GUIDING QUESTIONS NUMBERED BY CHAPTERS (BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS—either write down your answers or make notes in book. The book test at the beginning of the year will reflect these questions as well as plot questions.):

BOOKTHEFIRST: ch1. List all of the opposites that create the mood. What is the mood? ch2. Describe the mood/atmosphere of ch2. 3. Why does Dickens the narrator “intrude” upon this chapter? 4. How does Dickens use details to characterize the sea at Dover and Miss Manette’s apartment? 5. Do you have any sympathy for DeFarge? Explain. What is the symbolic meaning of the breaking of the wine bottle? 6. Annotate the reference to light and dark in this chapter.

BOOKTHESECOND: (ENGLAND) ch1. What is Dickens’s attitude toward the justice system? How do you know? ch2. Look carefully at the entrance of the prison. How does Dickens characterize the crowd as they watch [him]? Why is the trial referred to as a “play”? 3. How does Dickens satirize the British justice system? In what way are Sidney and Charles foils? 4. How are and foils? 5. Annotate the images of light and dark. Is the animal imagery an accurate description of Sidney and Stryver? 6. How does Dickens imagery of Mr. Lorry relate to his effects upon the Manette home? What is the effect of the storm on the gathering at the Manette home? (FRANCE) 7. How is the French aristocracy characterized in the scene at the opera? In the scene of the death of the poor child? What is the effect of the religious imagery in describing Monseigneur? 8. How does Dickens characterize the poor in the countryside? 9. What is significant about the Gorgon image? Fountains? How are Charles and his uncle “mirrors”? 10. Note all of the references to “hands.” Why do you think they are significant? 11. How is this chapter a “mirror” to the previous one? 12. How does Dickens intend for the reader to view Stryver? (ENGLAND) 13. How is the title of this chapter ironic? 14. How does Dickens characterize the crowd as they run the sole mourner off and accompany the hearse to the graveyard? 15. The Crunchers and the Defarges are foils. How does the juxtaposition of chapters 15 & 16 highlight similarities and differences? 16. Examine the first 2 paragraphs. Why does Dickens come back to the stone faces on the chateau of Monsieur the Marquis? Note the thread image. In London, Lucy is associated with the golden thread. In Paris, knits the threads of the revolutionary registry. What is the effect of Dicken’s use of this image? 17. How does Lucie compare with her father’s imaginings of his unborn child? 18. What is What is the significance of the title of the chapter? 19. What method does Lorry use to discuss the doctor’s relapse? 20. NONE 21. Some years have passed. During this time, what has occurred in the lives of the Darnays, Sydney, and Stryver? How is business at Tellson’s Bank? What is important about 1789? What is the effect of the images of “footsteps”? What is the effects of Dickens’s extended metaphor of the sea throughout his description of the storming of the Bastille? Is it consistent with history? 22. How does Dickens develop the nature of the revolutionaries? 23. What is the effect of Dickens’ use of fire imagery as he describes the destruction of the Marquis’ chateau? 24. Why is Tellson’s Bank important to “Monseigneur”? Who is “Monseigneur”?

BOOKTHETHIRD ch1. What images does Dickens use to describe the progress of Charles’ journey to Paris? ch2. How does Dickens characterize the crowd? Identify ironies in this chapter. 3. How is “shadow” used metaphorically? What do you think Madame Defarge’s answer to Lucie’s plea is foreshadowing? 4. Compare/contrast this chapter’s content AND style (sentence patterns) to chap. 3 of BOOKTHE SECOND. 5. Symbolically, how does the wood-sawyer’s new profession contrast with the old? How and why is the guillotine personified and with what effect? How is the carmagnole a revolutionary ritual? 6. Compare Charles’ trial to the trial in Book II (witnesses, representation, acquittal). 7. How is Lucie shown to be prophetic? 8. Explain the title. How does Carton show up at propitious moments? 9. What themes are apparent in the biblical verses that run through Sydney’s mind? 10. How does Dr. Manette’s memoir clarify questions that have not been answered? Explain the chapter title. 11. Explain Sydney’s actions. 12. What do Dr. Manette and Sydney accomplish in this chapter? 13. In what ways (literally and figuratively) have Charles and Sydney exchanged places with each other? What is the role of the seamstress and how is the title significant? How does Dickens create suspense as Lorry leaves Paris? 14. How do the discussions between Madame Defarge, the Vengeance, and Jacques 3 reflect the revolution gone wrong during the Terror? What is Dickens suggesting about power, love, and hate in the confrontation between and Madame Defarge? 15. Instead of an epilogue, how does Dickens let us know what happened to those who escaped? Evaluate this technique. What do you think about the concluding lines of the novel? LITERARY/RHETORICAL TERMS: juxtaposition*extended metaphor*characterization*setting*plot*mood*tone*style*sentence patterns and structures*irony* dichotomy*imagery*descriptions*foreshadowing*parallelism*diction*connotation*denotation*narrative structure* exposition (Look up these words if you do not know what they mean.)

MOOD/TONE WORDS: grave*suspenseful*critical*acerbic*formal*outraged*detached*didactic*morose*bitter*bombastic*imperious*reminiscent* disdainful*incisive*facetious*inflammatory*resigned*whimsical*insolent*smug*sentimental*effusive*sardonic*irreverent* restrained*erudite*obsequious*candid*diffident

*FAQ: HOW DO YOU DETERMINE TONE? Diction (word choice), choice of details, portrayal of people, places, and events

*What is unusual about the point of view? What is unusual about the protagonists?

HISTORICAL CONTEXT CHARACTERS THEMATIC CONNECTIONS RESEARCH (briefly) THESE TERMS: Tyranny and Revolution*Sacrifice* Like the American Revolution, the Resurrection*Imprisonment* Secrecy Dr. French Revolution was launched in the and Surveillance*Fate and The Enlightenment spirit of rational thought and political History*Response to Jacobins th liberty. But these ideals of the 18 crisis*Revenge*Duty vs. The 3 Estates and the Estates General century Enlightenment period were Monsieur Defarge Madame Defarge Desire*Honor/Dishonor Maximilien Robespierre soon compromised when the French Marquis St. Evremonde National Assembly Revolution devolved into “Terror”—a Mr. Jarvis Lorry SYMBOLS Declaration of the Rights of Man violent period of beheadings by the Storming of the Bastille 1789 Mr. Stryver Wine*knitting and the golden very citizens who overthrew the Reign of Terror 1794-95 thread* guillotine shoes and tyrannous French monarchy. The John Barsad King Louis XVI French Revolution cast a long shadow Jacques Three footsteps*LOOK FOR OTHERS Marie Antoinette into 19th century Britain, as The Vengeance March on Versailles industrialization seemed to divide the The mender of roads Seven Years’ War (French and Indian) English population into the rich and Gabelle Revolutionary War (American) poor. Many people feared the Roger Cly oppressed working class would start an Miss Pross The Committee for Public Safety Monseigneur Danton and Marat (journalists) English Revolution, but a series of political compromises and wake-up Mrs. Cruncher Guillotine Young Jerry calls like Dicken’s ATOTC helped to avert the potential crisis.1 *The book is broken into 3 parts*Book The First: Recalled to Life*Book The Florman, Ben and Justin Kestler, ed. “LitChart on A Tale of .” Second: The Golden Thread*Book The Third: The Track of the Storm LitCharts.com. 25 Mar 2016

VOCABULARY IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (mini-dictionary):

ABJECT(sunk to a low condition) ADJURE(to appeal to; to charge) AFFABLE(gracious) ANTECEDENTS(immediate ancestry) APHORISM(proverb) APELLATION(name or designation) ASSIDUOUS(busy) ATTENUATED(made thin) AUSPICIOUS(favorable) BACCHANALIAN(carousing) CADAVEROUS(ghastly; like a cadaver) CESSATION(ceasing) COGITATE(ponder; think) COMMISERATION(pity) CONVERSANT(familiar with a thing or subject) COUNTENANCE(facial expression) CULPABLE(deserving blame) DEFERENCE(honor) DEMUR(pause; objection) DEPRECATE(to express disapproval) DISSIMILATION(hypocrisy) DISSOLUTE(loose in morals and conduct) DOLOROUS(painful) DUBIOUS(doubtful) EFFICACY(effectiveness) ELICIT(to evoke) EVANESCENCE(vanishing) EVINCE(show) EXPEDITOUSLY (efficiently; with rapid action) EXPOSTULATE(to object or reason earnestly) EXTEMPORIZE(improvise) FERRET(to search out) FORAY(short raid) FURTIVE(sly; stealthy) GLIB(speaking smoothly) GREGARIOUS(to herd; lively) HARLEQUIN(comic figure in colorful clothes) HOMAGE(reverential regard) IMMOLATE(sacrifice) IMPASSIVE(not showing emotion) INCOMMODIOUS(not spacious) INCORRIGIBLE(unruly) INCUMBENT(obligatory) INEXORABLE(inflexible) INUNDATION(to flood or overwhelm) INVIOLATE(unharmed) IRRESOLUTE(wavering in decision) JOCOSE(witty; joking) LACONIC(concise; terse; brief) LANGUISH (to loose vitality) LAUDABLE (praiseworthy) LEVITY(gaiety) MAGNANIMOUS(honorable) MALIGN(to speak evil of) MEAGRE(thin; sparse) MOROSE(glum; sullen) NONDESCRIPT(no particular kind) OBLITERATED(erased) OBSEQUIOUS(revealing one’s inferiority in the presence of one’s superior; fawning) OSTENSIBLE(apparent; professed) OSTENTATIOUS(showy; pretentious) PALPABLE(readily; visible) PATRONAGE(condescension) PECUNIARY(relating to money) PERNICIOUS(causing injury) PISCATORY(fish-like) PLACID(undisturbed) PLAINTIVE(melancholy) POLTROON(coward) PRECIPITATE(hurl headlong) PRECOCIOUS(early in development) PROPENSITIES(natural inclination or liking) PROPITIATE(appease) RECOMPENSE(a reward) REFRACTORY(stubborn) REGENERATION(rebirth) REITERATE(repeat) REJOIN(answer) REMONSTRANCE(protest) REPARABLE(capable of being remedied) RUMINATE(to ponder) SAGACITY(wisdom) SELF- ABNEGATING(self-renouncing) SERVILE(slavish) SOLILOQUY(monologue) SONOROUS(resonant) STAID(serious; grave) STOLID(not easily excited) STRAIGHT(difficult time) SUPERCILIOUS(proud) SUPPLICATORY(praying) TIMOROUS(fearful; timid) TREPIDATION(fearful agitation) TRIUMVIRATE(group of 3) TURBID(dirty and disturbed) UBIQUITOUS(present everywhere at the same time) UNSCRUPULOUS(no moral principles; unrestrained by ideas of right or wrong) VEHEMENCE(impetuous force) VENERABLE(old and respectable) VINDICATE(defend or avenge) VOLUBLE(talkative)

CHAPTER TITLES

BOOKTHEFIRST (Recalled to Life): 1:The Period 2:The Mail 3:The Night Shadows 4:The Preparation 5:The Wine-Shop 6:The Shoemaker

BOOKTHESECOND (The Golden Thread): 1:Five Years Later 2:A Sight 3:Disappointment 4:Congratulatory 5:The Jackal 6:Hundreds of People 7:Monseigneur in Town 8:Monseigneur in the Country 9:The Gorgon’s Head 10:Two Promises 11:A Companion Picture 12:A Fellow of Delicacy 13:The Fellow of No Delicacy 14:The Honest Tradesman 15:Knitting 16:Still Knitting 17:One Night 18:Nine Days 19:An Opinion 20:A Plea 21:Echoing Footsteps 22:The Sea Still Rises 23:Fire Rises 24:Drawn to the Loadstone Rock

BOOKTHETHIRD (The Track of the Storm): 1:In Secret 2:The Grindstone 3:The Shadow 4:Calm in Storm 5:The Wood-sawyer 6:Triumph 7:A Knock at the Door 8: A Hand at Cards 9:The Game Made 10:The Substance of the Shadow 11:Dusk 12:Darkness 13:Fifty-two 14:The Knitting Done 15:The Footsteps Die Out for Ever