A Tale of Two Cities

By Charles Dickens
Plot Summary:
It is the year 1775, and England and France are undergoing a
period of social violent disturbance and turmoil. Lucie Manette
is a young woman who has been raised as an orphan and a ward
of Tellson's bank. She learns that her father is alive and has
recently been released from prison after eighteen years of unjust
imprisonment. She travels to the French suburb of Saint Antoine
with Mr. Jarvis Lorry. Mr. Lorry is a longtime Tellson's
employee and had managed her father's affairs before his
imprisonment. They find her father at the home of Ernest
Defarge, who has housed the doctor since his release. Though
her father is on the brink of insanity, she solemnly vows that she
will recover him. The family returns to London. After time, the
begins to recover and resumes his practice. Though, he
occasionally returns back doctor to his trance-like state, he
slowly returns to himself. Throughout the process, he and Lucie
become extremely close. After a period of five years, Lucie and
her father are called to testify in the trial of Charles Darnay.
Charles Darnay is a French citizen and London resident and has
been accused of treason against England. Lucie reluctantly gives
circumstantial evidence against Darnay. However, Darnay is
ultimately saved when a witness cannot positively indentify
Darnay because of his striking resemblance with Sydney Carton,
a lawyer in the court. Darnay is ultimately freed, and this
circumstance draws everyone involved closer together.
Darnay,along with Mr. Lorry, becomes a friend of the family,
and Sydney Cartonbecomes a regular visitor. Sydney is not
welcome one--he is frequently drunk,often ill humour and
vulgar in his manner. Though the others complain of Carton's
manner, one evening he told Lucie that she has
awakened feelings inhim. She asks if she can help him, and he
says no, but that he wants her toknow that he cares for her
deeply. Lucie eventually marries Darnay.A year passes. Darnay
returns to France to attend to the business. Hepays a visit to
his uncle. His uncle is a corrupt aristocrat and is so cruel
thatwhen his carriage driver recklessly ran over and killed a
peasant's child, heblamed the peasants for being in the way.
Dannays uncle is murdered at hischateau when he was there.
Darnay returns to England, and several more years pass. He and
Luciehave a daughter. One day, Mr. Lorry tells to Darnay that
he has received aletter addressed to a Marquis St. Everyone in
care of Tellson's. Darnay saysthat he knows the man and will
deliver the letter. In truth, Darnay i
s
theMarquis St. Evrmonde, a descendant of the corrupt rulers of
France. The letteris from an old friend who has been put in
prison unjustly and who fears that hewill soon be executed.
Darnay realizes that he must go.He leaves for France without
telling his wife. He quickly realizes that thesituation is worse
than he could have imagined. A Revolution has taken place;the
peasants have overthrown the government and are murdering
anyone whothey feel represents the old guard. Darnay is
immediately taken into custody,though he tries desperately to
explain that unlike his uncle and father, he is onthe peasants'
side and wants to help them. They disregard his testimony,
andnone other than Ernest Defarge, who has since become a
Revolutionary, sendsDarnay to prison. By this time, Lucie and
her father have learned that Darnayhas returned to France, aware
that Darnay is probably in grave danger; theyreached France to
help him. Mr. Lorry is also present takings care of
TellsonsFrench office. The Revolutionaries treat Dr. Manette as
a hero.When Darnay is tried for his life in front of a corrupt
tribunal Dr.Manette's testimony saves him. He is freed, but
before even one day passes,he is re-arrested because of Madam
Defarge (Ernest's cruel and vengeful wife),a leading
Revolutionist, who wants to finish whole Evremonde family.
On thefollowing day Darnay is tried, convicted and sentenced to
death by the tribunal.Dr. Manette, knows that the situation is
hopeless and shattered by the trial ,reverts to his old abnormal
state.By this time, Sydney Carton has arrived in Paris. He learns
about Darnays new trial and impeding execution. He also
overhears (

) a protagonist the lives of Lucie, her father and her daughter.
Acting quickly, he tells Mr. Lorry to have a carriage prepared an
hour before the execution. He reaches to the prison on the day of
Charles' execution with the help of a spy (

)and an informer. But once he gets inside, he uses his physical
resemblance toDarnay. He enters Dannays cell and drugs him.
He then exchanges clothingwith him, and the spy smuggles
Darnay out of the prison and into a waitingcarriage that also
includes Dr. Manette, Lucie, and Mr. Lorry. He tells no one
of his plan, and not even the Manettes know it. They are
waiting in their carriagefor Carton, fully expecting that he will
join them and that they will leave Francein a hurry. The rest
of the family is in danger because of Madame Defarge,
whowants to denounce all of them. The peasant that the
Evrmonde brothersmurdered was her brother, and she wants
revenge against Darnay and hisentire family. The spy smuggles
Charles to the waiting carriage, and the familyescapes France.
Carton, however, goes to the guillotine and dies
for Lucie,fulfilling his promise to her that he would die "to keep
a life you love beside

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you." Just before he dies, he thinks to himself that his final act is
far betterthan anything else he has ever done.Just before he is
beheaded, Sydney Carton prophesied for a better
societyemerging from the holocaust (

) and of his own survival in thememories of the Darnay family,
and he faces death in serenity (

)and triumph.
Q 1:
What is the significance of the title of the novel ATale of
Two Cities?
Answer:

The title,A Tale of Two Cities

, is symbolic and significant as the novel describes the incidents
revolving around the two cities-London and Paris-against the
background of the French Revolution. The events in the two
citiesare artistically balanced by the writer. The alternate
movement between thetwo cities highlights the contrast between
them.Before the present title is decided upon, Charles Dickens
thought aboutvarious other titles. In the preface to
A Tale of Two Cities
, he says that theidea of this novel came while he was acting in
Frozen Deep. Various other titlescame to his mind. He thought
about, Buried Alive, One of Those Days, TheThread of
Gold, The Doctor of Beauvais, Recalled to Life. But
finally hesettled for
A Tale of Two Cities
. Buried Alive would only have been Dr.Manetts story.
Recalled to Life would also have been appropriate as most
of the characters, Lucie, Charles, Sydney, Jarvis Lorry, Jerry
Cruncher and Dr.Manette, are recalled to life or resurrected (
) in some way or theother. However, the title
A Tale of Two Cities
is even more appropriate and symbolic as it assumes universal
significance.In fact the two cities, London and Paris, are
introduced at the beginningas if they were two characters.
London as well as Paris is being administratedbadly. In London,
robberies are common, religious intolerance; superstitions,greed
and death are dominant. The priest, military officers, nobility,
aristocratsare all corrupt. Spiritually, socially and politically,
there are no moralstandards. People are victims of the divine
rights of the nobility and of fate.The poor and the rich are
robbing and being robbed. The hangman (

) too is busy in hanging people for miscellaneous deeds, ranging
frommurders to small thefts. Law and order is in a sad
state.Paris is not in a better state. Death lurks (

) in every nook and corner as the ruthless aristocrats exploit the
masses. The monarchy (

) is equally corrupt. Economic instability is accompanied by
prejudice,

indiscriminate (

) killing and lack of trials. Corruption andinjustice reigns in
churches and courts. The aristocrats are supposed to lookafter
the tenants (

) but they are blind to their needs. Hunger iswritten on every
face and the flowing wine is symbolic of the bloodshed of
theRevolution. St. Antoine Street is a miniature (

) Paris where hungerand bloodshed are common features.The
lives of the characters are interwoven by means of the two cities.
Dr.Manette is imprisoned in France for eighteen years,
for championing the poor and truth. Refuge and restoration is
only possible in England. Charles Evrmonde too leaves France,
the country of his birth, for England, where he gets peace of
mind. However, England is no refuge. Though Lucie, her father
and Charles live peacefully in Soho Square, they are compelled
by fate to move to Paris, where violence engulfs them. Neither
of the two cities is peaceful heaven. The events in France engulf
the lives of the characters in England. Violence, hatred and the
Revolution spare none, not even England and overrun the life of
the people in England. The moral corruption is a little better in
England. In London, the mock funeral of Cly can be contrasted
with the genuine but violent funeral of Foulon in Paris. Paris is
hub of mob violence, murders and butchery. The old Bailey
Court in London is a place of sensational executions, whereas
the courts in Paris do not give the prisoners any opportunity to
be tried. The prisoners are at the mercy of the aristocrats. While
conservative England is not heading towards any Revolution,
France is heading towards the French Revolution. The cities can
be contrasted in the other way too. While the French characters
appear to stand for hatred, the English characters appear to
standfor love. Marquis Evermonde, Madam Defarge, Defarge
stand for hatred, Dr.Manette, Lucie, Jarvis Lorry, Miss Prose
and Sydney Carton stand for love. However, love and hatred are
not restrained to any particular city. Defarge, a Frenchman, is
loyal to Dr. Manette; Sydney, an Englishman, moves pessimism
to love, from England to Paris. Sydney Carton, an Englishman,
is redeemed in Paris, where he performs the ultimate sacrifice.
Injustice and betray
, love and hatred, honesty and unity constitute a part of both the
countries. Ultimately, love triumph through the process of
redemption, irrespective of location. London and Paris are
placed side by side. While book one moves from Paris to
England, book two, continuously moves between the two. While
all the characters and both the cities merge in book three. Dirty
streets, hunger and blood differentiate Paris from the peace and
tranquility of Soho Street in book two.

To conclude, it can be said that parallelism and contrast between

the two cities link and merge them. The title is highly remindful
and symbolic as the two cities stand for the universe and
humanity in general.
Q 2:Discuss the plot construction in The Tale of TwoCities
by Charles Dickens.
 Answer:
The plot of a novel is an integral (

) part of the

story. It shouldbe logical, credible (

), meaningful and full of suspense. Whereas thestory has a
beginning, middle and end with a focus on central idea or
ideas,the plot is a logical, causative (

) and artistic relation between thebeginning, middle and
end.Charles Dickens as a novelist has all types of plots. His later
novels haveorganic (

) and complex plots which are made interesting due tohumour,
suspense and sensational events. In
The Tale of Two Cities,
hehas artistically interwoven two tales, two cities, history and
story, public andprivate life and a variety of themes through few
selected characters, suspense,symbolism, parallelism and
contrast.
Dual Location:
In
A Tale of Two Cities
, the story moves simultaneously betweenLondon and Paris. The
political and social atmosphere in the two cities ismiserable as
hunger and death walk in search of the preys in the two
cities.The scenes in London are more peaceful as compared to
Paris, though poverty,hunger and violence and brutality are
present in both cities.
Public and Private lives:
Dickens seems to have interwoven the historical theme with the
privateevents. This has led to a unity of impression and a fairy
tale quality. It is tale of old wrongs, Dr. Manettes
imprisonment, two lovers (Lucie and Charles) whoare caught in
the political events of the times. They are victim of unjust
chaosthat prevails in France. Ironically, Dr. Manettes letter
becomes the cause of hisson-in-laws sufferings. The wrongs
done by his ancestors visited Charles inspite of the fact that
he tried to make amends for their sins. However, he issaved by
the sacrifice and death of Sydney Carton who resembles
himphysically. Sydney, the wastrel (

), loves Lucie and finds salvation insacrificing his life for her.

Parallelism and Contrast:

The two themes, two places, history and story, the private and
public lifeof the characters are woven artistically. In spite of the
cruelty of and hatred,love and resurrection (

) get triumph. All this is portrayed by means of parallelism and
contrast.
Love and Hatred:
At every stage of the novel, love and hatred are highlighted.
Love andhatred coexist in both of the cities. The brutality of the
Revolutionaries iscontrasted with the love and honesty of Dr.
Manette and Lucie. The corruptionin London is contrasted with
the integrity (

) of Mr. Lorry and Miss Prose.In the novel, we see Ernest
Defarge is on the horns of dilemma. At onelevel, he is a zealous
(

) rebel against aristocracy and at anotherhe betrays his slightest
loyalty that he still sustain (

) for Dr. Manette.Thus hatred and love motivate the characters,
irrespective (

) of the city to which they belong. Ultimately, Sydneys love for
humanitytriumph over the hatred of the Revolutionaries.
Coincidences:
In the course of the story, many things happen unexpectedly. In
spite of the coincidences there is a witty suspension of disbelief
as the readers realizethat it is not a typical love story. Though at
times the turn of events seem likeof a fantastic fairy tale,
the story is interesting and there is dramatic elementof suspense
as to what will happen next.In fact, at time the coincidences
seem superficial. But later events add upto the climax. It is
a coincidence that Sydney and Charles look alike, thatSydney
overhears Madam Defarge making plans to kill Lucie that
Sydney ispresent in France at the end. Though a lot of events
seem unbelievable, theyadd a dramatic touch, heighten the
suspense and seem acceptable as a part of life.
Pathos (

) and Humour:
Besides coincidences, Dickens makes use of comedy, pathos and
humourto hold our interest. The humour of character is
interwoven with the pathoscreated by situations. Dr. Manettes
release, Lucies resurrection with herfather, the arrest of Charles
and his parting (

) and reunion with Lucie,Dr. Manettes reaction to the arrest of
Charles, Sydneys sacrifice are all full of pathos and creates the
right effect. But, a serious and tragic note is madelively by
comic relief at times.

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Suspense:
The element of suspense is present from the beginning till the
end.Throughout our curiosity is aroused as to who is Dr.
Manette? Why has he beenimprisoned? What will happen to
him? What did Defarge find in cell 105? Thereis suspense at
each and every stage as the plot moves forward. However, all

loose threads are tied logically at the end as our curiosity dies
out.
Tight Structure:
In fact, no event is really superfluous. Even seemingly
superfluous eventslike Charles trial at Old Bailey court,
Barsads accusation of Charles for treason(

), Sydneys judging his resemblance to Charles, Sydneys
promiseto Lucie that he would do something great for her,
Madam Defarges intensehatred, all add to the plot of the novel.
In the end the climax seems believable.Eventually, all events
lead to Sydneys sacrifice and act of love.
The Theme as a Part of The Plot:
The structure of the novel brings out Dickens philosophy of
life. Thetheme of resurrection and renunciation (

) and the FrenchRevolution are an integral part of the plot.
Sydneys peaceful death stands forthe triumph of love over
hatred. Madam Defarges violent death symbolizes thedefeat of
hatred and evil. The two themes of resurrection and renunciation
arelinked with the Revolution.
Weaknesses:
In spite of tight structure,
A Tale of Two Cities
has raised a lot of controversies. While some regard it Dickens
best novel, other feel it is notconvincing. Madam Defarges
death is considered inconsistent even thoughDickens called it an
act of divine justice. Even Sydneys death is regarded ashighly
romantic filled with so much sentimentality. However, that is
not thecase.
Conclusion:
To conclude, it can be said that characters and situations, two
venues,facts and fictions, symbolism, parallelism, suspense,
humour and pathos etc.have led to the excellent and balanced
plot of
A Tale of Two Cities.
Q 3:
Discuss Dickens views about Revolution withreference to the
novel A Tale of Two Cities.
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Answer:
The background and the main subject of
A Tale of Two Cities
is theFrench Revolution. Actually, Dickens was inspired by
Carlyles book the TheFrench Revolution, which he read again
and again. As a result, Dickens hasmixed private lives with this
dramatic and historical event. It is a novel abouthistorical events
and personal tragedy. As it is an expression of Dickens
viewabout the French Revolution, the private lives of
the characters mirror theRevolution and their lives are mirrored
by it.
Conditions in France:
At that time, the social and political conditions in France and
Englandwere horrible. In France, it were even worst, where
monarchs (

) believedin divine rights of kings. The French King, Louis XV,
known as the butterflyking, was uncaring and had a spendthrift (

) wife. During this period,the noblemen enjoyed special rights
and were exempted from taxes. As aresult of this, the common
people had to pay double taxes. This exploitation of the masses
was seen in all fields of life. The rich even went so far as
todishonor poor peasant women. The economic differences
between the havesand have-nots obviously dissatisfied the poor
and oppressed. The economicdifferences and exploitation
obviously lead to political revolts and uprising. TheRevolution
is an inevitable consequence of this tyranny and exploitation.
Manycrimes are committed by the Revolutionaries in the name
of liberty andvengeance.Though Dickens highlights the social
and political events, he is of theopinion that mass murders and
bloodshed are not the answer. The salvationlies in moral
regeneration and not social and political uprising. Though
hestands for the poor and oppressed but does not consider the
Revolution as anideal solution. In
A Tale of Two Cities
Dickens describes the exploitation of the poor by the aristocracy
and the subsequent furry of Revolutionaries whoexecuted
similar evil deeds to take revenge.The cause of the Revolution is
stressed all along. The whole novelhighlights the poverty and
hunger, the callousness and cruelties of thenoblemen. The
aristocracy created such an atmosphere that ultimately burstsinto
an explosive Revolution.
Scenes of Violence:
The novel is full of horrible scenes related to the Revolution.
Dickensfocus on the mass-butcheries, the injustice, the
bloodthirsty mob, thesharpening of weapons at grindstone, the
guillotine (

), heads bouncing, all are clearly portrayed as monstrous and
inhuman.The violent aspects of the Revolution are further
highlighted in the fall of

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Bastille; Defarges cutting of Governors head, the hanging
of Foulon and theburning of the chateau (

). In short, the novel is fullof scenes of violence and bloodshed.
A Meaningless Horror:
By focusing on the causes and ugly aspects of the Revolution
Dickenstries to highlight the meaningless horror of the
Revolution. It is shown to b

emonstrous, inhuman and unjust. The cruel cycle of violence

and hatred isnever ending. There is no ending to tyranny and
cruelty. Dickens points outthat suffering, oppression and
injustice lead to diseased society, uprising,bloodshed and
murders.

Moral Regeneration:
According to Dickens, the Revolution is not the solution
of oppression andsuffering. What is required is love and moral
regeneration. This is highlightedthrough Sydneys sacrifice and
prophecy at the end. He says:
I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from the
abyss(

) and in their struggles to be truly free, in their triumphsand
defeats, through long years to come.
Thus, his vision of a brilliant city can come true only
through love andsacrifice from each and every man, rich or
poor.
A Lens for Others:
Through this picture of the French Revolution, Dickens seems to
bewarning England that poverty and suffering in England can
also lead to aRevolution like the one in France. Dickens,
basically a humanitarian, stands forthe poor. He is against
Revolution and Revolutionaries as bloodshed andvengeance are
their main motives. Dickens insists on the meaningless horror
of the monstrous Revolution with its crazy Revolutionaries who
are no better thansavages and animals. The Revolution is
a moral disorder born out of suffering,oppression and
indifference. The Revolutionaries return evil for evil.
However,when aristocrats become victims his sympathies shift
towards the victims.Though, the aristocrats deserve what they
get, the fury of the oppressedreplaces one set of oppressors
by another. Dickens hatred and fear of violencemakes him a
champion of love and hatred.

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Conclusion:
Thus we see that Dickens in not a Revolutionary. Though, he
feels thatthe Revolution is a natural consequence of social
oppression, he is not achampion of the Revolution. He does not
approve the violence, as he feels it isself-destructive. That is
why, Madam Defarge who personifies that hatred andvengeance
of the revolutionaries, loses her life in the final
struggle betweenthe forces of hatred and love. In the ultimate
analysis love is the answer tohatred and violence, oppression
and cruelty.
Q 4:
What are the major themes in A Tale of TwoCities?
Or
Resurrection and renunciation are the major themes of the novel
A Tale of Two Cities.
Answer:
The main themes of
A Tale of Two Cities
are resurrection andrenunciation. Originally resurrection is taken
in religious terms as theresurrection of Jesus Christ. But here, it
is taken in various forms and this maintheme is illustrated again
and again as it overshadows the social, political andlove themes
in the novel.
Resurrection in Various Forms:
Resurrection is found in various forms through various
characters. Allthree men in Lucies life are resurrected in some
form or other. While herfather is resurrected physically and
mentally, Charles is resurrected physicallyand Sydney is
resurrected spiritually. Besides physical
and spiritualresurrection, various characters in the novel are
resurrected in a comic way.Various characters are recalled to life
in some way or other. While Charles andDr. Manettes life is
restored, Sydney loses his life and is spirituallyresurrected.
Mental Resurrection:
Initially, Dickens had planned to call his novel Buried Alive,
as this wasthe main idea behind the novel. The novel starts with
the release or recall tolife of Dr. Manette who was buried alive
for eighteen years in the Bastille. His

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daughter Lucie, who had always thought that he was dead, is
shocked to findthat he her father is not dead but had been
imprisoned for such a long time.She promises to bring him
back to life. With love and care she resurrects himto life
mentally and intellectually. Every time he faces a problem, he
goes backinto his past but is resurrected and emerges mentally
stronger.
Physical Resurrection:
Charles Darnay, Marquis Evermondes nephew atones (

) for thesins of his ancestors and disowns his legacy and

country. He comes to Englandto lead a decent and simple life.
Thus he is resurrected as he atones for thebloodshed caused by
his ancestors. Later on, in England he is accused of beinga spy
but at the last minute he escapes the gallows due to his
resemblancewith Sydney. This too is a form of resurrection.
History is repeated once againwhen Charles goes to Franc
to help his former servant, Gabelle. There he isarrested by the
revolutionaries and is condemned (

) to death. Though,he is released by Dr. Manetts efforts but he
is rearrested arrested because of aletter written by the doctor
when he had been in prison. This letter is usedagainst Charles
and he is condemned to death. At the last moment, he is savedby
Sydney Carton who dies for him.
Spiritual Resurrection:
Though Charles is resurrected from death, again and again, it is
Sydneywho is actually resurrected spiritually. Though an
intelligent man, he is awastrel (

), who is totally demoralized with life. His love for Lucieinspires
him with courage, faith and humanity and he promises to repay
thecompassion (

) she has shown to him.Thus, when Charles is condemned to
death, he planes to die for him. Heremembers his fathers
funeral, where the priest had said,
I am the Resurrection and the life.
He planes to bring life to Charles and makes a plane for his
ultimatesacrifice. He drugs Charles, exchanges clothes with him
and sent him in acarriage to Lucie, Jarvis Lorry and Dr. Manette.
Sydney, thus, becomes Christlife figure full of love
and compassion. Before dying he has a vision of theentire city
and its people rising from chaos and gaining freedom. In fact,
hevisualizes the resurrection of the city and the masses. His
sacrifice makes himto achieve ultimate resurrection.
Grotesque Resurrection:

Roger Cly and Foul on are resurrected in a grotesque way.

While Cly fakes death to escape the anger of his animies, Foul
on fakes death to escape the fury of the revolutionaries as he
once told the people to eat grass, when they were dying with
hunger. Thus their resurrection is comical. Miss Pross brothers
resurrection is also comical.
Political Resurrection:
Besides the resurrection of characters, there is social and
political resurrection. The oppressed French masses revolt
against their exploiters so that they can face a better life.
Though, they aim for social and political regeneration, they are
so overcome by emotions that they go for violence. Stability
might take time but the resurrection is seen through Sydneys
ultimate vision.
A Warning to England:
Another theme closely related to the resurrection theme is that
revolution can happen anywhere. The cruel and heartless ruling
class in France compelled the people to revolt. Dickens seems to
be saying that this can happen in England too.
A Meaningless Horror:
Another underlying theme is Dickens view that Revolution is
monstrous by its activities. He intends to point out the
meaningless horrors of the Revolution, the bloodshed and
butcheries.
Renunciation:
Another theme is renunciation. While Charles renounces his
legacy, Sydney renounces his life. Charles act of renunciation
raises him in high esteem as it is an illustration of his generosity
and humanity. Sydneys renunciation of his life makes him
achiever of tragic dignity. He dies for humanity thus his
renunciation is Christ like.
The Theme of Love:
Related to these is the theme of love, which is major theme in
the novel. Lucies love comforts

Dr. Manette, Charles, Miss Prose, Jarvis Lorry and Sydney.

Lucies love transforms Sydney into a Christ like figure. While
love regenerates all these characters, hatred degenerate evil
characters like Madam Defarge. Ultimately, Sydneys act of
sacrifice symbolizes the triumph of love over hatred.
Conclusion:
To sum up, we may say that
A Tale of Two Cities
have multiple themes which are interwoven artistically. The
various themes are expressed through a group of
private individuals who are swept into the whirlpool of public
event like the Revolution.
Q 5:
A Tale of Two Cities is a historical nove

l. Discuss.
Or
A Tale of Two Cities is related to a most
influential incident of history, but it is not complete
historical book.Comment.
Answer:

A tale of two cities

is a historical novel related to the period before and all through
the French Revolution. Previously, Dickens had written one
historical novel, Barnaby Rudge, which dealt with a period of
English history. When he wrote
A Tale of Two Cities
he was feeling great interest in history. However,
A Tale of Two Cities
is not a complete story of French Revolution. As a historical
novel,
A Tale of Two Cities has obvious limitations. It does not give
a complete picture of either the English or the French political
world of those critical years (1775-1793). In this novel, Dickens
describe the beginning of discontent in France, the rising
dissatisfaction of people with the aristocrats and the turmoil
caused by the public fury and the cruelties committed by the
revolutionaries during the years of French Revolution. Dickens
does not describe the progress and culmination of French
Revolution. He gives us brief and scattered account of the main
event. But, by this he triesto convey to us all the horror of the
French Revolution. He gives us no systematic analysis of the
causes of the French Revolution. At the same time, Dickens
takes no notice of the leading historical personalities of the
French Revolution, such as Mirabeau, Lafayette, Robespierre
and Napoleon. He does not show the struggle of the government
for money in the time of depression, the difficulties of
parliament and philosophical thinking behind the Revolution.
Dickens main concern was to show that extreme injustice leads
to violence. In the first part of the novel, Dickens sympathizes
with the poor and
downtrodden, but in the end these very people become villains
and he rejects them. Dickens first reference to the cause of the
French Revolution comes in the Chapter called The Wine
Shop. Here he uses the symbol of the mill to convey the
grinding poverty through which the people of Saint Antoine are
passing. Then there are three chapters in which the callousness
and the arrogance of a particular noble are described. Dickens
main achievement lies in mixing the personal lives of a group
of private characters with the events of French Revolution.
These private individuals are Dr. Manette, Lucie Manette,
Darnay and Carton. Although, the major characters have no
ideological interest in the Revolution yet they are driven into the
main whirlpool of the Revolution and have to suffer. The death
sentence of Charles is the most unjust when we see that he is
on the side of the people. In his humanity, he even gives up the
property of his family. Furthermore, he was in France to save
the life of a poor man who was in danger. The others are drawn
into the whirlpool for the sake of Darnay. Sydneys sacrifice is
due to Lucies involvement. Although. Dickens does not give
systematic theory about the Revolution yet there is his definite
view about it. In this respect, he also seems to have been
influenced by Carlyle. Dickens shows that past is the storehouse
of moral lessons and a terrible moral drama. He has a definite
aim in writing this novel, as he wants to show the effect of social
order on the lives of the individuals. The lives of both Dr.
Manette and Sydney Carton are example of it. Dr.Manettes
coming back to the steam of life illustrates the course of new
order. Sydneys noble death proves the possibility of rebirth
through love. According to one critic, there is no other piece
of fiction in which domestic life of a few simple private people
is in such a manner interwoven with a terrible public event, so
that one seems to be the part of the other. The fact is that
Dickens considers revolution as monster. The scenes of violence
that are described in
A Tale of Two Cities are really horrible. The lesson that
Dickens wants to teach us through this novel is that violence
leads to violence and hatred is the result of hatred. He wanted
that government should not allow the people to become
frustrated and angry that they are compelled to revolt and
become not only violent, but also ruthlessly violent. If all the
noblemen had behaved like Charles and all the intellectuals had
exposed the social evils like Dr. Manette, then there would not
have been any such violent revolution. Dickens never forgets
that the French Revolution was the result of unspeakable
suffering, intolerable oppression and heartless indifference.
Society was diseased before the fever broke out.
And thisconclusion about the French Revolution is stated in the
final chapter of his novel as:
Crush the humanity out of shape once more, under similar
hammers, and it will twist itself into the same tortured
forms. Sow the same seed of rapacious
license and oppression again over again, and it will surely
yield the same fruit according to its kind.
Q 6:
Discuss Dickens art of characterization.
Or
Dickens is known as a creator of living chara

cters. Doyou agree?

Answer:
Dickens is one the greatest creators of characters in English
fiction. There is large diversity of characters in his novels.
A mere glance on any of his novels is enough to prove his
ability of creating amazing characters. Dickens tries to create
variety of individuals in his novels, but he never tries to probe
deep into them.
A Tale of Two Cities
is an evidence of Dickens ability of character portrayal. Here
too the range is fairly wide, though we do not find the
study of inner working of human mind. Some of the characters
like Defarge and Madam Defarge are truly memorable. It is
important to note that Dickens purpose was to allow the
character to reveal themselves through incidents and through
their deeds and actions rather than their dialogues. However,
Dickens did not fully succeed in achieving his purpose.
Dialogues in this novel also play as much part in revealing the
characters as they did in his earlier novels. In fact, it would not
be wrong to say that dialogues play an even more important part
in characters than incidents. The characters in
A Tale of Two Cities
have sharply been individualized. Each character has his or her
own recognition. Each stands out in our imagination and
memory as a separate person clearly differentiated from others.
Dr. Manette is an outstanding personality, despite of his
repeated intervals of insanity. Mr. Lorry, the old bachelor, who
has grown gray haired in the service of Tellsons Bank, is
another impressive figure, distinct from everybody else. Sydney
Carton and Charles Darnay though have similar physical
appearance has been sharply differentiated. Lucie represents
entirely different womanhood as compared to Madam Defarge.
Never was there greater and sharper contrast than we
find between these two women. Miss prose belongs to different
category altogether. Likewise, Mr. Stryer and Jerry Cruncher,
though both of them are comic characters, have been clearly
distinguished from each other. Even a minor character like
the mender of road has been made to live before us. In spite of
Dickens aim, the fact remains that the above mentioned
characters revealed much themselves through dialogues and
much less than incidents and action. For example, different traits
of Dr.Manettes character reveal through his conversation with
different characters, not through his actions. In fact, there is
hardly any action that he performs. Sometimes, we do find him
busy in shoe making but that is only when he gets a shock and
becomes temporarily insane. When Charles Darnay shows his
intentions to marry his daughter, it is through his dialogue with
Charles that we come to know that he is a loving father and a
kindhearted friend. Similarly, it is through one of his long
conversation with Mr. Lorry we come to know why he
sometimes goes back to the state of insanity. Charles Darnay
also reveals the essential traits of his character through dialogue.
Of course, one of his basic traits appears through action also.
That happens when after reading Gabelles letter, he at once
goes to Paris to save him. That shows his deep sympathetic
nature and his disregard for personal danger. But his love for
Lucie appears mainly through his dialogues. Darnays
humanitarianism is revealed to us through his dialogues with his
uncle. He says that Evrmonde family has done many wrongs to
the poor and that he would like to atone some of those wrongs
and he had decided to give up his entire claim to the family
property and the family title. In Sydney Cartons case, his action
to give life for the sake of the husband of that woman to whom
he loves is of the highest importance. It is this action, which
raises him to the status of the hero. When he is on the point of
death, he looks sublime and prophetic. But all the other traits of
Cartons character appear through dialogues. He has a dialogue
with Darnay immediately after Darnays acquittal by the court
at the Old Bailey. In the course of dialogue, Carton says that he
is a disappointed drudge and he cares for no man on earth and
no man on earth cares for him. When Darnay is gone, Carton
looks at the mirror and says that he hates Darnay even though
there is physical resemblance between them. Then there is a
dialogue between Carton and Stryver. From this dialogue we
come to know that Carton is a seesaw kind of man, up one
minute and down the next.
To conclude, it can be said that though Dickens aimed to
described his character through their actions and events, but he
could not do this properly.The most of characters in the novel
revealed themselves much through themedium of their dialogues
rather than their actions and events.

Q 7:
Symbolism in A Tale of Two Cities is in
abundance. Is it a justified analysis?
Or
A Tale of Two Cities has symbolic
importance.Elaborate.
Answer:
A tale of Two Cities
is full of symbols and symbolic imagery. An author uses
symbolism in order to give wider meanings to his writings. The
symbolic meanings are generally veiled or it may lie at a
deeper level than the surface level. Thus, the use of symbolism
gives additional meanings to those which are apparent on the
surface.A Tale of Two Cities is full of symbols. Symbolism
is an essential element in the structure of the novel.
The very opening chapter employs two symbols. These are
Woodman symbolizes fate and the Farmer symbolizes
death. Here the Woodman is not just a worker in the woods, and
the Farmer is just not the tiller of the soil. The Woodsman
represents or symbolizes Fate, while the Farmer represents
Death. The idea is that these two forces are at work in France to
bring about destruction and bloodshed and to ruin human
happiness.
The manner in which the author describes the journey of the
mail-coach in the second chapter has also a symbolic
significance. It is an uphill journey and; the hill, the harness, the
mud and the mail are all so heavy that the horses have a difficult
time of it. There is atmosphere of suspicion all around. The
guards suspect the passengers; the passengers suspect one
another and the guard, they all suspect everybody else and the
coachman is sure of nothing except the horses. This whole scene
gives the picture of violent scenes of the French Revolution.
The Broken Wine Cask outside Defarges shop and passing
peasants fight to lick the spilling wine is symbol of peoples
hunger. The hunger is both, for food and for political freedom.
The wine is directly associated with blood, as a drunken figure
writes the word BLOOD on the wall with a wine-dipped
finger. Indeed, the blood of aristocrats, later spills at the
hands of a mob in the same streets. Madam Defrages knitting is
a whole network of symbols. Into her needlework she stitches
the list of names of all those who condemned to die in the name
of new republic. On the metaphorical level, it is the symbol of
cold-blooded vengeance of revolutionaries. The Marquis
Evrmonde stands as a symbol of the ruthless aristocratic cruelty
on which the French Revolution wants to overcome.
The symbol of mill is also used by Dickens artistically. A
mill grinds wheat into flour which is used by human beings for
food. But, here the mill performs different function. Here, we
are told that the people of Saint Antoine had undergone a
terrible grinding and re-grinding in the mill. It is a kind of mill
that grinds the young people old. Later, the furious members of
the revolutionary crowd are described as sharpening their
bloody hatchet, knives, bayonets and swords on grindstone.
Both the mill and the grindstone are thus used as the symbol of
the destruction, which people in France face.
The Bastille is another important symbol. Hundreds of
prisoners have been languishing in the prison for years and
years, neglected, uncared for, almost neglected. The inhabitants
of Saint Antoine, under the leadership of Defarge and Madam
Defarge capture Bastille after a brief assault upon it. They
were greatly jubilant this place of authority and tyranny. The
governor is arrested and Madam Defarge cut his head with her
own hands with a knife. Later in the story, La Guillotine
becomes the symbol of cruelties committed by the
revolutionaries. If the Bastille was the symbol of the tyranny of
the government of King Luis and of the aristocratic class of
France, La Guillotine has reversed the process. Now it is the
turn of aristocracy and the nobility to be prosecuted and
tyrannized over. La Guillotine is mercilessly beheading all the
eloquent, the powerful, the beautiful and the good. La Guillotine
is thus a symbol of the brutalities and the barbarities committed
by the poor and downtrodden when they come into power. La
Guillotine is an ugly and horrible symbol as Bastille previously
was. Some of the characters are also symbolic. Madam Defarge
symbolizes hatred and evil. She certainly has a motive and a
reason for her revengeful and blood thirsty attitude, but all her
wickedness and bloodthirstiness cannot be justified. Miss Pros
on the other hand is personification of love. Sydney Carton too
serves as a symbolic purpose. His sacrifice symbolizes the way
by which the highest human aspiration and moral regeneration
can be achieved. In short, it can be said that
A Tale of Two Cities
in one of the best novels of Dickens where symbols play
a significant and thematic role. It is mastery of great novelist
that he has used nominal things for great purpose.