A Tale of Two Cities

611 Words2 Pages

In his novel, A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens explores the complex nature of mob mentality. He analyzes the build in momentum from a group of individuals to one single body. In order for this being to function, Dickens illustrates how the person loses his individuality to the crowd. He also shows how people get swept into the mob and commit crimes when under the crowd’s influence. This mental transformation parallels the change from mob to monster and the change from order to disorder. By giving the crowd animal characteristics, Dickens defines how this feral beast acts. These actions depict the growing chaos within the mob and its fickle behavior. The crowd is not so wild that it is uncontrollable as certain self appointed leaders emerge to direct it. These leaders, nevertheless, exploit this flaw of the mob’s terrifying qualities to incite more pandemonium while also following their agenda. As the novel progresses, Dickens accentuates the crowd’s tendency towards violence and bloodshed amidst the increasing disarray. To reinforce these characteristics throughout the novel, Di...

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