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A Tale of Two Cities Summary and Analysis

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A Tale of Two Cities – Introduction

A Tale of Two Cities is one of Charles Dickens’s most well-known works. The novel tells the struggles caused by the French Revolution and the dangers that come with blanket persecutions of people for their connections rather than for their deeds.

Although the protagonist and main character Charles Darnay is connected to the French aristocracy by blood, he has renounced all connection to the family and sympathizes with the oppressed citizens of France. However, some revolutionaries are unable to see past his lineage and he is doomed to suffer for the crimes of his ancestors despite his life’s actions.

A Tale of Two Cities Literary Elements

Type of Work: Novel

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published Date: 1859

Setting: London area and Paris area between the years 1775-1793

Main Characters: Darnay, Lucie, Doctor Manette, Sydney Carton

Protagonist: Charles Darnay

Antagonist: Madame Defarge

Major Thematic Elements: The ripple effect of sacrifice; Violence and oppression at the hands of revolutionaries; The promise of resurrection

Motifs: Doubles; shadows; imprisonment.

Exposition: The novel opens in 1775 and England and France are both suffering from social unrest.

Conflict: Madame Defarge is seeking revenge against Darnay while others strive to keep him protected from the guillotine.

Plot: Jumps through time in a forward-moving fashion.

Major Symbols: The broken wine casket; Madame Defarge’s knitting; The Marquis

Climax: In court, a letter is read aloud indicting Darnay as a member of a cruel aristocratic lineage—cementing the concept that Darnay may have to die or else his oppressor, Madame Defarge will.  

Literary Significance of A Tale of Two Cities

Furthermore, being a work of historical fiction, the novel provides a look into what life was like during the French Revolution. Any individual connected to the aristocracy was seen to be worthy of execution so that the French lower class could rise out of oppression. This brutal time in French history did not allow any exceptions, creating a dire time for all of the French population. Having a compelling story that also visits this time in history is valuable to study and adds an enormous contribution to the English literary canon.

A Tale of Two Cities Book Summary

Once Lorry arrives at Dover, he finds Lucie Manette, a young orphan whose father is supposed dead. However, he has been discovered in France. Lorry is to escort Lucie to Paris. When they get there, they meet Defarge, who has been keeping Lucie’s father, Doctor Manette, safe. He had spent eighteen years in the Bastille and has gone mad. All he wants to do anymore is make shoes. Lorrie reassures Lucie that her love for her father will bring him back to sanity.

As Book the Second opens, the year is now 1780. A well-bred young man named Charles Darnay stands trial for treason—his charges include having divulged secret information to the kind of France. His lawyer, Stryver, pleads his case. His drunken colleague, Sydney Carton, assists and the court acquits Darnay. Lucie and Doctor Manette are there to act as witnesses against Darnay. After the trial, Darnay and Carton go to a tavern, where Carton reveals his disdain for his defendant since Darnay serves as a reminder of what Carton has given up in life—he feels disconnected from what he truly wants to be.

In France, the Marquis Evrémonde runs over a poor child with his carriage. Completely unphased about the suffering of the lower class at his hands, he carries on his way to await the arrival of his nephew, Darnay. When Darnay arrives, he tells his uncle that he plans to denounce his title and property that he is set to inherit from his uncle. Later that night, the Marquis is murdered by a knife through his heart by revolutionaries.

A year later, Darnay is working as a teacher in London. He has joined the many suitors vying for Lucie’s hand in marriage and confesses his love for her to Doctor Manette. In an effort to fully win over the trust of Doctor Manette, he tries to reveal his true identity as part of the Evrémonde lineage. However, Manette stops him and tells him to only do so if he is successful in winning over Lucie. Meanwhile, Carton has also confessed his love for Lucie, telling her that although he isn’t worth much, she helps him dream of a better life.

Back in London, the day of Darnay and Lucie’s wedding has arrived, and Darnay intends to keep his promise to Manette. He reveals his true identity and Manette starts to slip into old patterns of madness. He soon regains composure and joins his daughter and her new husband on their honeymoon. When they return, Carton makes peace with Darnay, who assumes Carton that he will always be welcome in their home. Years go by and Darnay and Lucie along with her father lead a relatively peaceful life. Lucie gives birth to two children, one of whom dies young. As the years pass, the social and political turbulence grows.

In 1789, the peasants storm the Bastille in Paris and the French Revolution officially begins. Aristocrats are murdered in the streets. Gabelle, the man upkeeping the Evrémonde estate is imprisoned. After three years have passed, he writes to Darnay begging to be rescued. Darnay decides to travel to France, despite the great personal risk he faces.

When Darnay arrives in Paris at the start of Book the Third, he is arrested. Lucie and Doctor Manette travel to France to attempt to rescue him. He sits in prison for over a year awaiting trial. Manette has considerable influence over the revolutionaries and uses this to Darnay’s advantage. Darnay is acquitted, only to be immediately arrested later that same night. His charges have come from Defarge and his vengeful wife, who despises his lineage tying him to the cruel Evrémonde family. Carton travels to Paris to aid in the fight to rescue Darnay.

When Darnay goes to trial, Defarge produces a letter that he discovered in Manette’s jail cell, which explains why Manette was imprisoned. Many years ago, the Evrémonde brothers (Darnay’s father and uncle) asked for Manette’s medical services tending to a young woman one of the brothers had raped and her brother, who had been stabbed by the perpetrator. Out of fear that Manette might report their crime, they then had him arrested. When the jury hears the contents of this letter, they are outraged at Darnay for being related to such heinous individuals. They sentence him to death within the next 24 hours.

Later that night, Carton is visiting the Defarge wine shop and overhears Madame Defarge plotting to have Lucie and her daughter executed with Darnay. It is revealed that Madame Defarge is the surviving family member of the man and woman who were the victims of the Evrémonde brothers’ crime. Carton has the Manettes immediately depart from France and tricks Darnay into switching clothes with him. Disguised as Carton, Darnay is able to escape with his family. Sydney Carton is executed under disguise as Darnay. When he dies, he feels fulfilled for finally having brought some meaning to his life.

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A Tale of Two Cities

Background of the novel, historical context.

Though the French Revolution could not achieve its ultimate goal and turn into a chaotic bloodbath, it played an important role in influencing the modern nation by portraying the inherent power of will of the common people.

Literary Context

The novelists like Dickens, Scott, and Eliot used the genre of historical fiction to talk about the problems that were prevailing in their societies. They would use the events of the past to reveal the present to revolve around the crisis. The novels of these novelists discuss how individuals are created and shaped by political history and vice versa.

A Tale of Two Cities Summary

The wealthy aristocrats of France ignore the misery of poor people who are dying due to hunger and are staggering in luxury. The carriage of Marquis St. Evremonde, a wealthy aristocrat, irresponsibly runs over a child and kills him. 

A Tale of Two Cities Characters Analysis

Sydney carton.

Though, in his conversation with Charles Darnay, who has been recently proved guiltless, comments about Lucie. However, his tone was sardonic and bitter and let down his growing interest and developing feelings for Lucie. Ultimately, he gathers courage and confesses his feelings for Lucie to her. Unknowing that Lucie and Darnay are soon going to marry, he proposes his love for Lucie and also claims that he is not worthy of her. This event changes the life of Sidney Carton and makes the basis for the sacrifice that Sidney makes for Lucie at the end of the novel.  

Madame Defarge

The oppression of aristocrats has mage Madame Defarge, an oppressor; likewise, the victims of the oppression of Madame Defarge will turn out oppressors as well. Madame Defarge dies with the shot of her own gun. Through this, Dickens symbolizes that the revengeful attitude that Madame Defarge embodies turns out to be self-damning.

Charles Darnay (a.k.a. Charles Evrémonde)

Lucie manette.

She is the daughter of Dr. Alexandre Manette and wife of Charles’ Darnay. She resurrects or restores her father back to life after eighteen years of imprisonment. She has the qualities of devotion, innocence, and enduring love. In the novel, she is the main figure which symbolizes goodness and laces a “golden thread” that binds together an essential group of people against the cruel forces of politics and history. She also displays religious faith. She believes in Sydney Carton when no one else believes in him. It is her kindness that inspires Sidney for his utmost deed of sacrifice.

Dr. Alexandre Manette

Monsieur defarge, jarvis lorry.

With the development of the plot of the novel, the character of Jarvis Lorry changes from a purely pragmatic and minding-one’s-own-business to an intense and loyal person who devotes his life to protect the family of Dr. Manette and thus become a member of Manette’s family. When Mr. Lorry first meets with Lucie, he asserts that “I had no feelings and that all relationships I hold with my fellow-creatures are mere business relations.” 

Jerry Cruncher

Marquis evrémonde, mr. stryver, john barsad or roger cly.

He is the servant of Evremondes and is charged with the allegation of keeping the estate of Evremondes after the death of Marquis Evremonde. The revolutionaries imprisoned him, and he wrote a letter to Charles Darnay for him. This letter makes Darnay visit France and save him.

Themes in A Tale of Two Cities

Resurrection and transformation, the inevitability of sacrifice, the propensity to fierceness and tyranny in revolutionaries, oppression and revolution, secrecy and surveillance, fate and history.

Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge identify with the Fates – the mythological goddesses who actually control the “threads.” Lucie is titled as the “golden thread,” whereas Madame Defarge is seen as constantly knitting in the novel. The novel A Tale of Two Cities is concerned with the theme of human destiny due to the presence of these two “Fate” characters. The novel deals with how history shapes the fate of the individual. In the novel, Dr. Manette and Charles Darnay try to change their destinies. Charles makes his way to England and tries to escape the cruel history of his family; however, circumstances made him go to France and face the consequences of his family’s past. Similarly, Dr. Manette uses his connection and influence to rescue Charles Darnay; however, he forgets his own letter that causes his execution. Dickens suggests that forces of history cannot be defeated by political influences but by self-sacrifice.

A Tale of Two Cities Analysis

The readers learn about the causes of Madame Defarge’s action at the end of the novel. However, they have been driving the plot and reflect that how history discloses. The chaotic Revolution does not start all of a sudden; it is the result of the decades’ old exploitation and injustices by power. Likewise, the crimes that were committed years before by the old generation haunted the new generation and held them accountable for it.

Abstract ideas and concepts in a literary text are represented by objects, characters, and figures. Following are the symbols in the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The wine shop of Madame Defarge and Monsieur Defarge is the center where revolutionary planning is going on secretly. The wine in the novel symbolizes the strong power of the French Revolution.  The revolutionaries, drunk on power, turned from the freedom fighters into the wild beasts on the streets murdering everyone. The deep red color of the wine shows the red color of the blood. When the wine drops from the container, the people rush towards it. It shows how these people are bloodthirsty. Just like the wine everywhere on the streets when the sailor could not transport it to the shop properly, after the Revolution, blood is everywhere. 

Golden Thread and knitting

Footsteps and shoes.

Lucie hears the footsteps of all the people coming into the lives of Manette’s family. These footsteps symbolize fate. It shows how the fate of Lucie is connected with people coming into her life. Similarly, in his madness, Dr. Manette is always seen as making shoes. Shoes are the symbol of the inevitable past. 

The Marquis

The character of the Marquis Evrémonde is an archetype of wicked and corrupt social institutions. He exploits the lives of peasants and is completely indifferent to their sufferings. Marquis is a symbol of the brutal aristocrat and cruelty that drives the peasants to revolt against them.

Dickens does not compare the two cities or characters by placing them opposite to each other, and he also creates the twins that make the plot of the novel melodramatic. The character of Darnay resembles Sidney Carton in looks. Carton saves the life of Sidney twice by taking advantage of his resemblance to Charles Darney.

Imprisonment

Setting of the novel, point of view.

The point of view of the novel A Tale of Two Cities has a third-person omniscient. The events of the plot are recounted by the all-knowing and all-seeing narrator. The narrator also provides an understanding of the feelings and thoughts of the characters. The point of view helps to provide a thorough perspective on the historical events that occur in different places. It also allows the panoramic view of all the events taking place in the two cities: London and Paris.

The plot of historical fiction is set before the time it is actually written. It provides a critical view of the events of the past and helps the readers to think more critically than the facts given by historians.

More From Charles Dickens

A Tale of Two Cities Summary

1-Sentence-Summary: A Tale of Two Cities tells the stories of two connected families in 18th-century London and Paris, exploring everything from love and loss to murder and family intrigue, thus teaching us about history, ethics, and the complexity of human relationships.

Favorite quote from the author:

Table of Contents

Video Summary

A tale of two cities review, who would i recommend our a tale of two cities summary to.

“I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss,” Commissioner Gordon reads. “I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy.” The tomb stone next to which he stands is simple. Grey. Plain. “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known,” Gordon closes. Batman is dead.

Little did I know that  the brilliant funeral scene in The Dark Knight Rises is not in the script. It’s based on the ending lines of Charles Dickens ‘ novel, A Tale of Two Cities . Published in 1859, the book is Dickens’ most famous work of fiction. It is also one of the best-selling books of all time. The alleged number of 200 million copies is disputed, but it’s up there. Following two connected families from London and Paris in the 18th century, the novel is about love, loss, inequality, justice, and morals.

Here are 3 lessons that will help you understand its core message:

• You can always be “recalled to life;” it’s never too late to turn your life around.
• There are always parallels to the past in any life situation, and we can use them to master our struggles.
• Sacrificing for other people is, ironically, a good way to achieve purpose and fulfillment.

Let’s discover A Tale of Two Cities !

If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it whenever you want.

Lesson 1: It is never too late to “be reborn,” to change ourselves and make something of our lives. 

The first act of the book is called “Recalled to Life,” a key phrase that repeats throughout the book. Initially, it is used to describe the release of Dr. Alexandre Manette from the Bastille prison after 18 years. Lorry carries this news to Lucie, Manette’s daughter. Together, they travel to France and bring a clearly traumatized and mentally unstable Dr. Manette home to London.

Besides Manette’s release from prison, his daughter eventually managing to bring him back to a normal state is another rebirth. Later in the book, Charles Darnay, a French nobleman and Lucie’s love interest, is saved repeatedly from being sentenced to death. Meanwhile, Sydney Carton, a brilliant but cynical lawyer who also loves Lucie, is slowly “recalled to life” from his dark and egotistic ways. In the end, he even sacrifices himself for Darnay and Lucie, alluding to a more literal “rebirth” in the Christian sense of the word.

The point Dickens makes is that no matter our circumstances or past failures, it is never too late to be reborn. Any day could be the day we decide to change, to demand better, and to make something of our lives. Whether we’re stuck in prison or bad habits , it’s never too late to break out and be “recalled to life.”

Lesson 2: Everything in life resembles something else, and there are always parallels to learn from if we look for them.

“There is nothing new under the sun,” they say. In the second act, “The Golden Thread,” more and more parallels between Lucie’s and Darnay’s families unfold. When Lucie and her father are witnesses at Darnay’s trial for treason, she falls in love with him. Since present lawyer Sydney Carton resembles Darnay, all evidence against him is dismissed.

Later in London, Carton vows to be a great friend to Lucie after she rejects him romantically. Lucie and Darnay get married and start a family, but Darnay’s past is about to catch up with him. After his trial, Darnay, the sole heir to the unscrupulous Marquis St. Evrémonde, renounced his noble roots. But the Marquis was soon murdered by the father of a child he ran over with his carriage. Suddenly, Darnay is — wanted or unwanted — the new Marquis.

Two people who are disconnected from their fathers. Two cities facing civil unrest and deep-seated inequality. Carton looks like Darnay, both love Lucie, and both Manette and Darnay end up in prison. Everything in A Tale of Two Cities comes in pairs — because so does everything in life. Consider the book’s opening lines:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…

The lesson? No matter what situation you are currently facing, if you look around, research, and consult history, you will find that someone had a similar challenge once before — and you can learn from them to keep moving forward. History doesn’t repeat, but it sure as hell rhymes , and that’s one of the best things about it.

Lesson 3: One of the most meaningful things we can do is to sacrifice for others which, ironically, will make us happy and fulfilled.

In the last act, “The Track of a Storm,” Darnay is promptly thrown into prison after his arrival in France for being “an old aristocrat.” The Manettes arrive and get him acquitted at his trial, but he is rearrested instantly — and sentenced to death.

Selflessly, Carton manages to trade places with an unknowing Darnay in his cell, choosing to be executed in his stead. Remember Commissioner Gordon’s speech? It is the book’s closing monologue. Carton stares at the guillotine about to chop off his head. Despite impending death, Carton is at peace, having done the right thing. That’s why, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known,” he concludes.

Of course, in our everyday lives, sacrifice doesn’t mean dying to save someone else. Giving up something to help others, however, is one of the best ways to achieve meaning and happiness — as long as we choose the right people and do it for the right reasons. Don’t get lost inside your head. Doing a little bit of good for others every day is the best way to do a great deal of good for yourself.

A Tale of Two Cities truly has everything you could ask for in a story. It’s a literary classic full of important themes, metaphors, and symbols. Dive in slowly with some summaries and analyses of the book, then read the whole thing. You won’t regret it!

The 15-year-old high school student who needs to read the book for class but doesn’t quite see the point, the 27-year-old stay-at-home mom who feels alone in her situation, and anyone who wants to better understand the great classics of literature.

Last Updated on May 6, 2024

Niklas Göke

Niklas Göke is an author and writer whose work has attracted tens of millions of readers to date. He is also the founder and CEO of Four Minute Books, a collection of over 1,000 free book summaries teaching readers 3 valuable lessons in just 4 minutes each. Born and raised in Germany, Nik also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration & Engineering from KIT Karlsruhe and a Master’s Degree in Management & Technology from the Technical University of Munich. He lives in Munich and enjoys a great slice of salami pizza almost as much as reading — or writing — the next book — or book summary, of course!

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A Tale of Two Cities

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A Tale of Two Cities , novel by Charles Dickens , published both serially and in book form in 1859. The story is set in the late 18th century against the background of the French Revolution . Although Dickens borrowed from Thomas Carlyle ’s history, The French Revolution , for his sprawling tale of London and revolutionary Paris , the novel offers more drama than accuracy. The scenes of large-scale mob violence are especially vivid, if superficial in historical understanding.

The complex plot involves Sydney Carton ’s sacrifice of his own life on behalf of his friends Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette. While political events drive the story, Dickens takes a decidedly antipolitical tone, lambasting both aristocratic tyranny and revolutionary excess—the latter memorably caricatured in Madame Defarge , who knits beside the guillotine . The book is perhaps best known for its opening lines, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” and for Carton’s last speech, in which he says of his replacing Darnay in a prison cell, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.”

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A Tale of Two Cities Summary Charles Dickens

Everything you need to understand or teach A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens .

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A Tale of Two Cities Summary

A Tale of Two Cities occupies a central place in the canon of Charles Dickens's works. TIns novel of the French Revolution was originally serialized in the author's own periodical All the Year Round Weekly publication of chapters 1-3 of Book 1 began on April 30, 1859. In an innovative move, Dickens simultaneously released installments of the novel on a monthly basis, beginning with all of Book 1 in June and concluding with the last eight chapters...

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A Tale of Two Cities Study Guide

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A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Plot Summary

A tale of two cities summary.

This article explains and presents the story A tale of two cities summary.  Charles Dickens is the author of this novel. published in the form of a book in the year 1859. A tale of two cities summary is having set up from the late 18th century against the background of the famous French Revolution. Although Dickens borrowed its theme from Thomas Carlyle’s history, The French Revolution, but still it has the sprawling tale of London and revolutionary Paris. This novel offers more drama intake rather than accuracy. It has scenes of large-scale mob violence with a strong historical background. This novel is covering the story of two cities London and Paris.

A Tale of Two Cities Summary in short

This article is presenting the very popular story A tale of two cities summary in a brief way. It is the time of 1775, and Mr. Jarvis Lorry is going to Dover to meet the girl Lucie Manette. He tells her that she is not an orphan in the world, as this was told to her from a young age. Lorry says to her that he will travel with her to Paris, where she can meet her father. He also tells that her father Doctor Manette has recently been released from the Bastille, Paris, where he was kept for 18 years. Doctor Manette is presently at the house of Defarges’ family, where they are running a wine-shop. Her father has lost his memory due to some reason. But, he starts regaining it when he meets his daughter and then they went back to London.

After five years, Charles Darnay is accused in London due to a charge for providing English secrets to the French. Then the dramatic appearance of Sydney Carton, who is looking very much similar to Charles Darnay, precludes the positive identification and hence allows Darnay’s acquittal. Actually Darnay, Carton, and Stryver all love Lucie Manette. Although they are making efforts to impress her, she favors Charles Darnay and then marries him after. Carton returns back to her house alone and declares that without condition, he would do anything for her in the future. Darnay unknowingly gives hint to Doctor Manette of his concealed identity. He reveals to his father-in-law on his wedding day that he belongs to a French nobleman family and he also tells about his title.

Meanwhile, In France, Darnay’s uncle, Monseigneur, was murdered due to having charge of crimes against the French poor people. It means that Darnay is also in the same line as he inherits the aristocratic title. At the urgent request of Gabelle, a servant of his family and he has been arbitrarily imprisoned, Darnay returns to Paris. There he is arrested being a rich nobleman and was sent to jail there.

A spy John Barsad goes to the Defarges’ wine-shop to find the evidence regarding whether they are revolutionaries or something else. Spy finds a truth that Madame Defarge is having a list of those whom she and the other revolutionaries intend to kill.

Doctor Manette, Miss Pross, Lucie, and her child all are going to Paris to save Darnay. Their doctor is almost successful by using his power among the revolutionaries and old prisoners of Bastille. But, the ruling regime opposes him, and Defarges once again denounces Darnay. Madam Defarges makes a strong charge against him in court on the basis of a letter as evidence. She found this document written as a letter by Doctor Manette during his imprisonment in the Bastille. This document reveals a fact that Manette was arbitrarily imprisoned by the Evrémondes in rape and murder case. Then after Darnay is brought back to prison and sentenced to death.

Sydney Carton traveled to Paris due to his selfless love with Lucie Manette. He decides for sacrificing himself to save her husband’s life. He forces for the help of John Barsad, who recognized him as Solomon Pross, as the dissolute brother of Miss Pross. Carton gets the information that Defarges are planning to kill Lucie and her child. He also finds a fact that Madame Defarge is the surviving sister of the peasant girl. Evrémonde family had raped her.

Carton makes the arrangement for the Manettes to leave immediately. He uses his influence with Barsad to get entry into the cell of Darnay. He gives drugs to Darnay and then exchanges places with him, and Barsad carries Darnay out of the prison safely.

Madame Defarge goes to Lucie’s place to arrest her, but the Manettes have already left the place safely. Instead, Miss Pross confronts her, who comes to use her gun, but accidentally she shoots herself. Finally, Darnay returns with the Manettes to London. In Paris, Carton dies on behalf of Darnay at the guillotine.

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The wonderful summary thank you for this.

They did not belong to the family of gorden cook and you also didn’t write the spelling correct it’s James cook 😶😑

What’s funny is that Miss Fairchild said the line- “Money isn’t everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid-” when she herself misunderstood the situation.

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A Tale of Two Cities

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A Tale of Two Cities

118 pages • 3 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Book 1, Chapters 1-3

Book 1, Chapters 4-6

Book 2, Chapters 1-3

Book 2, Chapters 4-6

Book 2, Chapters 7-9

Book 2, Chapters 10-13

Book 2, Chapters 14-16

Book 2, Chapters 17-20

Book 2, Chapters 21-24

Book 3, Chapters 1-5

Book 3, Chapters 6-9

Book 3, Chapters 10-12

Book 3, Chapters 13-15

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Discuss the significance of the title in terms of its themes, style , etc.

Sydney Carton is a lawyer, and several scenes in the novel take place in courtrooms. What role does the law or justice play in the novel, and how does it interact with the maticideas about redemption?

Several characters in A Tale of Two Cities seem to function largely as comic relief—Miss Pross, Jerry Cruncher , etc. Choose one of these humorous characters and explain how they contribute to the novel’s broader meaning.

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By Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol

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A Tale of Two Cities

By charles dickens, a tale of two cities themes.

• Resurrection

Resurrection is the overriding theme of this novel, manifest both literally and figuratively. Book I, named "Recalled to Life," concerns the rediscovery of Doctor Manette, who has been jailed in the Bastille for eighteen years. Code for the secret mission to rescue him from Paris is the simple phrase "recalled to life," which starts Mr. Lorry thinking about the fact that the prisoner has been out of society long enough to have been considered dead. This theme is treated more humorously through Jerry Cruncher 's profession as a "Resurrection-Man." Although his trade of digging up dead bodies and selling their parts seems gruesome, it provides him with the crucial knowledge that a spy named Roger Cly has been literally resurrected--in that he was never buried at all.

The most important "resurrections" in the novel are those of Charles Darnay. First, Sydney Carton 's resemblance to him saves him from being convicted and executed in England, and then, the same resemblance allows the latter to switch places with him in the Conciergerie. These resurrections are surrounded with heavily religious language that compare Carton's sacrifice of his own life for others' sins to Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

Class Struggle

This theme is inevitable in a novel concerning the French Revolution. Dickens chooses a side, ultimately showing opposition to the Revolution due to the ruthless and uncontrolled force of its aroused mobs. Even so, the story of the Marquis's rape of the peasant along with other details of aristocratic mistreatment of the lower classes provide some justification for the goals of the French mob. In the end, he portrays the mob as having moved beyond the pale to a degree beyond what happened in England; the French mob acts with such force that it resembles a natural element like fire or water.

This historical novel carefully marks the passage of time, and the introductory sentences of chapters often contain specific references to years or months. Keeping track of time is important because time carries out fate, which is an extremely important presence. From the first chapter, which describes trees waiting to be formed into guillotines in France, Dickens describes the revolution as something inevitable. Individual characters also feel the pull of fate. For example, Darnay feels himself drawn back to France as if under the influence of a magnet. Lucie's presentiment that the noise of feet echoing in her home portends some future intrusion correctly predicts what is bound to happen--Darnay's past does catch up with him, and he must pay for the wrongs of his ancestors. Fate operates ominously rather than optimistically among the characters in the novel, especially given Madame Defarge's representation as one of the mythical Fates connecting the future to darkness.

From the very title of A Tale of Two Cities , Dickens signals that this is a novel about duality. Everything from the settings (London, Paris) to the people come in pairs. The pairs are occasionally related together. A crucial incidence of related doubling involves the resemblance between Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, a similarity that drives the plot. The pairs are more often oppositional, just as in the dichotomous opening: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." For example, Lucie's physical and moral brightness is played off against the dark Madame Defarge.

Reversals and Inversions

One of the primary effects of the upheaval caused by the French Revolution was due to its literally revolutionary influence; it turned society upside down and banged it on its head. When Darnay returns to France, he observes that the noblemen are in prison, while criminals are their jailors. The replacement of Darnay with Carton at the end of the novel is another reversal, illustrating that a bad man can replace a good man in such a revolutionary society.

The novel focuses attention on the preservation of family groups. The first manifestation of this theme occurs in Lucie's trip to meet her father in Paris. Although she worries that he will seem like a ghost rather than her father, the possibility of a reunion is enough to make her undertake the long trip. After Lucie marries Charles Darnay, the novel tends to be concerned with their struggle to keep their family together. When Darnay laments his own death sentence, it is for the sake of his family, not for his own sake. The final triumph is the sacrifice of Carton, a man who is unattached to any sort of family, who thus preserves the group consisting of the Doctor, Lucie, her husband, and her children.

Social Injustice

This theme is related to the theme of class struggle, because those who feel the negative effects of injustice begin to struggle against it. Dickens maintains a complex perspective on the French Revolution because although he did not particularly sympathize with the gruesome and often irrational results, he certainly sympathized with the unrest of the lower orders of society. Dickens vividly paints the aristocratic maltreatment of the lower classes, such as when Monseigneur only briefly stops to toss a coin toward the father of a child whom he has just run over. Because the situation in France was so dire, Dickens portrays the plight of the working class in England as rather difficult, though slightly less difficult than in other works such as Hard Times or Oliver Twist , which also emphasize social injustice.

A Tale of Two Cities Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for A Tale of Two Cities is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

The Dover Road 1775

The driver carried a gun to protect himself from highwaymen and robbers.

Look at the Attorney generals opening and closing statements in ch 3 and list 3 examples of hyperbole. What is the effect of the hyperbole how much do you trust his statements?

What does Mr.lorry mean when he says that he is a man of business?

Mr. Lorry's initial introduction of himself as the representative of Tellson's Bank hence a man of business.

Study Guide for A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities study guide contains a biography of Charles Dickens, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About A Tale of Two Cities
• A Tale of Two Cities Summary
• A Tale of Two Cities Video
• Character List

Essays for A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

• In the Absence of Hate
• Light vs. Dark Throughout A Tale of Two Cities
• Violence in A Tale of Two Cities
• Mirror Images: Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay

Lesson Plan for A Tale of Two Cities

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to A Tale of Two Cities
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• A Tale of Two Cities Bibliography

E-Text of A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities e-text contains the full text of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

• Book I, Chapters 1-4
• Book I, Chapters 5-6
• Book II, Chapters 1-9
• Book II, Chapters 10-14
• Book II, Chapters 15-24

Wikipedia Entries for A Tale of Two Cities

• Introduction