quote matters, because nowadays, some people in our society believe in something that is not truth, like ghost lore, even some parents believe in these things which are not truth, so the passage tells us to believe truth, to believe in something that is scientific proven.

Kenny V. Period 6

3/3/2013 02:10:45 pm

Says: The quote says that facts and truth are what we need to survive. Fact is what allows us to live and reason according to Thomas Gradgrind.

Means: This means that the only thing that we should teach to the young are facts. To survive in the world is with facts and nothing else. In fact the quote suggest that people root out everything but facts.

Matter: This quote matters in some way because we try to keep our facts straight to prevent ourselves from doing things that are considered unintelligent. However, sometimes facts and truth are not good enough, people deserve to be rewarded for their belief. Santa Clause is fake, that is a fact. No child who believes in Santa Clause should have that fact rooted out of them prematurely.

Andy B. Period 1

3/3/2013 02:49:55 pm

Say: Mr. Gradgrind is saying that facts are the most important things in life. According to him, it surpasses emotion and other human aspects of life. It is the only thing that he wants to teach his children.

Mean: The meaning behind this quote is that the only useful and sure things in life are facts. There is little room in the minds of men and children other than facts.

Matter: Mr. Gradgrind is expressing his strict view of rigid rationalism and utilitarianism. This is a very cold, harsh outlook on the world because it neglects consideration of emotion and creativity natural to the human mind. Children brought up in these types of institutions, which are reminiscent of the current public school system, will be stifled of their imagination and individuality.

Lesley T, Period 2

3/5/2013 01:05:25 am

I like what you had to say about children being stifled of their imagination and individuality and I agree. If one lives their life completely based on the facts, there would be nothing to set apart one child from another.

Randall C. Period 6

3/3/2013 05:05:36 pm

Say: Mr. Gradgrind is living and teaching a life of facts. The quote explains the importance of facts to Mr. Gradgrind and how he puts them into effect.

Mean: This quote shows how certain people live their lives. There are those that live strictly on facts, and those that live based on other ideals.

Matter: This matters because of the people that live their lives only teaching facts. Basing your life only on facts may stifle creativity. Creativity being the aspect that that runs the world today. A world without creativity is bland and there would be very little progress.

David L., Per.1

3/4/2013 12:21:51 am

Say: This quote is saying that facts are the only things that matter in life.

Mean: This quote means that only facts are true and that anything that isn’t a fact is not true. This also means that our creativity and imaginative minds don’t mean anything because the quote is saying that facts are the only things that are right.

Matter: This quote matters because everyone in this world was not raised to just know facts. Rather we were to have our opinions on things and our own ideas about everything and not base everything on facts.

Cynthia H., Period 1

3/4/2013 12:24:18 am

Say:
The quote is from Mr. Gradgrind, he is basically saying that the meaning to life are the facts that you learn. The fact is what makes thing right and wrong, and what things are true and false.

Mean:
The meaning of the quote is that facts are what makes thing right and wrong. It's the idea of a person living off the facts of the world. Facts may not be right and Mr. Gradgrind believes that everything is made of facts.

Matter:
This quote matters because what students learn are facts. These facts do not make up life. There is a lesson to life and when one lives off of facts it isn't really a good thing. One fact can prove another fact wrong and what will happen then? We need to learn other ways that are beneficial to life, not just FACTS.

Garrett P, Period 1

3/4/2013 12:36:21 am

Say: This quote is saying that people should concentrate on purely the facts and nothing else. Mr. Gradgrind believes that facts are above emotion and opinion.

Mean: This quote means that one can never go wrong when basing decisions on facts. Facts are unarguable, and therefore always correct. Emotion and imagination are evil to Mr. Gradgrind. The key to success is being knowledgeable on facts, and facts alone. Facts are useful, while emotion is just a waste of energy and time.

Matter: This quote matters because facts are reality, and imagination is just a distraction from the reality. This passage is inaccurate because it is imagination and creativity runs our modern society. Facts are important, but one should not base all of their philosophies and attitudes on facts alone.

Cynthia C., Period 1

3/4/2013 11:02:22 am

Say: The quote is saying that everything taught and learned must be facts. Anything that isn't a fact and is just an opinion and such should be ignored. It is stating that we can only learn by and through facts.

Mean: This quote means that people should only be taught facts. That anything taught that isn't a fact should be excluded and that we can only learn from facts. The quote also means that we can't learn from anything but facts in order to form reasoning.

Matter: This quote matters because today, some people have the belief that we can only be taught by facts. They think that's all we should learn from which is actually wrong. If we go everything by facts then we wont be able to evolve into anything bigger. The world would be a bold place if we based everything on just facts.

Tracy O., Period 2

3/4/2013 12:21:47 pm

Say: This is saying that the most important things in life are facts and everything else is not needed. Mr. Grangrind only believes in facts and does not want the children to think differently.

Mean: This means that the children will not be able to think outside the box and will only be allowed to learn the facts. The school will be a very strict place for the children with Mr. Grangrind in charge.

Matter: This matters because the children will not be given the chance to use their imagination and think differently from Mr. Grangrind.

Kevin W. Per 2

3/4/2013 01:04:34 pm

Say: Mr Gradgrind's goal is to teach student to learn that the facts of life, which only include calculation or logical reasoning. He believe that fact is the meaning of life

Mean: The quote means facts are the only lesson young should learn in their life.

Matter: It matters because fact is not always true, and facts actually comes from the conclusion of opinions, and young born generation learn the facts the previous generation given to them, they would not have their own ideas to come up some new facts

Pinwen L., Per.1

3/4/2013 11:52:28 pm

Lesley T, Period 2

3/5/2013 01:00:57 am

Say: I think this is saying that basically the only thing that matters is the facts. The only thing that truly exists is facts and the only thing that is acceptable is facts.
Mean: This means that all other things are unacceptable. Feelings and the grey areas in life are all non-existent to Mr. Gradgrind. All people must live strictly by the facts and nothing else.
Matter: This matters because in the world, there are more than just facts. There are questions and hypothesis. One can only discover something now by questioning things that already exist. I think that Mr. Gradgrind needs to learn that not everything can be defined by a fact.

Courtney C. Period 2

3/5/2013 01:39:51 am

Say: Mr. Gradgrind believes that people should only pay attention to facts. They should have nothing to do with beliefs or imagination because facts are the only things worth acknowledging.

Mean: The quote means that Mr. Gradgrind is very focused on how important facts are. This is the way he lives his life. It shows how he only values facts and there is little room for anything else.

Matter: This quote matters because it shows how Mr. Gradgrind values facts and it shows how he will treat the characters in the book. He is very harsh and cold, and this is evident through his actions in the book.

Ryan H., Period 2

3/5/2013 01:40:52 am

Say: Mr. Gradgrind views facts as the only thing you need to know in life. Facts are the basis and only importance a person needs to know in their life. Everything that is not a fact is waste.

Mean: The meaning behind this quote is that you only need to pay attention to what is true and root out everything else.

Matter: This matters because it shows a very limited viewpoint on life. It shows a cold way to look at the world and the people around you

Jeremy C. Period 6

3/7/2013 05:57:46 am

Say: Mr. Gradgrind follows a strict lifestyle of learning facts. The quote depicts Mr. Gradgrind's belief of the universal importance of facts.

Mean: The quote shows how Mr. Gradgrind's belief and it's corruption to his family. The corruption is from his ignorance in life and how strictly he follows his own beliefs.

Matter: This matters because many people around him are affected by his belief. Children in his school are miserable and cannot experience a real childhood. The children deprived of this real childhood end up neglecting the importance of school.

Joe Arguijo Period 2

3/13/2013 10:05:44 am

Say: What Mr. Gradgrind is basically trying to say is that there can only be one way to explain all things. He does not want more than one interpretation of something, because according to him there is only facts that we can use.

Mean:
When everyone thinks the same in describing something, there is no different interpretations that can be thought of. When a child sticks to the facts, there is simply no room for an imaginative or creative mind.

Matter:
For Mr. Gradgrind, having children who stick to the facts will help make his life easier because there is only one way to explain things. The idea of being creative and thoughtful is put to the side when the children are in his classroom. Having uniformity in thought and mind is taken to the maximum for those children.

Jinoto C. Period 6

3/13/2013 01:19:53 pm

Says: The book "Hard Times" the teacher Mr.Gradgrind truly believes in his philosophy of only facts. He only wants to rely on his only belief in facts and the truth of life. He solely depends on facts of life.

Mean: That he only really wants to base everything on his beliefs and no one else's. He only wants everyone to believe in facts and only facts.

Matter: This matters because facts can really be the true importance of life. If facts didn't exist in this world then there would only be lies and trickery. Facts is what makes this world what it is now.

Evy Z, Per.6

3/14/2013 01:17:04 am

Say:The main character Mr.Gradgrind is trying to teach his students and kids his own philosophy that he believes in. He states that if you only plant facts which are proven true then people will form reasoning upon facts not by judgement.
Mean:If we only knew the facts we wouldn't need anything else. Most people believe everything they see or hear but its the facts that prove things true or false.
Matter:It matter because many of us jump to conclusions without thinking of other factors. Society today is filled with judgemental people. We must learn the truth before anything else.

Jinoto Cheam Period 6

4/10/2013 07:52:06 am

Say: Mr. Gradgrind says that facts are the only important thing in life. Facts are the only thing in life that should be acknowledged.

Mean: Mr.Gradgrind means that facts are things you should believe. Also facts are the only thing that is worth acknowledging.

Matter: This matters because I also believe facts are the only thing worth believing. Facts are very important to our lives because without facts there would only be fiction which is make belief.

Hard Times, Post 1

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