This bias could be attributed to who he was and who his audience was. Because he is an Englishman and the novel is written primarily for other Englishmen, there is a clear bias in the way he presents the classes (through a variety of characters that exemplify each Fcaste) and their actions in the novel that seems to sympathize with British ideals and notions on the Revolution. First of all, Dickens presents a harsh view of the aristocracy through two of the key characters: Charles Darnay and Marquis Evrémonde. Darnay is a member of the French elite who rejects the cruel ways of his family and flees to London to forget about the injustices his family has committed. While this may seem honorable he is not because he acts as a coward and runs away rather than standing up and trying to stop the inhumane treatment of the poor.
The novel was again filmed in 1958 by the British director Ralph Thomas. This production again used a "lavish staging" (Winnert 1009). The novel has proved to be a popular source for television adaptations as well: it was adapted in 1980 and 1989, the first being an ATV production directed by Jim Goddard and the latter an Anglo-French production directed by Philippe Monnier. A Tale of Two Cities promoted the image of a stable England by using revolutionary France as a setting to highlight the contrasts between the two countries, although Dickens seemed to believe in the eighteen-fifties that England was heading towards an uprising on the scale of the French Revolution. In the twentieth century, we see the French Revolution used as a 'lavish' setting in film and TV productions of A Tale of Two Cities.
Though political language aims to “ . . . make lies sound truthful and murders respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to a pure wind.” (Orwell 1), Dickens counteracts these effects with language of his own Naming schemes, vacuous logic, and the gothic element all work in unison to convey his frustration toward the court system to provide a modern audience with a historical record of its shortcomings.
However, behind the story Dickens hides messages raising the issues of the terrible conditions of the workhouses and the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, the abuse and exploitation of children, poverty, crime, inequality, prejudice towards different religions and nationalities and ignorance to the existence of some physical disabilities and mental illnesses. The poor law act was a typical example of a whig-benthamite reformation legislation of the Victorian period. That is to say it follows Bentham's theory of segregation. It gained general parliamentary support and was passed with considerably less consideration and discussions as was normal when new laws are proposed. It ensured that conditions in the workhouses were as vile and uncomfortable as possible so that only the truly destitute would even consider submitting.
These examples, that are planted within the novel, relate to both the society in Dickens' writing and his reality. In order to properly portray the fraud taking place within his novels, Dickens' uses morality in his universe to compare to the reality of society. He repetitively references to the change of mind and soul for both the better and the worst. He speaks of the change of heart when poisoned by wealth, and he connects this disease to the balance of the rich and the poor. This is another major factor to novel, where the plot is surrounded by a social hierarchy that condemns the poor to a life of misery, and yet, condones any action that would normally be seen as immoral when it occurs in the aristocracy.
The system is only interested in measuring and is an exaggerated version on utilitarianism. Utilitarianism originated with the economist Adam Smith and then Jeremy Bentham built on it. Dickens attacks this because he believes that individuality and emotions are deeply important. Dickens presents us with the character Thomas Gradgrind in this novel. We are given a very vivid description of him and Dickens uses a number of devices to do this.
Dickens' social ideas in this novel are quite simple. He feels the French Revolution was inevitable because the aristocracy oppressed the being "of the poor, driving them to revolt" (Cliff notes). In A Tale of Two Cities Dickens attempts to show his readers the dangers of a possible revolution (Cliff notes). He relies on his descriptive skills to convey the significance of revolution and resurrection in the novel. In addition, he portrays the horror of mob violence throughout the novel, leaving the readers with images of waves of people crashing through the battered gates of the Bastille, for exampl... ... middle of paper ... ... Dr. Manette and he is returned to sanity.
In fighting malice with malice, the peasants produce no real revolution; instead, they only continue the violence that they themselves have suffered. Although Dickens views the French Revolution as a symbol of revolution and rebirth, he stresses that its violent methods ultimately caused more harm than good in the end through his figurative language, tone, and Much of the action in A Tale of Two Cities takes place in Paris during the French Revolution, which began in 1789. In his novel, Dickens shows how the tyranny of the French aristocracy - unjust laws, high taxes, and little or no concern for the well-being of the commoners - fueled a wrath amongst the poor that in time exploded into rebellion. Dickens represents this
The poem metaphorically suggests the theme of the tendency toward violence and oppression in revolutionaries after being so wrongfully treated by the aristocracy. Dickens supports this theme by finding immense fault in the social structure of society, the judicial system during that time period, and the lunacy of the revolution. Throughout the novel, Dickens approaches the revolution with ambivalence. He provides layers of perspective, for while he supports the revolutionary cause, he often gestures to the evil of the revolutionaries themselves. Dickens often conveys his deep sympathy towards the plight of the French peasantry and accentuates their need for liberation.
Sven M. Armens has argued that ‘in The Beggar’s Opera, much of this gloom can be traced to a sense that a severe economic injustice is being perpetrated against the poor man, both as artist and beggar.’ Gay ardently presents the 18th century London streets as riddled with poverty and divided into class distinctions. By placing this idea at the start of the play, Gay is able to give his audience a sense of what to expect in the play as well as from the 18th century city. ‘London’, by William Blake was published in 1794 against the backdrop of the French Revolution, which swept upon the shores of Britain a feeling of social anxiety. The poem is written in first person narrative and gives an account of observations made by the speaker from his time in London. Blake illustrates an image of the city as corrupt with poverty, illness and sin - al... ... middle of paper ... ... argued that literature of the 18th and 19th century holds a mirror to the themes of crime, social injustice and sin which occur within London.