In Hard Times, how does Dickens develop a contrast between the opposing values of the circus to that of ulitarianism?

Firstly, you talk about how the linguistic and ideological
contexts show how language is used in the text. Dickens shows two opposite worlds on his
book. The first being, system and fact. The second being, fancy and life. These are two
contradictory worlds and there is the desire to show that how these two worlds need to
be controlled in their own way.

The themes help to show the
contrasting worlds in Hard Times. Dickens shows how there is no difference between
signifier and signified in the world of Fact. Dickens shows this when he describes Mr.
Bounderby's house and how everything in his house represents himself. Even the name
written outside his house is written in a way "very like himself". Hence there is no
difference between the material things that the character has and the character himself.
However, in the world of Fancy there is a difference between the signifier and the
signified.

Also, there is a difference in language in the
two worlds. Where in the Fact world everything is defined as calculation, payment etc.
But in the Circus world, even calculations can be left to imagination and there is no
set rule. There is always room for imagination in the circus world.

The world of Gradgrind describes fact and anything not
going according to fact is disagreeable. However, in the circus world, realism is
exceeded and imagination comes in.

Fairy-tale is hence
important where imagination allows a system to be formed but not like the one present in
the world of Gardgrind and Bounderby. In the circus world it is seen how efficiency
causes inefficiency and how that inefficiency is good. That is anything bad is good in
the circus world and how it can be differently defined. The language helps to show these
things and the themes present both the world very
clearly.

In the fancy world, everything is different. In
the world of Fact, everything is same and is ironically described in metaphor. The
language of Sleary and Sissy's misinterpretation of statistics clearly shows how such
unclearness leads to clarity.

The world of utilitarianism
is about satisfaction and wants being met, where Bitzer does not leave Thomas alone when
Gradgrind tells him to. Because Bitzer did not owe anything to Gradgrind, he had paid
for his education. Hence utility had occurred. Whereas in the world of Fancy, there is
no such thing as doing one thing for another for payment. There is no compensation
needed.