The novels during the Victorian period speak about the daily life with a very formal realism. We could say that is a social novel because reflects the conditions in which the medium or low society lives: workers,craftsmen... As the century goes, literature becomes more and more pessimistic, there is no exit, no solution, nothing goes O.K. This is because of the social critical state that makes us not to expect a happy end.
        But in Hard Times we find that Dickens has syntonized with the popular imagination. All his novels are characterised for being well written, well focussed and descibed, for having a good animation. His novels had a humour comparable to the caricatures because of its ironical exaggerations in some characters. He was popular because he not only entertained his public, but also because he resorted the feelings of the readers (always good feelings). He draws wrong and unjustifiables situations, but always there is a good feeling in the reader. In spite of being objective in every moment (he never expresses his ideas or opinions about the situations he describes), he can appeal successfully to the good feelings, and this is what makes of him a good author.