’ Tale of : Summary - THEME Analysis SUMMARY: In the novel , by Charles Dickens, the author uses many minor characters. Although labeled “minor”, these characters contribute fully, and are essential to the depth and excitement of the novel. Three such characters are: Miss Pross, Gaspard, and . These three characters take on a couple different roles, depending on what point in the novel one is at. From the beginning, and throughout the novel, Miss Pross plays a simple role.

She takes care of . A simple role it may seem to be, but she adds humor to the story from the offset. Once Lucie and Dr. Manette have returned to England, after Dr. Manette’s imprisonment, Miss Pross continues to take an influential role in the story. She is constantly looking after Lucie and this includes Miss Pross attempting to discourage any suitors. Miss Pross is quite successful at appearing and acting in a commanding and intimidating manner. An example of this is when Mr. Lorry came to visit at the Manette’s home; “…Miss Pross, the wild red woman, strong of hand…`I don’t want dozens of people who are not all worthy of Ladybird, to come looking after her….to take Ladybird’s affections away from me.'” Miss Pross being part of the novel deepens the plot by providing some humor and giving the reader another side to consider when thinking of Lucie and her several relationships. Gaspard’s purpose in the novel is dissimilar to that of Miss Pross. Gaspard is used to help the reader understand how the majority of the French population was feeling prior to the revolution. Gaspard and the other peasants were treated, by the aristocracy, as if they were disgusting rodents. When Gaspard’s son is run over by the Marquis, all the Marquis is worried about, is if his horses or his coach were hurt or damaged. Gaspard’s anger and realization of how he is being treated causes him to rebel and kill the Marquis. The one murder symbolizes the animosity of all the peasants and is a taste of what is to come with the revolution.

Gaspard was therefore used to foreshadow what is to happen in the future, this is auvioce especially after Gaspard is captured and hung. He is left hanging with a knife in him so that he poisons the water. Later that afternoon the Jacquerie are talking in Defarge’s wine shop of how “the chateau and all the race…” are doomed for “…Extermination.” Jerry Cruncher is a minor character who serves two purposes. What seems to be his primary purpose at the beginning of the novel is very different from his purpose towards the end. At the beginning he is usually mentioned to provide humor in a realistic fashion. This is done when Dickens shows Jerry’s level of intelligence by describing how he confuses and twists things that people say. Jerry Cruncher’s second purpose is not illustrated until very late in the novel. This second purpose is to display how viewing the vile revolution made him change his ways so that he was no longer a “resurrection man.” This helps support the graphic detail Dickens is already using in describing the horrors of the revolution. After all, if a man who made a living by robbing graves is sickened by the ghastliness of the revolution then it must have really been awful. Miss Pross, Gaspard, and Jerry Cruncher all are minor characters that contribute to the depth of the plot, and the humor and excitement of the novel.

Themes Analysis: The Tale of Two Cities has many assorted themes. The themes are interconnected with each other. Theme plays a big part in the plot a book. The opinions formed by the audience, of the characters, are also affected by the themes in a book. Three themes in this book are sacrifice, love and hate, and death; these themes show up many times in this book. The themes in this book are shown through the characters and their actions.

Sacrifice shows up in the book many times. Sacrifice is giving up something that is a part of your life that you do not really want to give up. The greatest sacrifice in the book is Carton’s death. He sacrifices his life for his love for Lucie Manette. met his death with great dignity. In fulfilling his old promise to Lucie, Carton attains peace; those watching see “The peacefullest man’s face ever beheld”(366) at the guillotine. gives up his estate in France, for the idea of working in England. His decision to become a teacher put him in a conflict with his uncle, the Marquis St. Evremonde. Miss Pross lost her hearing when she tried to stop from killing Lucie and her family. Miss Pross was the loyal servant for Lucie. She showed her loving devotion to Lucie by fighting off Madame Defarge.

Many characters are skilled with the force of love in this book. Miss Pross, fought off Madame Defarge for the reason that she loved Lucie, and did not want anything to happen to her. The true love was the feelings of Sydney for Lucie. This love was so great he sacrificed his own life for her. He showed more love for her than for himself. Hate is also plays a big part in the book. Madame Defarge had so much hate she went to the extent of trying to kill Lucie. This backfired and instead of Lucie dying, she is shot by her own gun in a struggle versus Miss Pross. Even Monsigneur the Marquis shows hate when he accidentally runs over a peasant’s son and kill him. Monsigneur the Marquis showed no remorse for what he had done, and instead was very hateful toward the father of the child. The boy’s father shows his hate toward Monsigneur the Marquis by getting revenge for his son’s death. The boy’s father was powered by hate when he took Monsigneur the Marquis’ life into his own hands and killed Monsigneur the Marquis.

Death plays a tremendous part of this book. Death in this book shows up in many different ways by accidents, murders, and even the death penalty. The death of the peasant boy was a total accident. The boy was hit by Monsigneur the Marquis’ horse carriage when the boy was trying to cross the road. This incident caused the murder of Monsigneur the Marquis. Monsigneur the Marquis was killed by the peasant boy’s father later on. The boy’s father killed Monsigneur the Marquis because he did not try to help the boy out at all. He just went on as nothing had happened. The death of Madame Defarge was an accident for the reason she was shot by her own gun in a struggle with Miss Pross. Madame Defarge was trying to kill Lucie and her family when she was found out, and then she shot herself by accident. The death of Sydney Carton was caused by his love for Lucie. Charles Darnay was tried for treason and was sentenced to die by the guillotine. Charles was married to Lucie. Sydney pronouncing his love for Lucie died in the place of Charles.

Sydney did this so Lucie would be happy with Charles for the rest of her life. All these themes are interconnected in one way or another. They all end up to be talking about the same people and the actions they took to make something happen the way they want it too. The themes above are a couple of the major themes in this book by Charles Dickens. The theme of sacrifice in this book shows the audience it is sometimes all right to give up something means something to them. The theme of love and hate gives the audience a real look at life and how love and hate effects the life of a person. The theme of death is a theme of many books, because it happens to everybody no matter how hard they try to stop it from happening.

Dr. Analysis

Dr. Alexandre Manette the great survivor of the Bastille and father to Lucie Manette. Dr.Manette is the most important character in the book. Throughout the book he is the stories backbone. Few subplots ignore Manette. Dr. Manette loves his daughter. She is the world to him, without her he would still be a crazed old man.

Dr. Manette’s love for his daughter is clear throughout the story he expresses his thought verbally. When his daughter Lucie is married he tells her “Consider how natural and how plain it is, my dear, that it should be so. You, devoted and young, cannot fully appreciate the anxiety I have felt that your life should not be wasted.”1 Dr.Manette is a very caring man. Caring, that is the one adjective I would use to describe Dr.Manette. As I said before Dr.Manette loves his daughter. Lucie Manette is his driving force. Dr.Manette wants little except for his daughter to live a full and happy life and himself to be a part of it. His desire to be a part of Lucie life makes it hard for him to give her up to Charles Darnay. After the wedding Dr.Manette says “Take her, Charles. She is yours.”2 He does so with a quite sadness.

A huge portion of the story revolves about Dr.Manette’s past suffering in the Bastille. The Doctors Bastille time is pure hell. Ever after being freed he still mumbles crazy things such as “It is a lady’s shoe. It is a young lady’s walking-shoe. It is in the present mode. I have had a pattern in my hand.”3 Outbursts such as that show that he is not nor may he ever heal his scars. Though the book starts after his imprisonment, his Bastille time contains his actions that effects the stories plot the most. The action that truly stands out is his writing and hiding of the letter that later convicts Charles Darnay.

The exposure of the letter during the trail is in my opinion the most interesting twist in A Tale Of Two Cities. Dr.Manette has few contacts with the Defarges however in my opinion the doctors main conflict is with them. In the Defarge’s quest for vengeance against the Evermondes they come upon apposing paths with the doctor. The Defarges want Darnay dead. The doctor cannot let Darnay die for he has become a large part of his daughters life. The death of Darnay would bare heavily on Lucie’s shoulders. We see this when Lucie pleas with Madam Defarge commanding “You will be good to my poor husband. You will do him no harm. You will help me to see him if you can?”

Sydney Carton Analysis

In Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale Of Two Cities, Sydney Carton is a man of several distinct characteristics. Carton is shown originally to be a frustrated alcoholic, but then turns out to be a very noble and genuine man. Sydney Carton is also shown in the novel to be somewhat immature in his actions and thoughts.

Throughout the book, Sydney Carton does not always act or seem like he is the age that he is. He is depicted in the novel to be middle-age, perhaps in his mid-forties, yet several times he shows some very immature actions and feelings. One example is his feelings for Lucie Manette. Even after Lucie is married to Charles Darnay, whom she loves, Sydney refuses to give up his love for her. For someone in his mid-forties, this is somewhat an immature action. Had he been more mature, he might have forgotten about Lucie when she was married and found someone else. Another perhaps less important but very noticeable example is his appearance. He didn’t seem to care what people really thought about him or the way he was dressed, and remained very calm and relaxed, maybe even carefree, most of the time he was in court. This also gives Sydney Carton an immature appearance in the novel.

At the beginning of the story and a large part of the novel, Sydney Carton is shown to be a very arrogant, frustrated man with a drinking problem. Several times in the novel he indulged in his drinking to the point of becoming drunk or close to it. Many times that he is seen, he is drinking wine or has a flask of liquor in his hand. This may keep him calm or help him to remain composed in the court, but it becomes more to the point of being a necessity or habit. Also, his drinking causes him to be loose with his tongue when he is with Charles Darnay after the trial, which makes Charles angry with him. This behavior was very ill-mannered and could have been prevented to give Sydney Carton a better appearance and attitude.

Later in the novel, towards the end, Sydney seems to change his personality and attitude toward life, and actually shows some noble characteristics. When Sydney talks to Lucie alone, he seems very sincere and noble with his comment about sacrificing himself for her. This is very different from his selfish attitude he had before. At the end of the novel, Sydney’s act of sacrificing himself showed honor, courage, and a heart of love for Lucie, as well as for Charles. Sydney also shows very admirable characteristics when he helps the innocent woman at the guillotine. His personality totally changed throughout the novel to become a very selfless, caring person.

A Tale Of Two Cities shows Sydney Carton to have very many characteristics, both noble and some unpleasant. He is originally a confused, self-caring alcoholic, then changes to truly care for people, and to sacrifice his life for his love.

======i. "A Tale of Two Cities" as an historical novel

A Tale of Two Cities (1859) is a historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution.The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie, whom he had never met.

A Tale Of Two Cities is a historical novel pertaining to the period before and during the French Revolution. Dickens has already written one historical novel, Barnaby Rudge, which, however, dealt with a period of English history. By the time he wrote A Tale Of Two Cities he was feeling vitally interested in history. The one thing that everyone who has read A Tale Of Two Cities remembers is the Reign of Terror. And Dickens is very sure that revolution is a monster.

That is why everyone remembers the revolutionary scenes in A Tale Of Two Cities; they have the quality of nightmare, and it is Dickens own nightmare. Again and again he insists upon the meaningless horrors of revolution- the mass butcheries, the injustice, the ever-present Terror of spies, the frightful blood-lust of the mob. As a historical novel in any literal sense, it has to be kept in mind that Dickens novel does not by any means depict the enormous sweep and drama of the French Revolution in all its complexity.

A number of sources supplied to Dickens for his story of the French Revolution. The main source was Carlyle's French Revolution which Dickens had gone through many times. In this book by Carlyle he found a perfect source for the principal historical scenes and events that he needed for his purpose. The basic idea for the plot was derived by Dickens from a play called The Frozen Deep by Wilkie Collins. Another book which helped Dickens in writing A Tale Of Two Cities was a novel called Zanoni written by Bulwar- Lytton. The early events of Zanoni take place in Italy, but the action soon moves to Paris and to the French Revolution.

Although A Tale Of Two Cities is essentially the story of Dr Manette, Lucie, Darney, and Carton, this story is told against the historical background of the French Revolution. The French Revolution was the gread political upheaval which was caused by the evils of taxation and land- owning system which oppressed the lower classes in France. The disorganized state of national finance under King Louis XVI aggravated the situation in the country. In July 1789, a Paris mob stormed the Bastille, and the disturbances continued thereafter. In 1792, the monarchy was overthrown and France was declared a Republic with "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity" as its slogan and motto. In 1793, the Reign of Terror started, the King and afterwards the Queen becoming the victims of the guillotine.

The action of A Tale Of Two Cities covers the period from 1775 to 1793 which includes the years of the Revolution (1789-93). It must, however, be kept in mind that the French Revolution is only a secondary theme. Dickens highlights some of the events of the French Revolution such as storming of the Bestille, the senseless fury of the mob, the Reign of Terror etc.

Dickens first reference to the outward causes of the French Revolution in the chapter called "The Wine Shop" in which he uses the symbol of the mill to convey the grinding poverty through which the people of Saint Antoine are passing. Then there are the three chapters in which the callousness and arrogance of a particular nobleman are dipicted. These chapters are " Monseigneur in Town" , "Monseigneur in the Country" , and " The Gorgon's Head. The moseigneur or Marquis Evremonde in these Chapters symbolizes the entire privileged class. The hanging of Gaspard ( the assassin of the Marquis) and the " registration " of the Evremonde family and of the spy John Barsad are pointers in the same direction. One of the best known episodes of the French Revolution is than briefly described by Dickens in the Chapter entitled " Echoing Footsteps". That episode is the storming of Bestille. Madame Defarge's cutting off the head of the governor of the Bestille with her own hands prepares us for the excesses which will be committed by the revolutionaries. The hanging of the old Foulon and his son in law and the setting of the chateau of Evremondes on fire continue the episodic and fragmentary account by Dickens of French Revolution.

These historical scenes in the novel shows that Dickens selected only two actual episodes from the French Revolution- the storming of the Bastille and the lynching of old Foulon and his son in law.

Dickens derived the historical material from this novel from Carlyle's French Revolution which Dickens went through many times. All the historical scenes, to which reference has made above, are based upon Carlyle's book. For instance, Ducken's accounts of the trials, of prison, procedures, of the tumbrils, and of the guillotine all come from Carlyle. Monsieur Defarge and Madam Defarge come indirectly from Carlyle who had mentioned a wine -vender by the name of Cholat as a leader of the lower order if the society, and Carlyle had also mentioned a female leader who was a very impressive mob Captain. Dickens creates types of the leader of the Revolt from the lowest classes, giving them the names of Jacques One, Jacques Two, Jacques Three, etc.

Dickens's main achievement lies not only in giving us graphic and stirring accounts in the manner of Carlyle, but also interweaving the personal lives of a group of private characters with the events of the French Revolution. These private individuals are Dr. Manette, Lucie Manette, Darnay, and Carton, besides such less important figures as Mr. Lorry, Miss Pross, and John Barsad. ------ii. Dickens’ attitude towards French Revolution

As Depicted in "A Tale of Two Cities" He states that revolution is bound to happen whenever man is crushed oppressed and exploited by the rich. The aristocrats sow the seeds of the poor return evil for evil. Being tortured and exploited by the rich the poor are compelled to persecute the aristocracy and other enemies of the revolution with equal brutality.

However “The French Revolution” was an influential period of social and political upheaval in France that lasted from 1789 until 1799. During this period French citizens razed and redesigned their country’s politicallandscape uprooting centuries old institutions such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system. The famous slogan of the French Revolution was ‘liberty, equality, fraternity’.

Dickens uses the French revolution as the background to his novel ‘A tale of Two Cities’. The novel is set in England and France in 1775. The age is marked by competing and contradictory attitudes. In England the public worries over religious prophecies popular paranormal phenomena in the form of ‘the Cock-lane ghost’ and the messages that a colony of British subjects in America has se3nt to king George III. France on the other hand witnesses excessive spending and extreme violence a trend that anticipates the erection of the guillotine. In both countries the poor were exploited by the rich.

In the novel, Dickens points out the causes of the revolution through the character of the Marquis who is very cruel. He imposes heavy taxes on the poor villagers who don’t have the money to buy food or care for their children because they are sending all of their money to the Marquis. He has no pity for the poor. While returning from Monseigneur’s party his carriage runs over a small child at Saint Antoine. When the father of the child Gaspard charges at the carriage he looks at him with disgust and gives him a gold coin to pay for his dead child. Dickens sets up the Marquis as a representative of the French aristocracy and a direct cause of the imminent revolution.

Dickens does not support revolution. In the novel he has pointed out the violence of the revolution through the fall of the Bastile and the killing of the governor. The ghastly aspect of the bloody revolution is hinted at by the hanging of the old Foulon and his son-in-law by the angry mob. Another aspect is found in the burning of the chateau the home of the Marquis. The violent aspect of the Revolution is further stressed in the frightening description of the sharpening of the weapons by the revolutionaries on the grindstone the terrible account of the dancing of the Carmagnole the working of La Guillotine and the sentencing to death of such harmless person as the poor seamstress.

At the end of the novel after the execution of Carton, Dickens comments on the horror and meaninglessness of the revolution. He states that revolution is bound to happen whenever man is crushed oppressed and exploited by the rich. The aristocrats sow the seeds of the poor return evil for evil. Being tortured and exploited by the rich the poor are compelled to persecute the aristocracy and other enemies of the revolution with equal brutality. Through the picture of French revolution Dickens seems to be warning England that poverty and suffering in England can also to a revolution like the one in France. ======iii. Symbolism in the novel A Tale of Two Cities | Symbols Share Charles Dickens uses symbolism in A Tale of Two Cities as an integral part of the plot. The symbols he uses throughout the novel to represent human conflict and desperation, as well as the decency that humanity is capable of preserving, are so strong that they could almost be said to serve as characters in the novel themselves. Echoing Footsteps From the beginning of the novel, the echoes of approaching footsteps represent threat. This begins in Chapter 2 as Jerry Cruncher approaches the mail coach, and the sound of his horse's approach terrify the people in the coach. In London, the Manettes' home is in a recessed corner. Its inhabitants do not see people passing on the street but hear the echoes of their footsteps. Even the tapping of raindrops on the pavement sound like footsteps. In such sounds, Lucie Manette imagines the echoes of her family's footsteps and of people she has yet to meet. A storm can sound like a crowd approaching. As the revolution begins in France, the narrator links the bloody footsteps of revolutionaries to those echoes.

England England, although it has its own dangers—violence, injustice, and difficulty—is politically far more stable than France, and for the Manette family and Charles Darnay, it is a safe haven. It symbolizes stability and safety.

France France symbolizes utter chaos, loss of humanity, and violence. The French Revolution and the frustration and despair of hunger and mistreatment have turned the entire society upside down. Everyone is a suspect, everyone is a possible enemy, and generally decent people become cold-blooded murderers in the name of liberty.

Thread and Knitting Dickens names an entire book (Book 2) in A Tale of Two Cities using the thread symbol: "The Golden Thread." That golden thread is Lucie, who connects all of the people in the English story line of that book. Her thread is golden because she is a good-hearted and loving person who would never do anyone any harm. Meanwhile, in France, Madame Defarge (with her knitting) is the thread connecting the revolutionaries and their victims, including Darnay and his family. Knitting, of course, names not only a few chapters but also symbolizes the threat of death because Madame Defarge uses her knitting to register the people who will be denounced and condemned to die. She and her group of women, The Vengeanceamong them, sit and knit while silently watching people lose their heads at the guillotine. The quiet, humble craft of knitting, which is generally considered productive and is usually such a comfort to those who practice it, has been subverted into a weapon of revenge. The way knitting has been corrupted mirrors the way humanity has been corrupted in France: Everything that could possibly be loving and kind has become vengeful and dangerous.

The Guillotine The guillotine is the ultimate symbol of death, injustice, and revenge. It is a quick way to die, but it is also gory and very public, quickly reducing the formerly mighty and arrogant to decapitated corpses, which delights the bloodthirsty crowds. However, it is also the last stop in a corrupt system that lumps the innocent in with the guilty, offering no due process. The guillotine casts a literal and figurative shadow over everyone's lives.

iv. Theme of resurrection & renunciation

Renunciation: (Injustice) The fact that people who did so little to deserve it were punished so severely is just one example of the injustice portrayed in A Tale of Two Cities. Dr. Manette's imprisonment, which tore him down emotionally, was unjust, as he was imprisoned for trying to protect a family from harm and trying to report a crime. Being imprisoned for trying to do something honorable is an excellent example of injustice; in France, it was a common occurrence. Another example of this type of injustice is the imprisonment and denunciation of Charles Darnay, as well as that of his wife and child. Darnay renounces his heritage because of the cruelty his family inflicted on people. He is determined to embody his mother's love of compassion and humanitarian actions, and still, the revolutionaries want to guillotine him for being part of an aristocratic family that had previously done wrong. It is unjust to blame an entire family for one person's crime. It is especially unjust to blame Darnay's wife and his six-year-old child for the actions of the Marquis and his brother.

Resurrection In A Tale of Two Cities, resurrection plays a large part in the way the plot unfolds. For starters, Dr. Manette has been imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille, where those who go in seldom come out again. People are forgotten there, and it is a miracle that Dr. Manette is released alive. But he is not resurrected from death just once: in his garret making shoes, he is completely separated from the real world, and it is Lucie who resurrects him once again, to return him to real life and familial love in London. Other characters also experience resurrections: Charles Darnay, who survives several death sentences; Roger Cly, whose funeral is held in Book 1 but who turns up alive in Book 3; John Barsad and Madame Defarge even experience a sort of resurrection when their true identities become known. There are small reminders of this theme throughout, such as the note from Mr. Lorry to his bank— "Recalled to Life"—and Jerry Cruncher's moonlighting as a resurrection man, or body snatcher.

Vengeance Before the revolution, the aristocracy often treated the common people with disdain, taking what they could from them and ignoring their needs. Any sign of disrespect against the aristocracy was cruelly punished. When the tables turned and the revolution got underway, the common people, fueled by generations of starvation and mistreatment, went even further.

Dickens examines the topic of vengeance from the perspectives of not only classes, but also of individuals. For some, like Madame Defarge and many other revolutionaries, vengeance is the primary driver of their actions. For others, such as Charles Darnay, the Manettes, and Sydney Carton, vengeance is another form of violence and should be relinquished.

Violence In a novel that takes place during the French Revolution, there is bound to be rampant bloodshed, and Dickens portrays it graphically—including state-sanctioned torture and killing, mob violence, and the brutal Reign of Terror. Even in relatively stable England, though, capital punishment was frequent and public. Apart from the violence inflicted by court rulings, crime was rampant and often violent. Travelers lived in fear of highwaymen, and people were afraid to walk the streets at night. In A Tale of Two Cities, these fears are made clear in the actions and reactions of people in England. As the novel progresses, the revolution takes hold, and violence becomes increasingly brutal and pervasive. Dickens leaves readers wondering whether the ends can possibly justify such means. v. How public events and private lives are interlinked in the novel?

Dickens, as a novelist, stands out for drawing attention to social evils, his humanism, his philosophic vision of life, his belief in the goodness of man, his characters and his use of humour, pathos and imagination. A Tale of Two Cities is a tale of two cities Paris and Londonand the French Revolution against which the story of a few characters is narrated. He skilfully weaves private lives and public events, fact and fiction, history and imagination.