名著梗概：《艰难时世》

第一篇：名著梗概：《艰难时世》

名著梗概：《艰难时世》

(英国)狄更斯 著

[故事梗概]

葛擂更先生是退休的五金批发商人、国会议员。他有“四四方方象一堵墙般的额头„„四四方方的外衣，四四方方的腿干，四四方方的肩膀”。他是个讲究实际的人，认为“为人处事都从这条原则出发：二加二等于四，不等于更多”；他口袋里经常装着尺子、天平和乘法表，随时准备秤一秤、量一量“人性的任何部分”。他用“事实的哲学”，在焦煤镇办了一所子弟学校，要求教师以“事实”来教育学生。他认为，只有事实才是生活中最重要的；除此之外，什么都不要培植，一切都该连根拔掉；要锻炼有理性的动物的智力就得用事实。

葛擂更准备成立一个“事实委员会”，禁止学生使用幻想。一位拥护他的主张的绅士，还提出不能用画了马的纸糊墙壁，因为马不会在墙上跑；也不能在碗碟上画蝴蝶和鸟儿，因为它们不可能落在碗碟上。

葛擂更女儿露意莎，儿子汤姆过着单调而刻板的生活。他们在学会走路时，就被赶进教室，坐在黑板前，终日和魔鬼似的数字打交道。他们不允许阅读诗歌和故事，不准与自然景物接触，不准与其他孩子游玩。在他们房间里，设置了许多贝壳、金属、矿物的标本柜。每一个小葛擂更在五岁时已能解剖大熊了，就跟欧文教授解剖动物差不多；但没有一个小葛擂更能把儿歌中的牛和田野中的牛联想在一起。

葛擂更的住宅石屋，座落在郊外，是个标准的“事实之家”，形状异常整齐。这座很大的四四方方的房子，有一条阴暗的门廊遮住了它正面的窗户，正如同房主人的浓眉遮蔽了他的眼晴一样。这是座经过预算、核算、决算而造成的房子。大门的这边有六个窗户，大门的那边也有六个窗户；这一厢的窗户总数是十二个；那一厢的窗户总数仍然是十二个；加起来恰好是二十四个。一片草地，一个花园，和一条林荫小路都是直条条的，好象一本用植物编成了格子的账簿。

有一回，葛擂更无意间发现他以“事实”原则培养出来的宝贝儿女，竟然在一个破墙洞眼里偷看外面的马戏表演，汤姆还象狗一样扒在地下。这使葛擂更大为恼火，认为这是堕落的表现。女儿露意莎却反驳说，她对事实学校的一切都厌倦了。葛擂更强迫女儿和儿子离开墙洞眼回家去。

葛擂更有个好朋友叫庞得贝，是个银行家和工业家。庞得贝身材魁伟，声音洪亮，眼睛老是盯着人，笑起来声音象破锣；他又是个“自谦得咄咄逼人的‘凶汉’”，老夸耀自己的贫穷出身和“白手起家”。他认为露意莎在看马戏，是受马戏团丑角的女儿西丝·朱浦的影响，主张把正在事实学校里念书的西丝撵出去。于是，他们便一同往焦煤镇上走去。

焦煤镇到处是机器和高耸的烟囱。无穷无尽的长蛇似的浓烟，一直不停地从烟囱里冒出来，把原来的红砖房屋，涂沫得象生番的花脸。镇上有好几条大街，看起来条条都是一个样子，还有许多小巷也是彼此相同。那儿的居民也几乎个个相似，他们同时进，同时出，走在同样的人行道上，发出同样的脚步声，做着同样的工作。这个市镇“除了单纯的、有实际用处的东西而外，是没有其他的东西的”。这是个用“事实”理论建筑起来的市镇，“在物质方面，四处所表现出来的都是事实、事实、事实；在精神方面，四处所表现出来的，也都是事实、事实、事实”。

葛擂更和庞得贝恰好在路上遇见了西丝·朱浦。他们把她领到马戏团去见她的父亲。西丝的父亲是丑角演员。不久前，他因演出出了岔子，被观众嘲笑，抛下女儿逃跑了。葛擂更便向马戏团团长史德锐提出，把西丝交给他照顾。马戏团团长和西丝本人都同意了。但葛擂更并不是让西丝再回到学校念书，而是要她服侍自己的太太和给女儿露意莎作伴。他要自己女儿理解西丝的父亲和职业是没有出息的，以转移她对马戏的兴趣。另方面，他用调查报告、表格之类当作教科书教育西丝，以便使她“聪明起来”，但西丝对这一切并不感兴趣，她怀念着自己的父亲。

庞得贝在镇上开办了一家纺织厂。厂里有位技术熟练的纺织工人斯梯芬。他约莫四十来岁年纪，为人“纯厚而诚实”，是个难得的好织工。但他贫穷，家庭生活也很不幸。他的背有点驼，“眉头老是皱着，脸上总显得在深思”。他和女工瑞茄关系很好，经常在她那里得到精神安慰。他想和酗酒放荡的妻子离婚，与瑞茄结婚。但他付不起诉讼费。

葛擂更准备把儿子汤姆送到庞得贝银行里去工作，并把女儿露意莎嫁给庞得贝。虽然这是很不相称的婚姻，庞得贝比露意莎大三十岁；但葛擂更对女儿说：“从你们两个人的年龄来说，是有些不相称，但是从你们的财产和地位来说是没有什么不相称的；反过来说，倒是非常门当户对呢。”

庞得贝在结婚那天，向观众发表了冗长的演说。他说，他希望露意莎能配得上他，正如他配得上她一样；同时，他“也希望每一位小姐也能找到象我老婆已经找到了的这么好的一个丈夫”。

不久，焦煤镇来了一个议员大臣的弟弟詹姆斯·赫德豪士先生。他是一个仪表堂堂，性情冷漠的人物。原先他当过龙骑兵的一名司旗官。可是，他对这工作生厌了，便跟一位公使出洋。后来，他又讨厌这外交官职，便到耶路撒冷去游历；还坐游艇环游过世界。但他足迹所到，感到无一处能提起他的精神。回到伦敦后，意志更加颓唐了。一天，议员大臣劝他到焦煤镇去搞搞统计工作。詹姆斯认为这样可以换换空气，便答应了。他经葛擂更的介绍去见庞得贝。庞得贝神气十足地向客人介绍了焦煤镇的情况。认为这个市镇上又黑又浓的煤烟，就是他和“衣食父母”。他说：“煤烟是世界上最有利于健康的东西，特别是对于肺部”他吹嘘他的工人生活得很好，只是他们不知足。然后，他又带詹姆斯去见他的妻子。在一座古板的房子里，露意莎出现了。詹姆斯初次感到：“她的五官是端正的；但是面部的自然活动受到那样的压抑和束缚，因此看起来似乎无法猜测它真正的表情。”然而，她和自吹自擂的丈夫相比完全属于另一种性格。他对她产生了好感。露意莎的弟弟汤姆不久也和詹姆斯接近起来。汤姆告诉詹姆斯说，他的姐姐不爱自己的丈夫，她是为了照顾他在庞得贝银行找到工作，才答应嫁给庞得贝的。

英国的工人运动蔓延到焦煤镇。在纺织工人的集会上，一位从伦敦来的工人鼓动家，号召工人团结起来和资本家斗争。这是一个“两肩高耸，眉毛低垂，五官挤在一道的人”，他的名字叫斯拉克瑞其。他要工人们加入工会组织。到会的工人中，只有斯梯芬一人不愿意参加组织。斯拉克瑞其便说他是叛徒。斯梯芬上台辩解说，他不愿意参加，是因为他不同意罢工斗争，也不相信他们的会章。他自动退出了会场。

庞得贝得知这一事件后，便对斯梯芬进行拉拢。他诬蔑工人闹事是想用金调羹来吃饭。但斯梯芬却不接受拉拢，而站在工人立场上说话。他诉说工人生活的艰难；厂主总是对的，工人总是错的，这种情况越来越严重。庞得贝说，把肇事的工人捉起来，就可以改变“一团糟”的生活。斯梯芬说，“糟”并不是乱子闹的，而是生活本身很“糟”，他要东家不能用暴力对付工人。他说：“用强硬的手段是绝对不行的。用战胜和征服的办法是绝对不行的。老认为一方面是对的。而另一方面是错的，这种很不自然的想法也是绝对不行的。置之不理也是绝对不行的。让成千上万的人老是那样生活着，老是搞得那样一团糟，结果他们站在一边而你们站在另一边。”他认为要消除这种劳资对立的状态，资本家应当“用慈善心、耐心对待”工人。庞得贝见斯梯芬不识抬举，反而来教训他，便老羞成怒。他大骂斯梯芬说：“你真是个大马蜂似的，专门刺人。品质恶劣的家伙！”他把斯梯芬从工厂中开除了。

汤姆过着挥霍放荡的生活，已负债累累了。于是他狗急跳墙，偷了庞得贝银行的钱逃跑了。

庞得贝的女管家斯巴塞太太是个没落的贵族。她出于自私的目的，象警犬一样监视着露意莎和詹姆斯的关系，期待着露意莎的堕落。一天晚上，她赶到露意莎居住的乡间别墅去，想在那儿发现她和詹姆斯的私情。刚好那天下着大雨，斯巴塞太太躲在灌木丛中，她的白色长袜染成了五颜六色，鞋子里尽是荆棘的刺；毛毛虫吐着丝从她衣服的各部分吊下来，仿佛躺在它们自己制成的吊床中一样；雨水汇成的小川从她的帽子和罗马式的鼻子上流下来。她被淋得象落汤鸡一样。过了一会，她才看到露意莎从房里出来，奔向车站，上了火车。斯巴塞太太以为她是去和情人私奔，也跟着上了火车。可是，火车到了焦煤镇，她却把跟踪的目标丢了，她急得悲伤地流出泪来。

露意莎因爱情苦恼去找她父亲。她指责葛擂更在她童年时就扼杀了她一切美好的东西，把她嫁给了一个她讨厌的丈夫；现在她已爱上詹姆斯了，而且到了这步田地：“你的哲学和教育都不能救我了。”葛擂更感到十分惊奇，但他在“事实”面前，不得不承认他在女儿婚事上的无能为力，以及他的教育的失败。

西丝·朱浦从露意莎的处境出发，去见詹姆斯。她劝詹姆斯离开焦煤镇，以补偿他犯下的勾引别人妻子的过失。詹姆斯最初不愿意，气愤地痛骂露意莎的父亲是一部机器，兄弟是狗崽子，丈夫是狗熊。但他最后还是答应了西丝的请求离开了焦煤镇，他准备到埃及去。

庞得贝知道妻子的私情后，限定她在十二小时内回去。而露意莎住在父亲的家里，没有按时回去。庞得贝便把她遗弃了。同时，他根据一些迹象，断定银行的钱是斯梯芬偷的，因为银行失窃的那天，恰好斯梯芬不见了，出了赏钱要捉拿他。

斯梯芬被工厂解雇后，因生活无着，出外谋生，不幸失足掉进矿井里。人们过了几天才发现他，把他救上来是，他已奄奄一息了。临死前，他要葛擂更给他洗刷名誉，因为钱是葛擂更儿子偷的。最后他死了。

斯巴塞太太在镇上把一位老太婆领回到庞得贝的家里，因为她常向人打听庞得贝的情况。斯巴塞太太认为她可疑，也许和银行失窃案有关。谁知这老太婆竟是庞得贝的亲生母亲派格拉太太。庞得贝从小靠她抚养长大，但他发迹后，却不准母亲去见他，要她隐居到乡下去。派格拉太太因思念儿子，一年中有好几回要上焦煤镇来，她躲在路旁，瞧瞧过路的儿子，或从旁人嘴里，打听儿子的近况。这回女管家斯巴塞太太弄巧成拙，把老太婆胁逼回家，反而揭穿了庞得贝一向自吹从小失去父母的爱，在“阴沟里长大”的谎言。庞得贝被弄得狼狈不堪，气得竖眉瞪眼。

汤姆偷钱后，躲到马戏团里。他自动在马戏团扮演一名小丑的角色。葛擂更到马戏团找儿子，看到自己的“模范儿童”竟成了小偷和小丑，心里十分难过。为了躲避这场**，他决定把汤姆送到美洲去。

正当汤姆准备出逃时，一位在事实学校里毕业的学生毕周来捉他了。毕周现在是庞得贝银行受雇的职员，他暗中访得汤姆的下落，便跟踪到马戏团来。葛擂更以老师的身份，要他讲讲情面，并责备他“有心肝没有？”毕周却回答说：“我这颗心只能为理性所左右，老爷，不能为别的任何东西所左右。”并直率地承认，他捉拿汤姆是为了升级，他的行为是符合事实学校的教育理论的。

在这危急之际，幸亏马戏团马德锐团长放出自己的狗和马拖住了毕周，放走了汤姆。最后，马德锐对葛擂更说，世界上是有真正所谓“爱”的，狗也有“爱”的感情。从而反驳了葛擂更只重理性，否定感情的观点。

五年后，庞得贝猝然中风倒毙在焦煤镇的街上。葛擂更变成一个白发苍苍、老态龙钟的人，他已不再死守他那认为是一成不变的“事实”理论了。汤姆从美洲回来想见姐姐一面，但在半途暴病身亡。露意莎再嫁了人，西丝也结婚了，她们都生下儿女。对孩子充满着慈爱，因为“如果不去陶冶天真，培养性情，即使能用统计数字来证明一个国家是多么富足，但归根结底这还是大祸将临的预兆。”

第二篇：艰难时世英文读后感

Reading Report of Hard Times

Book Information

The book Hard Times I read was published by Foreign Language Teaching and Research and pressed in 1994, its author is famous English novelist Charles Dickens, what‟s more, this book contains 480 pages.Story and My Reflection

The novel was set in Coketown, a northern industrial city.Thomas Gradgrind ruled his family and his school according to Utilitarianism, the philosophy of the time, which had as its aim the greatest possible happiness for the greatest possible number of people.However, the form of Utilitarianism which Dickens attacked in the novel was plain materialism that denies all other values than material ones, or “Facts” as they were called.Thomas Gradgrind had two children Louisa and Tom.They were caught by their father when they tried to see Sleary‟s Circus, where the clown Jupe works.Jupe had a daughter Sissy, and when Jupe left the circus and his daughter, Gradgrind invited her to come and live with his family.Josiah Bounderby was the rich owner of the Coketown factories.He was a proud self-made man;but once and again his house was observed by a strange old woman.Stephen Blackpool was one of Bounderby‟s workers.Blackpool had a troubled life.He had an alcoholic wife, who had left him, but he cannot be divorced from her.He was in love with Rachel, a factory girl.When a strike broke out and Blackpool was not willing to join the trade union his mates would not have anything to do with him.He was fired, and he had to leave town.Tom Gradgrind started to work in Bounderby‟s bank, and Bounderby proposed to Louisa.Though she was 30 years younger than him, she accepted.Bounderby‟s housekeeper Mrs.Sparsit was jealous.Louisa‟s marriage was unhappy, and James Harthouse, a politician, attempted to seduce her.Bounderby‟s bank was robbed by Tom.However, it was Steven Blackpool who was suspected, and Bitzer, a clerk in the bank gave evidence against him.Mrs.Sparsit

had discovered the relationship between Harthouse and Louisa and spied upon them.Louisa turned Harthouse down, and she went home to her father to talk to him about her problems.He came near to realizing that his upbringing of his children based on “Facts” had been a misunderstanding.Gradgrind now sheltered Louisa from Bounderby, and the couple were permanently separated.Stephen Blackpool was found dying in a disused mine shaft.He asked Gradgrind to clear his name.Gradgrind now learned from Sissy and Louisa that it was Tom that was the bank robber.Tom was now hiding in Sleary‟s Circus disguised as a clown.His escaped abroad was nearly stopped by Bitzer, but Sleary, his horse and his trained dog effect Tom‟s escape nevertheless.Mrs.Sparsit found out that the strange old woman outside Mr.Bounderby‟s house was in fact his mother, and that he did not have a humble origin as he had claimed.He was not after all a self-made man.Tom died abroad, and Gradgrind lived into old age rejecting his Facts and Figures, Faith, Hope and Charity had become his leading principles.The hard time Dickens depicts has far been behind us, but this novel still stimulates us to ponder.Nowadays, in this rapidly developing society, people are turning out to be cooler or more business-like towards each other.With more skyscrapers built up, people lock themselves in the small match-boxes rather than to stroll around the neighborhood;with the emergence of countries crowned as „the country on the wheels‟, people drive recklessly instead of walking and chatting leisurely;with computers striding into every family, people sit behind shining screening boasting with the unknown, substituting for visiting from one door to another.Does the development of industries have to sacrifice humanity? I believe this is the question everyone will deny.We all long for a harmonious world in which we live hand in hand, not a machine which stifles our emotions, fancies or imaginations.Brilliant Paragraphs

1.“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 Ibring up these children.Stick to Facts, Sir!”

2.In the innocence of her brave affection, and the brimming up of her old devoted spirit, the once deserted girl shone like a beautiful light upon the darkness of the other “It was altogether unaccountable that a young gentleman whose imagination had been strangled in his cradle, should be still inconvenienced by its ghost in the form of groveling sensualities;but such a monster, beyond all doubt, was Tom.”

3.It is known, to the force of a single pound weight, what the engine will do;but not all the calculators of the National debt can tell me the capacity for good or evil, for love or hatred, for patriotism or discontent, for the decomposition of virtue into vice, or the reverse, at any single moment in the soul of one of these quiet servants, with the composed faces and the regulated actions.4.Coketown lay shrouded in a haze of its own, which appeared impervious to the sun„s rays.You only knew the town was there because you knew there could have been no such sulky blotch upon the prospect without a town.A blur of soot and smoke, now confusedly tending this way, now that way, now aspiring to the vault of Heaven, now murkily creeping along the earth, as the wind rose and fell, or changed its quarter: a dense formless jumble, with sheets of cross light in it, that showed nothing but masses of darkness—Coketown in the distance was suggestive of itself, though not a brick of it could be seen.本文版权归曼界森英书下载网及英文电子书下载网共同所有

第三篇：艰难时世英语读后感

This novel is relatively short, the characters are not many, but the author Dickens with such a short story to fully develop the plot, the novel tells some of the major happened coking coal town, where people are very respected the fact that even for the oppression of the normal emotions, to reject all fantasy, it can be said that in the part of the inhuman, feeling and people's normal life, people rejected the emotion, will inevitably bring about problems, the people inside the final outcome can be said to be more miserable.Firstly, Mr.Gradgrind said, the president said opening to educate their children to get everything out non reality beyond, however, his education, and not be able to educate their children, he finally eat the bitter fruit, aware of this mistake.As for the two children Gradgrind's daughter Luisa, this is a kind of person but because be clever and sensible, education, loss of innocence, on the other hand she is very naive, her brother Moorhouse and Hird use.On the whole, she was very miserable, thinking of the girl who was gazing at the fire in front of her at night, and her heart was broken.When his son, Tom, left his parents, he was eager to give vent to his dissatisfaction with the education.He wanted to indulge himself, enjoy life, and even use his beloved sister, and finally went back to the road of no return.Have a girl, sissy, this is a happy girl, she did not yield to this kind of education, although in the beginning she has been scolded, but she insisted on their own dreams, eventually obtain happiness.The description is very characteristic, such as the beginning of Gradgrind appearance description, he said what is boxy, it can see what kind of person he is.From the background, it is estimated that the author wrote this article to satirize the fact that people in society at that time paid too much attention to facts and abandoned their emotions.

The author of the novel for thorough Britain in the middle of the nineteenth Century Manchester industrial status based on the observation, and the profound reflection on the capitalist society of the human condition, typical characterized by vivid description of the actual life and the character of the moral standard of the bourgeoisie of the powerful attack and bitter irony.A true description of the industrial town of coking coal town life, reflects the sharp contradiction between capitalists and workers, and the corrupt nature of the capitalist educational system by repressive youth, a considerable social value and aesthetic value of art.After reading this article, you can feel as a humanist Dickens believe that human nature is good and plasticity, in his criticism of capitalism and capitalist utilitarianism and politicians out of life at the same time, they ignored the essence of human goodness for some correction and criticism.At the same time, Dickens was sympathetic to the tragic fate of the oppressed class, praising their diligence and love, he did not approve of the political struggles of workers, reflects his tender sentiments and feelings to education to promote the understanding of the bourgeois reformism thought.“Tell you what, I ask for the truth.”.Don't teach the boys and girls anything but the facts.Only the facts are the most important.In addition, what all don't cultivate, all the uprooted.To exercise the intelligence of a rational animal, one must use the fact;that nothing else is of any use to them.This is the principle that I have when I educate my children, the principles that I use to educate these children.Hold fast to the facts, sir!“ This is the ”hard times“ begins with an abstract description of the image and show superimposed impression on the reader.”These children“ refer to the boys and girls of the so-called ”model school“.Dickens uses his comic style concise outline of the image of Mr.fingers, eyes, mouth, hair, neck, shoulder and dress in action, strengthen the emphasis on the facts.Mr.Gradgrind is both a believer and propagandist of utilitarianism and ”fact“ philosophy, as well as the executor and defender of feudal paternalism.His family life and family education is in a secluded hut in fact based only facts and function.The principles, contents, and methods of Mr.Gradgrind in school and family education can be summed up in facts, calculations, fantasy, and innocence.The root of his child's misfortunes was the victims of Gradgrind's ”philosophy of fact“ and ”model“ education.The two main characters ”hard times“ described in two, around two people launched the two clues, the two aspects of ideological performance.One is Gradgrind, and the other is Bounderby.Bounderby stands for industrial capitalists, not interested in education, only interested in practical interests.He told workers improperly people, but only as a ”hand“ and can drive the work of animal behavior led to his people.The structure of the whole article in the way of the trilogy, the plot slowly forward, gradually deepen the theme, the author take it leisurely and unoppressively irresistible, the logic of life, ”and another,“ portrait of characters, language skill, and often beyond all expectations reasonable figures in language use are reduced when we read the the sense of alienation and boredom, we are attracted to this article research.

Just read Dickens's ”hard times“, a strong impulse is to write ”Dickens women“.Dickens is really an extraordinary talent for shaping women's characters.It is not difficult to draw such a conclusion as long as he opens any of Dickens's novels.In the ”hard times, I statistics, women have played Louisa, Rachael, sissy, Mrs.Space and his rare Mrs.Gradgrind and Mrs.Paigela et al.Every woman here is endowed with a distinct color and personality by Dickens.They are of different ages, different ideas, different ways of doing things, tone and purpose are different, under Dickens's pen vivid to show.This is only a novel in Dickens's fourteen novels.It's hard to see yet another writer who can do that.At least I didn't see any other writer who could have created so many female characters in my reading.I think of Balzac, and Balzac has created a lot of female images, but there are not as many memorable women as Ou Yeni.At least in this regard, Dickens gave me the impression is very outstanding, especially after reading the “hard times”.Moreover, unlike other writers, for example, Balzac, Balzac's ambition is to create a world or society that is entirely his own through nearly a hundred novels.In Balzac, the law of social development played a leading role in the human comedy, but Dickens relied entirely on the evolution of character as a lever to promote his novels.It's a very different direction of creation.The two have charm, two charm are hard to compete.All successful writers have his success.Dickens's success, I think is his strong character of the mold, beyond any of his contemporaries.In Dickens's novels, “hard times” is a short.Space tests structure.As far as the novel is concerned, I feel it is the novel with the most succinct structure of Dickens.From Gradgrind's appearance, sissy father's home, and married Louisa Bounderby, Stephen and Rachael unspeakable love, Hird to seduce Space, Louisa housz Mrs.night track, Tom finally exposed to the crime of theft and so on a series of stories, with quite lively brushwork outlines.Each detail corresponds to the later events, not only for the pleasure of reading, but also for the openness and delicacy of Dickens's brushwork.Moreover, when the novel settles down, it is everywhere surprising and everywhere reasonable.This novel is relatively short, the characters are not many, but the author Dickens with such a short story to fully develop the plot, the novel tells some of the major happened coking coal town, where people are very respected the fact that even for the oppression of the normal emotions, to reject all fantasy, it can be said that in the part of the inhuman, feeling and people's normal life, people rejected the emotion, will inevitably bring about problems, the people inside the final outcome can be said to be more miserable.Firstly, Mr.Gradgrind said, the president said opening to educate their children to get everything out non reality beyond, however, his education, and not be able to educate their children, he finally eat the bitter fruit, aware of this mistake.As for the two children Gradgrind's daughter Luisa, this is a kind of person but because be clever and sensible, education, loss of innocence, on the other hand she is very naive, her brother Moorhouse and Hird use.On the whole, she was very miserable, thinking of the girl who was gazing at the fire in front of her at night, and her heart was broken.When his son, Tom, left his parents, he was eager to give vent to his dissatisfaction with the education.He wanted to indulge himself, enjoy life, and even use his beloved sister, and finally went back to the road of no return.Have a girl, sissy, this is a happy girl, she did not yield to this kind of education, although in the beginning she has been scolded, but she insisted on their own dreams, eventually obtain happiness.The description is very characteristic, such as the beginning of Gradgrind appearance description, he said what is boxy, it can see what kind of person he is.From the background, it is estimated that the author wrote this article to satirize the fact that people in society at that time paid too much attention to facts and abandoned their emotions.

The author of the novel for thorough Britain in the middle of the nineteenth Century Manchester industrial status based on the observation, and the profound reflection on the capitalist society of the human condition, typical characterized by vivid description of the actual life and the character of the moral standard of the bourgeoisie of the powerful attack and bitter irony.A true description of the industrial town of coking coal town life, reflects the sharp contradiction between capitalists and workers, and the corrupt nature of the capitalist educational system by repressive youth, a considerable social value and aesthetic value of art.After reading this article, you can feel as a humanist Dickens believe that human nature is good and plasticity, in his criticism of capitalism and capitalist utilitarianism and politicians out of life at the same time, they ignored the essence of human goodness for some correction and criticism.At the same time, Dickens was sympathetic to the tragic fate of the oppressed class, praising their diligence and love, he did not approve of the political struggles of workers, reflects his tender sentiments and feelings to education to promote the understanding of the bourgeois reformism thought.“Tell you what, I ask for the truth.”.Don't teach the boys and girls anything but the facts.Only the facts are the most important.In addition, what all don't cultivate, all the uprooted.To exercise the intelligence of a rational animal, one must use the fact;that nothing else is of any use to them.This is the principle that I have when I educate my children, the principles that I use to educate these children.Hold fast to the facts, sir!“ This is the ”hard times“ begins with an abstract description of the image and show superimposed impression on the reader.”These children“ refer to the boys and girls of the so-called ”model school“.Dickens uses his comic style concise outline of the image of Mr.fingers, eyes, mouth, hair, neck, shoulder and dress in action, strengthen the emphasis on the facts.Mr.Gradgrind is both a believer and propagandist of utilitarianism and ”fact“ philosophy, as well as the executor and defender of feudal paternalism.His family life and family education is in a secluded hut in fact based only facts and function.The principles, contents, and methods of Mr.Gradgrind in school and family education can be summed up in facts, calculations, fantasy, and innocence.The root of his child's misfortunes was the victims of Gradgrind's ”philosophy of fact“ and ”model“ education.The two main characters ”hard times“ described in two, around two people launched the two clues, the two aspects of ideological performance.One is Gradgrind, and the other is Bounderby.Bounderby stands for industrial capitalists, not interested in education, only interested in practical interests.He told workers improperly people, but only as a ”hand“ and can drive the work of animal behavior led to his people.The structure of the whole article in the way of the trilogy, the plot slowly forward, gradually deepen the theme, the author take it leisurely and unoppressively irresistible, the logic of life, ”and another,“ portrait of characters, language skill, and often beyond all expectations reasonable figures in language use are reduced when we read the the sense of alienation and boredom, we are attracted to this article research.

Just read Dickens's ”hard times“, a strong impulse is to write ”Dickens women“.Dickens is really an extraordinary talent for shaping women's characters.It is not difficult to draw such a conclusion as long as he opens any of Dickens's novels.In the ”hard times, I statistics, women have played Louisa, Rachael, sissy, Mrs.Space and his rare Mrs.Gradgrind and Mrs.Paigela et al.Every woman here is endowed with a distinct color and personality by Dickens.They are of different ages, different ideas, different ways of doing things, tone and purpose are different, under Dickens's pen vivid to show.This is only a novel in Dickens's fourteen novels.It's hard to see yet another writer who can do that.At least I didn't see any other writer who could have created so many female characters in my reading.I think of Balzac, and Balzac has created a lot of female images, but there are not as many memorable women as Ou Yeni.At least in this regard, Dickens gave me the impression is very outstanding, especially after reading the “hard times”.Moreover, unlike other writers, for example, Balzac, Balzac's ambition is to create a world or society that is entirely his own through nearly a hundred novels.In Balzac, the law of social development played a leading role in the human comedy, but Dickens relied entirely on the evolution of character as a lever to promote his novels.It's a very different direction of creation.The two have charm, two charm are hard to compete.All successful writers have his success.Dickens's success, I think is his strong character of the mold, beyond any of his contemporaries.In Dickens's novels, “hard times” is a short.Space tests structure.As far as the novel is concerned, I feel it is the novel with the most succinct structure of Dickens.From Gradgrind's appearance, sissy father's home, and married Louisa Bounderby, Stephen and Rachael unspeakable love, Hird to seduce Space, Louisa housz Mrs.night track, Tom finally exposed to the crime of theft and so on a series of stories, with quite lively brushwork outlines.Each detail corresponds to the later events, not only for the pleasure of reading, but also for the openness and delicacy of Dickens's brushwork.Moreover, when the novel settles down, it is everywhere surprising and everywhere reasonable.【艰难时世英语读后感】相关文章：

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第四篇：名著梗概：《高老头》

名著梗概：《高老头》

(法国)巴尔扎克著

[名著阅读故事梗概]

故事发生在一八一九年。巴黎拉丁区有一所古旧、剥落的包饭客房--伏盖公寓，是一个姓伏盖的老妇人开的。屋子是死气沉沉的，散发出一种闭塞的、霉烂的、酸腐的气味，墙垣全带几分牢狱气息。这里居住着七位房客：他们是歇业商人高里奥，穷大学生拉斯蒂涅，外号叫“鬼上当”的伏脱冷，老姑娘米旭诺，被父亲抛弃的少女维多莉·泰伊番，死了丈夫的古的太太以及退职小公务员波阿莱老人。高里奥老头已经六十九岁了。早年经营面粉生意。一八一三年结束了买卖。他刚搬到伏盖公寓时，住着二楼最好的房间，每年付一千二百法郎的膳宿费。他“箱笼充实，里外服装被褥行头，都很讲究”，十八件二号荷兰细布衬衫，就叫伏盖太太叹赏不止，连鼻烟匣也是金的，每天早晨还得请理发师来给他梳洗扑粉。人们尊称他高里奥先生。连伏盖老娘也打起他的主意来。她已超过四十八岁，却说成三十九岁。她添置衣帽，全副武装，打扮得象“煨牛肉饭店的一块招牌”。他想和高里奥结婚，把公寓盘出去，成为本区的一个显要的太太，上戏院，坐包厢，还搞点慈善事业„„总之，她做起甜蜜的小市民的黄金梦来。

然而，高老头却把全部爱放在两个已出嫁的女儿身上，不受伏盖太太的诱惑。第二年终，高里奥要求搬住三楼，膳宿费减为每年九百法郎。对他住房的降级，人们议论纷纷。大家把他当作“恶癖、无耻、低能所产生的最神秘的人物”。伏盖老娘也死了心，不再叫他先生，而是叫高老头了。

第三年，高里奥要求搬住四楼，每月房钱降为四十五法郎。他戒了鼻烟，打发了理发匠，头上也不扑粉了。金刚钻、金烟匣、金链条等饰物一件也不见了。而且不分冬夏，只穿一件栗色粗呢大褂和灰色毛料长裤。他越来越瘦，腿肚子瘪了下去；从前因心满意足而肥胖的脸，不知打了多少皱裥；脑门上有了沟槽，牙床骨突了出来，老态龙钟，摇摇晃晃，面如死灰。开初，他的女儿来得很勤，后来却很少来了。当人们问他为何女儿不来看他时，他象给针刺一样。人们拿他寻开心，甚至把他当作“出气筒”。

伏盖公寓另一位房客拉斯蒂涅是一个从外省乡下到巴黎读法律的大学生，白皮肤，黑头发，蓝眼睛。风度、举止、姿势都显出他是个大家子弟。平常他只穿一件旧大褂，粗背心；蹩脚的旧黑领带扣得马马虎虎，象一般大学生一样；裤子也跟上装差不多，靴子已经换过底皮。他是一个有野心的青年。家境贫寒与巴黎豪华生活的刺激加强了他“对权位的欲望与出人头地的志愿”。起先，他没头没脑的用功，后来，他发觉女子对社会生活有极大的影响，便突然想投身上流社会，去“征服几个可以做他后台的妇女”。他通过祖姑母的介绍，攀上了阔亲戚特·鲍赛昂子爵夫人，并在这位表姐的家里认识了雷斯多伯爵夫人。回到伏盖公寓，他把这事给高老头说了。没想到这位漂亮的伯爵夫人竟是高老头的大女儿。

第二天，他到雷斯多伯爵夫人家访问。他有意提起鲍赛昂子爵夫人是他的亲戚，为此，他受到热烈的欢迎。可是，当他说出他和高老头住在一起时，却引起伯爵夫妇的不快。他们把他冷冷地打发出来了。

拉斯蒂涅带着疑惑的心情，到表姊鲍赛昂子爵夫人家求教。刚好子爵夫人被情人--一个葡萄牙贵族阿瞿达侯爵抛弃，心情不好。他突然问拉斯蒂涅说：“你能为我杀人么？”拉斯蒂涅说；“杀两个都可以。”子爵夫人听了大学生这句野心勃勃的回答，不禁对他大为关切起来。拉斯蒂涅要表姊给他解释：为什么当他说出高老头的名字时，竟得罪了雷斯多伯爵夫妇？子爵夫人便把高老头和他的女儿的故事告诉了他。高老头有两个女儿，他都喜欢得要命。但现在女儿差不多不承认父亲了。高老头早年丧偶，他照看女儿长大。当女儿到达结婚年龄时，他把全部财产均分给她们作陪嫁，好让女儿攀上一门好亲事。大女儿好虚荣，嫁了贵族雷斯多；二女儿爱钱，嫁给银行家纽沁根。高老头满以为女儿嫁了人，等于有了两个家。可以受到女儿、女婿的敬重、供养。谁知不到两年，女婿把他当作“是个要不得的下流东西”，把他从家里赶了出去。两个女儿只是要钱要东西时才去找爸爸，可是现在高老头已没钱了„„听了表姊的一番介绍，拉斯蒂涅为高老头流下了同情的泪水。

鲍赛昂子爵夫人告诉拉斯蒂涅，“社会又卑鄙又残忍”。要他“以牙还牙去对付这个社会”。她说：“你越没有心肝，就越高升得快。你毫不留情的打击人家，人家就怕你。”同时，她还告诉拉斯蒂涅要想在巴黎社会出人头地，必须得到一个女子的青睐，要是“没有一个女人关切，他在这儿便一文不值，这女人还得年轻、有钱、漂亮。”她提议拉斯蒂涅可以去勾引高老头的第二个女儿但斐纳。她说：“那位漂亮的太太可以做你的幌子。一朝她把你另眼相看了，所有的女人就会一窝蜂的来追你。”最后，她还告诉拉斯蒂涅要善于作假。“倘使你有什么真情，就得象宝贝一样藏起。”因此，心狠、女人、作假这三样便是子爵夫人告诉他的在巴黎社会晋升的法宝。

子爵夫人的一席话，给拉斯蒂涅上了人生的第一课。他从子爵家里出来时，“感到在巴黎平步青云，找到了门路的快乐”。同时，也便他“看到了社会的本相：法律跟道德，对有钱的人全无效力，财产才是金科玉律”。他为了插足上流社会，写信给母亲和两个妹妹。要她们变卖首饰给他寄一千二右法郎来，因为他要这笔钱来置办衣物。他在信里威胁说，如果弄不到钱，他便准备自杀。

伏盖公寓另一位房客伏脱冷，是一个饱经世帮的刑事逃犯，外号叫“鬼上当”。他大约四十岁上下，肩头很宽。胸部很发达，肌肉暴突，方方的手大非常厚实，手指中节生着一簇簇茶红色的浓毛。他懂得很多，阅历很广，有着嘻嘻哈哈爱嘲弄人的脾气。他看出了拉斯蒂涅想发财和往上爬的心思。他告诉拉斯蒂涅说，在巴黎的社会里要走正直的道路，靠个人用功是行不通的。“在这个人堆里，不象炮弹一样轰进去，就得象瘟疫一般钻进去。清白诚实是一无用处的”。他向拉斯蒂涅提出一个在六个月同就能造成他幸福的计划。这就是要他去爱房客维多利小姐。因为她是百万富翁泰伊番的弃女。而泰伊番只有一个独生子。伏脱冷要以挑动他的一个朋友和泰伊番的儿子决斗，并把他杀死；泰伊番无人继承产业，必定回过头来承认女儿，这样拉斯蒂涅便可以当上百万富翁的乘龙快婿了；事成之后拉斯蒂涅只要给他二十万法郎作报酬，他拿了这笔钱到美洲去经营种植园，再捞它几百万，这样他的日子也过得象小皇帝一样快活了。拉斯蒂涅对这份计划感到害怕和犹豫，于是，伏脱冷又向他指出：“我现在向你提议的，跟你将来所要做的，差别只在于见血不见血。”

拉斯蒂涅陪子爵夫人上戏院扑克戏，认识了高老头的二女儿但斐纳。她有金黄的头发，迷人的声调，身材窈窕，象燕子一样轻巧。回来他把这事告诉给高老头听。高老头由于听到女儿的消息，象听“上帝的圣旨”一般地听着。然后，他高兴地说：“倘使她喜欢你，我也要喜欢会你呢。”他只埋怨女婿不好，女儿倒是孝顺的。他说：“要是有相男人使我的小但斐纳快活，把真正爱情给她，那我可以替那个男人擦靴子、送信、跑腿„„”

第二天，拉斯蒂涅去拜访但斐纳。她刚好欠了一笔债，丈夫不肯给她归还，心情很烦躁。她要拉斯蒂涅去赌场帮她赌一下。结果拉斯蒂涅运气好，赢了七千法郎。但斐纳便把他赢来的钱偿还了债务。

从但斐纳家里出来，拉斯蒂涅又喜又恼。喜的是他钓上了一个巴黎最漂亮、最风流的女子；恼的是伏脱冷教他的发财计划全给推翻了。高老头看到拉斯蒂涅喜欢但斐纳，便自动出来给女儿拉皮条。他在街上私下租了间房子，他为拉斯蒂涅和但斐纳幽会的地方，并以但斐纳的名义买了块金表送给拉斯蒂涅。

与此同时，伏脱冷巳差人把泰伊番独生子杀死了。泰伊番派人接维多利小姐回去。爱但斐纳呢，还是爱维多利小姐？拉斯蒂涅脑子里波涛起伏。最后，他选择了但斐纳，因为他想“这样的结合既没有罪过，也没有什么能教最严格的道学家皱一皱眉头的地方”。

房客米旭诺老小姐，身体瘦得只剩一所骨头，干瘪的脸孔带点儿凶相。尖利的声音好似丛林中冬天将临时的蟑鸣。她接受了警察局暗探的差使，刺探伏脱冷的身份。一天，她用麻药麻翻了伏脱冷，发现了他身上的囚犯的印记，原来伏脱冷是个刑事逃犯，于是他被捕了。

但斐纳和丈夫吵嘴跑来找高老头。她告诉父亲，银行家向她提出一个交换条件：即他可以让妻子和拉斯蒂涅自由来往，但妻子不能向他要还陪嫁钱。高老头要女儿不能接受这条件。他说：“钱是性命，有了钱就有了一切。”小女儿的事未了。大女儿雷斯多夫人又来找高老头。她要父亲提供一万二千法郎的款子，以挽救其情夫将要遭到坐牢的危险。这是高老头巳分文不剩了，他为但斐纳租房子刚好花去了这个数目。于是，姐妹当着父亲的面少起嘴来。高老头爱莫能助，感到十分伤心和痛苦。他歇斯底里地喊道，他一点法子也没有了，除非去偷、去抢、去杀人、去卖壮丁。受了这场刺激，高老头中风病倒了。接着又是脑溢血。可是，在高老头患病期间，两姐妹都没有一看望他。但斐纳关心的是她即将参加盼望巳久的鲍赛昂子爵夫人家的跳舞会；雷斯多夫人来过一次，但不是来看望父亲的病，而是她欠裁缝一千法郎的定钱，要父亲给她支付。高老头只好又卖掉自己的餐具、银耳环和抵押了年金。

鲍赛昂子爵府上举行盛大的舞全，公主、爵爷、名门闺秀都前行参加。五百多辆马车上的灯照得四周通明雪亮。客厅里富丽堂皇，“乐队送出一句又一句的音乐，在金碧辉煌的天顶下缭绕”。但这一切豪华在子爵夫人心中巳变成一片荒凉，这是她告别巴黎贵族上流社会最后一次出头露面了。她巳得知她的情人阿瞿达侯爵巳由皇上批准和一个银行家小姐结婚了。她叫拉斯蒂涅去阿瞿达那里讨回了全部情书，流着泪把它烧了。为此，她看破红尘，待舞会结束后，她便要藏身到诺曼的乡下去了

。拉斯蒂涅把表姊送上别离巴黎的马车。当他回到伏盖公寓时，他感到“他的教育已经受完了”，并认为他是“入了地狱，而且还得耽下去”。

高老头病危。临死前，他要再见女儿一面。可是两个女儿都推三阻四不来。雷斯多夫人和丈夫呕气不来；但斐纳说夜里参加跳舞会着了凉不来。高老头眼泪汪汪，这时他才明白他和女儿的关系是建立在金钱上面，他有钱就受到女儿的尊敬和亲热；钱没了，就象个被榨干的柠檬的空壳一样被扔到街上。他以一次歇斯底里地喊道：“社会、世界都靠父道做轴心的；女儿不爱父亲，不是天翻地覆了吗？”最后，雷斯多夫人来了一下，但父亲巳咽气了。

高老头出殡时，没有一个女儿女婿去送葬。只派了两驾打着爵微的空车跟在棺柩的后面。棺木是由一个学医的大学生皮安训向医院廉价买来的，送葬费由拉斯蒂涅卖掉了一块金表支付。整个殡葬冷冷清清。拉斯蒂涅在高老头棺木下士时，伤心起来，他瞧着墓穴，埋葬了他青年人的最后一滴眼泪。然后，他看着塞纳河两岸慢慢亮起的灯火，他气概非凡地说了句：“现在咱们俩来拼一拼吧！”他为了表示向社会挑战，晚上便上银行家太太但斐纳家去吃晚饭了。

第五篇：名著梗概：《萌芽》

名著梗概：《萌芽》

(法国)左拉著

[故事梗概]

艾坚·郎杰是个二十一岁的机器工人，有着褐色的头发，强壮的身体，而且是个漂亮的男子。他因在里尔的铁路工场，打了工头的耳光而被开除，来到服娄矿场找工作。他向矿场的车夫汶森·马安打听矿上的情况。汶森·马安是个矮小的老人。他家祖祖辈辈都在矿井当挖煤工人，他的父亲和两个叔叔及三个兄弟都死在井下。他自己在矿井工作了五十年，虽然长期井下的劳动损坏了他的腿脚，不能再下矿井了，但总算幸运地活下来了。为此工人们给他起了个称号叫“善终”。

老“善终”的儿子都森·马安是个倔强而熟练的采煤工人。他的采掘小组，刚好死了个女推车工，这样艾坚便顶替了女工的位置，参加了马安的采掘小组。服娄矿井的设备条件极坏，矿工必须跪着、爬着、仰面躺着干活，“活象夹在两页中间的一个虫子，受着活生生被压成一片的威胁”。由于煤层散发的热气，工人们闷得透不过气来。推煤车的多半是些未成年的女孩子，肌肉鼓得紧紧的，肩膀和腰不停地使劲，累得汗流浃背，喘息不止。地下潮湿不堪，矿工四肢被水泡肿了；碎煤、石块又把他们的脚都戳青了；矽土侵蚀着肺，把人们的肺都烧坏了；有的得了贫血症，有的关节瘫痪了。

艾坚和马安的十五岁的女儿嘉黛琳一同推煤车。这个女孩子有一对象“泉水一样的淡绿与洁净”的大眼睛。艾坚由于干的是女孩子的活，加上技术不熟练，人们都瞧不起他。善良的嘉黛琳则处处照顾着他。艾坚没有下榻的地方，她便请求父亲给他帮忙解决。马安把艾坚介绍给“有利”小酒店的老板赖赛纳。赖赛纳认识艾坚的朋友普鲁沙，便答应让艾坚住在他的店中。

赖赛纳是个三十八岁的胖子，“圆圆的面孔上，剃得精光，露着和善的微笑”。他原是个挖掘工，在三年前一次罢工风潮中，被公司开除了。后来，他便在服娄矿区开起酒店来，并成为矿区不满工人的首领，但他只强调合法斗争，反对暴力行为。

马安的两个儿子柴沙里、襄伦都在矿井工作，但工资低，不够维持一家的生活，常常面临着断炊的危险。艾坚来到矿井时，他们一家又揭不起锅盖了。马安嫂便去向商人梅格拉借贷。梅格拉是个外表彬彬有礼，内心龌龊冷酷的胖子，而且是个大淫棍。他经常以借贷来奸淫矿工的妻女。他的店铺开在矿场总经理海纳波公馆的隔壁，由于他得到工头们的庇护，生意十分兴隆。他看马安嫂没有什么油水可揩，便拒绝了她的借贷要求。

马安嫂又到矿业公司股东格雷歌亚先生家借贷。格雷歌亚夫妇装出一副假慈悲的嘴脸，让其女儿珊茜尔把一些他们用不着的衣料施舍给马安嫂，而拒绝借给马安嫂急需的五法郎钱。马安嫂想到井下的丈夫和儿女回来将要挨饿，只得又回到梅格拉的店中来。梅格拉想起马安嫂有个十五岁的女儿嘉黛琳，便同意把食物和钱赊借给她。

嘉黛琳吃过晚饭后到蒙楚镇上去买帽带，路上，她遇见了同在矿井工作的大个子萨瓦尔。萨瓦尔用暴力强奸了她。这事刚好被正在散步的艾坚撞见了。艾坚感到既难过又嫉妒，因为他自己正喜欢嘉黛琳呢。

艾坚在“有利”酒店认识了另一位房客苏瓦林。他是服娄的机器工人，年纪三十左右，身材瘦长，面孔细嫩，头上的金发很浓密，两边的颊须却很稀疏。他是俄国贵族的儿子，因企图谋杀沙皇未成，逃到法国。他信奉无政府主义，主张“杀掉顽固的人们，铲除一切陈旧的事物，当这腐烂的世界不再留下半点东西时，一个更好的社会或者会茁长起来”。他不同意艾坚提倡工人集会结社的主张。

三星期后，艾坚成了矿井里最好的推车工，人们改变了对他的看法，尤其是一向尊重出色工人的马安，对他产生的亲切的友情。他认为这位年青人不仅劳动好，阅读、书写、绘图样样都能干。他邀艾坚搬到他家里住宿，并让他转为采掘工。

艾坚与“国际”劳工组织有联系。他的朋友普鲁沙经常寄些小册子来给他阅读。他在马安支持下，在矿区发起了一个互助会社--“准备金库”。参加的会员每月得缴纳二十个铜子，以便工人在急难时互相救助。这样一来，艾坚在工人中赢得了信任，并在他周围团结了一批群众。这时，矿业公司借口工人在矿井装塞木头马虎，用罚金来惩处工人，并实行所谓新的工资制，使工人每月收入大大降低，引起了工人的普遍不满。再加上一次矿井崩塌，压死了矿工树根，压断了马安小儿子襄伦的腿，矿工的愤怒情绪达到了顶点。艾坚和马安便领导工人起来罢工。马安是服娄矿场最受尊敬的工人，被人们推举为向总经理交涉的代表。

总经理海纳波先生在家里大摆筵席，因为他要促进他的外甥保罗·内格莱尔和格雷歌亚的女儿珊茜尔的婚事。内格莱尔是服娄的工程师，对待工人十分苛刻。同时，他灵魂卑鄙，背着舅舅，暗中与舅母海纳波太太私通。席间除格雷歌亚夫妇外，还有格斯东·玛丽矿场的经理，格雷歌亚的外甥德内林，他们正在谈论服娄工人罢工的事，担心这次罢工会影响到别的矿场。海纳波则认为工人罢工不会坚持太久，等到他们肚子饿了就会回到矿井去；何况，工人一罢工，他们刚成立起来的“准备金库”就要塌台了。

马安等工人代表来见总经理。他们向海纳波严正指出，公司苛扣工人的工资是不合理的；提出每车煤要增加五个生丁的要求。总经理态度十分蛮横，断然拒绝，还骂工人想加入“‘国际’这个强盗的队伍，梦想破坏整个社会”。谈判破裂了。

工人连续进行了三星期的罢工。艾坚在工人中做宣传鼓动工作，他成了群众一致拥戴的首领。与此同时，他的虚荣心也滋长起来，幻想将来能有一天当上议员。工人们在戴西尔寡妇家举行秘密集会。关于是否加入“国际劳动者协会”的问题，引起了激烈的争执。艾坚主张工人加入国际团体，赖赛纳和苏瓦林都持反对的意见。赖赛纳认为工人一加入国际组织，他们的生活不仅不能得到合理的改善，公司将用更严厉的办法惩罚工人。苏瓦林认为加入国际组织是一件蠢事。他主张“破坏一切„„不再有不同的民族，不再有政府，不再有财产，不再有上帝和崇拜”。几种意见正在相持不下时，艾坚的朋友普鲁沙从里尔城赶到会场。这是一个有着细长身材和小白脸的工运活动家。他因为历次讲演的成功，流露出一种洋洋自得的神气。他的声音已经嘶哑了，但他以有力的倒证说明了工人加入“国际”组织的好处。这样一来，艾坚一派的主张获得完全的胜利。会后，蒙楚一万矿工便成了“国际劳动者协会”的会员。

罢工进行了一个月。矿工们早已断炊了。从伦敦“国际”工人组织寄来四千法郎的声援款，但不足工人们购买三天的面包。马安嫂把家里一切能卖的东西都卖光、当光了。她的两个最小的儿女在路边向人乞讨，襄伦进行偷盗活动。不久，马安嫂的小女儿婀茜尔饿死了。大女儿嘉黛琳已和萨瓦尔同居，她送了些糖和咖啡来给母亲，但被她男人发现了，被说成是倒贴给她心爱的男子艾坚的。嘉黛琳受到萨瓦尔的踢打。矿场中一些工人迫于饥饿，开始复工了。萨瓦尔所在的矿场约翰·巴尔的工人复工得最早。于是三千名坚持罢工的矿工在森林里举行了集会，讨论下一步的策略。艾坚主持了会议。在他的启发下，矿工们决心把斗争进行到底。他们骂那些复工的工人是奸贼，要到各个矿场去惩罚他们。萨瓦尔也参加了大会，大伙鄙视他。但他在会上保证：明天他将和他矿场的工人，不再下井了。

萨瓦尔加到约翰·巴尔后，并没有履行他的保证。他被经理德内林收买了。第二天，服娄的罢工工人开到约翰·巴尔。他们把下井的工人全部轰了上来。工人们对萨瓦尔最为恼恨，对他进行了嘲骂和踢打，然后又把他挟持在游行队列中，从一个矿区游行到另一个矿区，把他当作奸贼，去教训那些出卖自己同伙的人。罢工工人不断补充到游行队伍中来，最后队伍扩展到两千五百多人，组成一股浩浩荡荡的人流。他们一面行进，一面高喊：“面包，面包，面包！”

在总经理公馆门前，游行工人拦截了野游归来的太太和小姐们，砸碎了梅格拉开的店铺。梅格拉逃到房顶，但他从那里滑跌下来。女工们想起这个淫棍一贯对她们的侮辱，便对他施行报复。如焚嬷嬷跑上前去，拔下了梅格拉的阳物，把它戳在木棒尖上，高高地举起，象一面旗帜似地在空中摇晃着。

萨瓦尔乘人们不注意时逃跑了，他引来了大批宪兵。罢工工人开始溃散了。接着整个矿区都被军队包围起来。公司对罢工工人实行了残酷的镇压，开除了马安等三十四个工人。艾坚在军队开来时躲藏到一个已报废的矿井里。突然的事变，把他的头脑也搞乱了。这时，他感到改变工人现状十分渺茫。白天他不敢露面，晚上他去看马安一家。当人们问他该怎么办时？他认为目前只有和公司和解。为此，他遭到马安嫂的嘲骂。当艾坚出现在赖赛纳的酒店里时，又受到赖赛纳的挖苦。苏瓦林则说：“全体都是懦夫。”这时，萨瓦尔带了嘉黛琳到酒店中喝酒。由于罢工的事件和爱情的怨恨，萨瓦尔见到艾坚格外眼红，便扑上去要杀死艾坚，于是在他们之间进行了一场激烈的搏斗。在搏斗中，嘉黛琳偏袒艾坚一方。斗败的萨瓦尔便把她臭骂了一通，不准她回家了。

资本家一面利用反罢工分子下井劳动，另一面准备雇用比利时人来代替罢工的工人。再次引起矿工的愤怒。人们拥向矿场与军队发生了冲突。开始工人用石块投掷他们，后来军队开枪了，打死了马安等十四个工人和小孩，二十二人受伤，酿成严重的流血事件。

艾坚参加了马安的葬礼。他的软弱与无能，遭到工人的唾弃，在他背后不断发出了嘘声。马安嫂公开对他说：“我若站在你的位置，给伙伴们惹起那么多的损害，我早已忧闷死了。”他在工人住宅区经过，有人向他伸着拳头，有人向他抛掷石块。这时，艾坚反埋怨工人野蛮和畜牲一样愚蠢。赖赛纳见到工人围攻艾坚的场面很高兴，他对工人宣传说：“暴力从来不会成功，人们不能于一天之内改造世界。答应你们一下子改变一切的人们，只是不负责任的荒唐鬼或有意欺骗的卑劣小人。”于是，他在工人中重新获得了失去的威望。

嘉黛琳被萨瓦尔抛弃后，回到娘家和马安嫂住在一起。眼看一家大小挨饿，她决定下矿井去工作。艾坚也表示要和她同去。这时，艾坚想起了达尔文的进化论学说，认为人类在进行一种生存斗争，瘦的吃掉胖的，强的吃掉弱的。

苏瓦林不满人们的懦弱，他暗中在进行一项冒险的破坏活动。他偷偷地下到矿井，锯开了护井壁的木板，破坏了矿井的排水设施，使大水淹没了矿井。恰好，这天艾坚和嘉黛琳一道下井去，由于矿井充水，出口处已被崩坍堵塞了。工人上不来。矿外工人组织了抢救队。柴沙里知道妹妹嘉黛琳被埋在矿井，参加了挖隧道的工作。他干得特别卖劲，但他疏忽了安全设施，引起煤气爆炸，结果他被炸死了。总经理海纳波先生和股东格雷歌亚一家也来到现场。格雷歌亚为了讨好工人，对马安一家遭难表示同情。他和他的女儿珊赛尔到马安嫂家慰问。家里只有“善终”老人一人在家。他被一连串不幸的事变，弄得麻木和痴呆了。格雷歌亚夫妇送了一双老人无法穿的大皮鞋给他。当他们走开后，珊赛尔想单独留下来和老人谈谈话。“善终”出于一种疯狂的举动，把珊赛尔掐死了。然后，他自己也跌倒在珊赛尔的尸体旁边。

被埋在井下的工人，由于坍方、饥饿、缺氧，大部分人都死去了。最后，只剩下三个人：艾坚、嘉黛琳和萨瓦尔。萨瓦尔和艾坚因争夺嘉黛琳，又展开了一场激烈的搏斗。艾坚用石块击碎了萨瓦尔的脑壳，萨瓦尔死了。矿井中的水位越涨越高。艾坚和嘉黛琳半身都浸泡在水里，接连几天没有东西吃，他们饿得发昏。最初，他们吃一小段朽木头，木头吃光了，便只好挨饿了。嘉黛琳无法再支撑自己的身体了，她倒在艾坚的怀里死了。当人们挖通隧道后，艾坚也昏死过去，但他被人们救上来了。

艾坚是这场灾难的唯一幸存者，他在蒙楚医院躺了六星期。公司给了他一百法郎救助费，但把他开除了。艾坚拒绝接受一百法郎。当他伤好出院后，看到工人们迫于饥饿都下井工作了。马安嫂为了养活一家，也只好重新当起推车工来。她和艾坚分别时，对他说：“经过这一切屠杀之后，我曾有一会儿，很想打死你。但是人们必须反省，不是吗？人们发觉这到底不是任何人的过失„„不，不，这并不是你的过失，而是大家的过失。”她原谅了艾坚。艾坚一面离开矿区；一面放慢了脚步，看着周围的一切。他感到自己在矿井底下的艰苦经历，已使他锻炼成熟。他的教育已结束，“他武装着知识离开，他已变成革命的，有理性的战士，将对他所看见的和所判决的社会宣战。”他准备去找普鲁沙，做一个象普鲁沙那样使人们“言听计从的首领”。同时，他相信在矿井底下“无数的人，暗暗茁长起来，一个复仇与黑色队伍的胚种已在犁痕底下慢慢萌芽与长大，为了未来世纪的收获，不久就要裂开压盖着的土地”。于是，他动身到巴黎去了。