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Tale of two cities compare and contrast characters
Essay on the tale of two cities
Character development in a tale of two cities
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Doctor Manette’s Role in A Tale of Two Cities
Introduction- Individual characters often exist as the heart of a novel.
I. A Tale of Two Cities evolved from Doctor Manette’s story
A. Doctor Manette’s story
II. “Recalled to Life”
A. Doctor Manette’s appearance
B. His revival
C. His relationship with his daughter
III. Doctor Manette’s relapses
A. His newfound strength
IV. Doctor Manette as a hero
Conclusion- Doctor Manette as the nucleus of the novel.
Individual characters often exist as the heart of the novel. They contain dynamic characteristics and occupy a central position in the novel. In A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens uses Doctor Manette as the core of his novel, Doctor Manette “is a worthy hero and a crucial piece in the puzzle”(Glancy 75). His personality and story thrusts him into the spotlight throughout the book. The novel revolves around his character.
A Tale of Two Cities evolved from Doctor Manette’s story. He has witnessed the aftermath of a rape and assault committed by two twin nobles, the Evrémondes, and is forbidden to speak of it; “…the things that you see here are things to be seen and not spoken of” (Dickens 325). But when Manette tries to report these crimes he is locked up in the Bastille. The novel is then built up through Doctor Manette’s cruel and unjustified imprisonment and the events following his release from prison(Lindsay 103). That is how he becomes the core of the novel.
Upon the opening of the novel Dr. Manette is a weak and horrific man. He is a man “recalled to life” (Dickens 24) from an eighteen-year imprisonment and has the appearance of an aged man having white hair and a ragged face; “he is a ghost, the empty shell of a man” (Glancy 69). He is very confused, so confused he cannot recall any of his past or even remember his name. “The experience of oppressive misery has not merely twisted him…it has broken down the whole system of memory in his psyche” (Lindsay 104). He is a mere victim of the past. “Dr. Manette has been driven mad, broken and goaded into a destroying curse, by eighteen years of unjust imprisonment in the Bastille” (Johnson 30). He is too accustomed to imprisonment to be able to bear freedom, which was true of many prisoners during the Revolution. But he is resurrected at the sight of his daughter, who stimulates the memory of his wife with her “threads of gold”, or her golden hair.
Charles loved to incorporate prisons and peasants in his writing, reflecting the life of the lower class and his father, John Dickens. He wrote with a realistic genre, portraying everything exactly the way it should be without much elaboration. While writing the book A Tale of Two Cities, Charles read Thomas Carlyle’s history of the French Revolution, which he incorporated in the plot of the novel. Charles Dickens focused mainly on the motifs of prisons, self-sacrifice, rebirth, and the mystery of love in his works. These motifs came from his lifetime experiences. (Karen
Rebirth, a prominent idea in Christianity and Western thought, is often associated with rejuvenation and second chances. The idea of a second birth is both a baptism and a change in identity— all of which figure prominently in Charles Dickens’s novel, A Tale of Two Cities. Two characters, Dr. Manette and Sydney Carton, both go through the process of rebirth and a change of identity. The process of birth is in nature a responsibility of the female, in both Dr. Manette’s case and Sydney Carton’s they are reborn through the actions they do for Lucie— whose name is telling in itself, meaning light/daylight all symbolic of something new/God the light and the way. Resurrection is a reoccurring theme which can be seen through the actions of Dr. Manette and Sydney Carton.
Samuels, Wilfred D., and Clenora Hudson- Weems. Toni Morrison. New York, NY: Twayne Publishers, 1990. 53-78. Print.
Kalil, Marie. Cliffs notes on Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. Cliff Notes Inc, June 2000
Gates, Henry Louis and Appiah, K. A. (eds.). Toni Morrison: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York, Amistad, 1993.
Gates, Henry Louis, Jr., and K. A. Appiah, eds. Toni Morrison: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York: Amistad P, 1993.
Wyatt, Jean. “Body to the Word: The Maternal Symbolic in Toni Morrison’s Beloved.” PMLA, Vol. 108, No.3 (May, 1993): 474-488. JSTOR. Web. 27. Oct. 2015.
A Tale of Two Cities In every great novel, there is a theme that is constant throughout the story. One of the better known themes portrays the fight of good verses evil. Different authors portray this in different ways. Some use colors, while others use seasons to show the contrast. Still, others go for the obvious and use characters.
Wocial, L., Albert, N., Fettes, S., Birch, S., Howey, K., Jie, N., & Trochelman, K. (2010). Impact of Pediatric Nurses' Uniforms on Perceptions of Nurse Professionalism. Pediatric Nursing, 36(6), 320-326. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Rice, Herbert William. Toni Morrison and the American Tradition: A Rhetorical Reading. New York: P. Lang, 1996.
With imagery revealing the poor straits and desperation of the peasant class of France, Dickens influences the reader to pity them. He writes, “The cloud settled on Saint Antoine, which a momentary gleam had driven from his sacred countenance, the darkness of it was heavy—cold, dirt, sickness, ignorance, want were the lords waiting on the saintly presence—nobles of great power all of them; but most especially the last” (Dickens 22). Through hunger, want, etc. being personified and compared to nobles through language such as “nobles” and “lords”, Dickens shows the extent of the suffering of the peasants, their deserving to be pitied, and the human nobles’ apathy towards them. The peasants of Saint Antoine suffer in the 1770s, and the town’s name is made into a play on words with “saintly presence”, with the cloud of cold, dirt, sickness, ignorance, and want looming forming the imagery of irony. Another description of the peasants’ plight is revealed in the quote saying, “Ploughed into every furrow of age and coming up afresh, was the sign Hunger. It was prevalent everywhere...Hunger was the inscription on th...
What comes to mind first when dealing with the lively imagination of Dickens is the creative and detailed picture he gives. In describing Dr. Manette, for instance, Dickens exaggerates his characterization by saying Manette’s voice was like “the last feeble echo of a sound made long, long ago.” From this alone you can hear the faintness of his voice and feel the suppressed dreadfulness of his past. In this way, the sentimentality of it all gets the reader involved emotionally and makes the character come alive.
Throughout A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens repeats a number of symbols and motifs. By employing these two literary devices throughout the duration of the story, Dickens is working to emphasize the importance of these specific components of the story. Motifs and symbols represent repeating ideas that help the reader to understand, as well as highlight the author’s central idea. Dickens employs the usage of symbols and motifs, such that by using both he adds a layer of significance and deeper meaning to actions, people, as well as objects. Additionally, by using symbols and motifs, Dickens is able to create a story in which both the characters, and the plot are interwoven.
In his “A Tale Two Cities”, Charles Dickens uses the characters of Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge as two strong women that contrast against the rather manly group of characters. These women are both driven to do what they believe is right. Although Lucie and Madame are strong willed and independent, they both use these strengths differently. Lucie is a woman who is driven by love and affection. Whereas Madame Defarge is driven by hate and rebellion. Both these women, although similar, have such significant differences.
A Tale of Two Cities is the adventure of a loving family in search of happiness, but is ultimately stuck in the challenges of freeing everyone from the unfortunate mistakes Darnay’s family committed. This novel is a whirlwind of twists and shocks as characters begin to develop and the French Revolution gets underway. The Manette family grows greatly throughout the book, finding true happiness.