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In this life, we want nothing but facts, sir! nothing but facts!
The speaker, the schoolmaster, the third grown person present, all back a little, and swept their eye the inclined plain of the little vessels and there arranged in order, ready to have imperial gallons of facts poured into them until they are full to the brim.
Please explain what is the inclined plane of vessels and the connection to the brim! I grapped the idea but want further illustration to reach to fully conprehension. thanks.

2007-03-19 16:27:30 · 1 answers · asked by liangjizong22 1 in Arts & Humanities Books & Authors

1 answers

Hard Times, indeed!

Dicken's metaphors in this scene indicate:
a) the lowered (inclined) heads of the clasroom (the plain) full of students,
b) the students as vessels (containers, jars, bottles) ready to have learning poured into them until there's nothing else inside (full to the brim).

The ironic inference Dickens is making is that, for these "educators", learning is nothing but facts that have to be memorized, that students are in school to have facts poured into them until they can't hold any more in their heads, with nothing of thinking, feeling or imagination left over to make life meaningful.
Pretty cool, no?

2007-03-19 17:04:34 · answer #1 · answered by Palmerpath 7 · 1 0

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