“History is a set of lies agreed upon” Napoleon Bonaparte said during the French Revolution. Analysing the accuracy of the portrayal of the French Revolution seems almost ironic, because one person’s account may not match another’s. However, what Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale of Two Cities seems to leave out a lot of the more important factors which would have influenced the thoughts and actions of the people involved in the French Revolution. One of these things was that there is no mentioning of any of the influential figures, namely Robespierre, who was an important leader in the Revolution. Another missing point is that many of the actual events in this time period were not displayed. Finally, the actually reason for the uprisings in …show more content…
He came into power as a member of the third estate in the late 1780s, under the Jacobin party. However, as a member of the Mountain political party, he was an advocate for democracy in France and universal male suffrage. He became increasingly popular with the common people because of his attacks on the monarchy and his advocating for more rights for the common people. This eventually lead the Reign of Terror, after which he was executed via Guillotine and Napoleon took power. Robespierre was one of the main reasons the French Revolution was a success, and was highly influential to the people during this time period, however he, nor any other real leader in the revolution is ever mentioned, breaking the realism of the story. The leaders of the revolution are made out to be the Defarges, who are not real characters and therefore cannot accurately portray the revolution. Similarly, another lack in A Tale of Two Cities is the absence of real life events that take …show more content…
This was the result of the heavy debts of the country from their part in the American Revolution, bringing them near bankruptcy. However, this taxation was not affordable long-term, and many peasants began starving in a widespread famine, and often lost their homes, land, and many other things. While these things are touched upon, Dickens writes the story as if the main reasons for the uprisings were the pure hatred towards aristocrats, such as stating “A few passers turned their heads, and a dew shook their fingers at him as an aristocrat; otherwise, that a man in good clothes should be going to prison, was no more remarkable than that a labourer in working clothes should be going to work (252). This is also a contributing factor, however would probably not be enough to cause an entire nation to rise up in arms and begin mass murder of said people. A counter-argument that could be that the scene regarding Foulon represented the struggle of famine during this time period. Foulon, “who told the famished people that they might eat grass,” is one of the only mentionings of the people’s struggles (218). However, this point is invalidated because this becomes an issue of aristocrats when the townspeople brutally drag him through the town and stuff grass in his mouth. The repercussions of this are also less food-related and more hatred between the two groups. This may be the
While Robespierre and Napoleon violated the French Revolution’s ideal of liberty, both rulers preserved the ideal of equality. Neither Robespierre nor Napoleon led with freedom from absolutism, but both spread the nationalist zeal during or after the Reign of Terror. There are also other ideals of the revolution preserved and undermined by the two rulers, including will for a limited government, religious toleration, and protection of individual rights. Specifically, Robespierre preserved the ideal of equality during the Reign of Terror.
The early life of Maximilien François Marie Isidore Robespierre gives insight into the man at the center of the French revolution. Robespierre’s birth was just as controversial as his death due to the fact he was born out of wedlock on Born on 6 May 1758. The eldest of four children his mother died when he was six years of age and his father, an established lawyer, subsequently left. Robespierre continued to reside in Arras under the care of his maternal grandfather. He taught himself to read, and do to his astounding intellect was recommended by the local bishop for a full scholarship to Lycée Louis-le-Grande. His academic conduct was so exemplary that the seventeen year old Robespierre was chosen to give a welcoming speech to King Louis XVI. This is a curious fact as Robespierre would later in life speak in favor of executing the same King. His education was completed ...
First, the Jacobin leader Robespierre’s tried to protect the revolution but this plan backfired. It backfired because immediately after the publication of this decree, all suspected persons within the territory
Initially popularized during the French Revolution, the term “terrorism,” at its inception, was a distinctly positive word; from the rubble of the first revolts in 1789, stemmed the regime de la terreur, an instrument of governance meant to further propel the success of the revolutionaries through the intimidation of those loyal to the dictatorial regime which governed France for much of the eighteenth century (Hoffman 3). Ironically, given the modern interpretation of terrorism, the revolutionaries who would ultimately constitute the regime de la terreur were advocating for virtue and democracy––in fact, one of the figureheads of the revolutionary movement Maximilien Robespierre was renowned for having said: “virtue, without which terror is
He wrote pamphlets insisting that the poor deserved to have a voice in government” ( DiConsiglio). 78. It is easy to see how strongly Robespierre felt about the inequality at the time, to the point where he was creating pamphlets in order to spread his beliefs and to meet his goals and ambitions. He did this as a way to rally up the people of France and to educate them about the injustice that was taking place. To many people, Maximilien Robespierre was a hero because he successfully gave faith and hope to his people that change and equality could happen.
In conclusion, the motif of alcohol used by Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities predicted the atrocity that was initiated by the rebellion of the laborers to gain equivalence in France. The way of life in the country of France was definitely influenced by the quality of alcohol the people owned and drank. Charles Dickens throughout his book does a great job to illustrate the differences between the poor and the rich through wine, which ultimately triggered the commencement of the French Revolution and the death of a plethora of people.
The French Revolution is a war between the peasants and the aristocrats. A Tale of Two Cities is by Charles Dickens and is set in England and France from 1775-1793. The French Revolution is starting to come about because the French peasants are trying to model their revolution after the American Revolution. King Louis XVI of France supported the colonists in the American Revolution; therefore, it is ironic that he does not help the poor, distressed, and oppressed peasants in France. The peasants are trying to rise against the oppressive aristocrats because the rich are unfeeling and mean towards the poor serfs. In A Tale of Two Cities, the symbols help represent the theme of man’s inhumanity toward his fellow man because the symbol of the scarecrows and birds of fine song and feather is helpful in understanding the differences between the poor and the rich, the Gorgon’s head is meaningful because it shows that change needs to occur, and the knitting is insightful because one learns that evil can come out of good intentions.
Robespierre was one of the most popular orators in the National Convention, his carefully prepared speeches often made a deep impression. It was Robespierre's belief that political terror and virtue were of necessity inseparable, and that a truly democratic and free society could only be founded on the violent destruction of the Ancien
“Europe cannot conceive of life without Kings and nobles; and we cannot conceive of it with them. Europe is lavishing her blood to preserve her chains, whereas we are lavishing ours to destroy them”(Maximilien Robespierre). For centuries upon centuries, the monarchal system had dominated European life. The very nature of this method of rule incited rebellious feelings, as a definite imbalance of power was present. Understandably, people under this system had risen against authority. The glorious nation of France was no exception. The eighteenth century brought about a great deal of economic and social turmoil. By the end of this one hundred year period, rebellion had been talked about by many citizens for quite some time. However, no definitive action was taken until one man stepped to the forefront; Maximilien Robespierre. Born in Arras, France about thirty years prior to the French Revolution, Robespierre was an immensely intelligent man as is seen from his ability to read and write fluently from the age of eight (the Force of 10). Robespierre rose from fairly humble origins to become a provincial lawyer, advancing further to become a representative in the Estates General, and eventually ascending to the leader of the French Revolution itself. For its sake he sent thousands to the guillotine, overthrew a monarchy, declared a new national religion, and invigorated the will of a nation. “No individual of the French Revolutionary era, with the exception of Napolean Bonaparte, has excited more passion in his time than the…dedicated provincial lawyer, Maximilien Robespierre”(Maximilien 1). During this era, Robespierre led France’s world inspiring cry for the liberation of mankind and petrified the world with its relentle...
The French Revolution was a movement from 1789 to 1799 that brought an end to the monarchy, including many lives. Although A Tale of Two Cities was published in 1859, it was set before and during the French Revolution and had over 200 million copies sold. The author, Charles Dickens, is known for being an excellent writer and displays several themes in his writings. Sacrifice is an offering of an animal or human life or material possession to another person. Dickens develops the theme of sacrifice throughout the story by the events that occurred involving Dr. Manette, Mr. Defarge, and Sydney Carton.
The French Revolution was a period of radical social and political upheaval, lead by the lower class of France, which began the decline of powerful monarchies in France and the rise of nationalism and democracy. In A Tale Of Two Cities, written by Charles Dickens, he highlights these aspects of the war between classes and makes them personal to the reader. Throughout the novel, Dickens’ establishes and develops several symbols in order to help the reader better understand the Revolution and the way people acted during this time. He shows that while emotion, desperation, and irrationality run high, humanity, justice, and morality are scarce. The blue flies, Madame Defarge’s knitting, and the sea are three of Dickens’ symbols that develop his theme of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man throughout the novel.
“People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want and the courage to take.” This quote by Emma Goldman not only perfectly sums up the French Revolution, but also reflects on the issue in society today with police racism and brutality. In Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities, the peasants suffer extreme injustice, they allow the revolution to go to their heads, and we see how violence only ever brings more violence . When Dickens describes the peasants he makes sure their plight is made clear to all. The nobles consistently take advantage of them and do not show any compassion.
Charles Dickens’s voice varies from being sympathetic with the revolutionaries, to a feeling of discord with their method of revolting. A Tale of Two Cities revolves around the French revolution and the tension in England. Dickens gives the tale of a family caught in the conflict between the French aristocracy and radicals. In the course of the book, the family handles extreme difficulty and obscurity. Dickens’s neutrality, though sometimes wavering from side to side, is apparent throughout each book in the novel.
History has not only been important in our lives today, but it has also impacted the classic literature that we read. Charles Dickens has used history as an element of success in many of his works. This has been one of the keys to achievement in his career. Even though it may seem like it, Phillip Allingham lets us know that A Tale of Two Cities is not a history of the French Revolution. This is because no actual people from the time appear in the book (Allingham). Dickens has many different reasons for using the component of history in his novel. John Forster, a historian, tells us that one of these reasons is to advance the plot and to strengthen our understanding of the novel (27). Charles Dickens understood these strategies and could use them to his advantage.
A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, is a story set in the year 1775 and through the turbulent time of the French Revolution. It is of people living in love and betrayal, murder and joy, peril and safety, hate and fondness, misery and happiness, gentle actions and ferocious crowds. The novel surrounds a drunken man, Sydney Carton, who performs a heroic deed for his beloved, Lucie Manette, while Monsieur and Madame Defarge, ruthless revolutionaries, seek revenge against the nobles of France. Research suggests that through Dickens’ portrayal of the revolutionaries and nobles of the war, he gives accurate insight to the era of the Revolution.