A Tale of Two Cities By Charles Dickens Plot: It is the beginning of the French revolution and the countries at war with it's self. Many if not all of the lower class people believe it is time for change in the French Social and political system. Dr. Alexander Manette was a prisoner in the Bastille (Frances symbolism for Royal Authority) for 18 years. He is eventually released and he travels to London with Jarivs Lorry of Tellson bank, who had raised his daughter since Manette was imprisoned. Since Alexander had been imprisoned for so long he had lost touch with life, love, rest, duty and comfort which his daughter helps to bring out in him again. Five years later in the year 1780 Charles Darnay is being accused for treason but is saved from execution when his lawyer, Sydney Carton, makes the point that he and Darnay look very similar so how could the prosecutor be sure that Darany was indeed the spy. Carton, his boss Stryver and Darany at this point are all in love with Lucie and she chooses Darnay and they are wed. Darnay reveals his identity to Lucie's father Alexander Manette. Darnay is actually Charles St. Evremonde, who is the nephew of the Marquis St. Evremonde. Marquis St. Evremonde was the man who was responsible for Dr. Alexander Manette's imprisonment. Upon hearing this Manette returns to his old habit from prison, and makes shoes for nine days before regaining himself and joining the couple on their honeymoon. When he returns Carton visits him and requests friendship which Darnay agrees too. The year 1789, Madam Defarge and her husband lead an attack on the Bastille, and the French revolution begins. The revolutionaries begin killing the aristocrats and nobles in the streets. A maintenance man from the Evrémonde estate, named Gabelle is imprisoned and five years later writes Darnay requesting that he be freed. Darnay knowing the risks decides to go to his aid regardless and departs for France. As soon as he arrives he is arrested and tried for his ancestors wrongs from many years before which were committed against Madam Defarge's parents. He is then sentenced to death within twenty-four hours. Carton goes to visit Darnay in prison and convinces him to trade clothes with him. He then drugs Darnay and the guards thinking he is Carton escort Darney to a waiting carriage where he is taken safely away.
Doctor Manette has a victim of sacrifice, for the better. When Darany reveals his past as an aristocrat, Dr. Manette’s mental stability waves because he is reminded of his past in the Bastille. Being revealed to this information has affected him so much that after he finished talking with Darnay, Dr. Manette “was so deadly pale”(page 149). Although being shared with this new information, Dr. Manette still allows the marriage between Darnay and Lucie. He sacrifices his mentality for his daughter’s happiness. Even though the Evremonde family is the reason for his imprisonment, Dr. Manette is still accepts Darnay’s past because it doesn’t define who he really is. He is accepting those bad memories and that they are a part of him. Dr. Manette is essentially taking those negative memories and turning them into something positive. When Darnay was arrested for the second time, Dr. Manette realized that he is going through the same thing that he went himself and focused
The Return of Martin Guerre, written by Natalie Zemon Davis, is the tale of a court case that takes place in sixteenth century France. Martin Guerre is a peasant who deserted his wife and family for many years. While Martin Guerre is gone, a man named Arnaud du Tilh arrives at Martin’s village and claims to be Martin Guerre. Bertrande, who is Guerre’s wife, Guerre’s sisters, and many of the villagers, accepts the imposter. After almost three years of being happily married, Bertrande takes the fraud to court under pressure of Pierre Guerre, her stepfather and Guerre’s brother. Arnaud du Tilh is almost declared innocent, but the real Martin Guerre appears in the courthouse. Throughout this tale, many factors of the peasant life are highlighted. The author gives a very effective and detailed insight to a peasant’s life during the time of Martin Guerre. Davis does a successful job of portraying the peasant lifestyle in sixteenth century France by accentuating the social, cultural, and judicial factors of everyday peasant life.
In the book A Tale Of Two Cities the ways that they would kill people were that they would behead them and they would hang them or they would let them rot in prison. Most of the people that were killed were innocents or they were people that were in the way of them trying to take down the city. In the book the main character, Charles Darnay was arrested and was falsely accused of treason and being an illegal alien. Madame Defarge was taking out her anger on the whole family in which she thought had killed her sister. So Madame Defarge was going after all of the Marquis no matter if they had anything to do with t...
During the final event of the book, Carton sacrifices his life. He saves Darnays life purely for the happiness of Lucie. Carton drugs Darnay and Barsad takes him to the carriage outside where his family is waiting.
Mr. Lorry speaks of how dangerous France is as said “if some of our documents were seized or destroyed; and they might be, at any time, you know, for who can say that Paris is not set afire today, or sacked tomorrow,”(217). France has the likely chance of being destroyed today or tomorrow. Most people are taking advantage of the chaos, which makes them an incredible threat for those who don’t. Darnay also does not realize that in France, they still view him as a Marquis St. Evrémonde, an aristocrat that deserves to die. Darnay talks of considering leaving his family behind in England to go to Frace “he considered that neither Lucie nor her father must know of it until he was gone. Lucie should be spared the pain of separation,”(224). This example, is Darnay considering to leave his family in England to go to France. Darnay’s family will be in great danger if he decides to leave. Not only will this compromise the safety for his family, but himself as well. Darnay’s family will be an easy target for those who may just not have liked their family. Not to mention the fact that Lucie will notice her husband’s disappearance, causing her to become worried.“...and her father, always reluctant to turn his thoughts towards the dangerous ground of old, should come to the knowledge of the step, as a step taken, and not in the balance of suspense and doubt,.”(224). This
One character who experiences resurrection is Dr. Manette. His birth is connected to an inversion of the parent-child relationship. The doctor has been imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years. It can be seen that the Bastille has acted like a womb for Dr. Manette and reduced him into a baby-like, infantile state. Being locked away for such a long time had driven Dr. Manette to begin to lose his sanity. In order to remain sane the doctor must entertain himself by making shoes. He first experiences resurrection after he is reunited with his daughter, Lucie. “She held him closer round the neck and rocked him on her breast like a child” (64). Here it is made apparent that Lucie will take on the role of a maternal figure and help restore her father to a normal life style. The role of the parent-child relationship is reversed in this situation. Instead of Dr. Manette taking care of Lucie, Lucie takes care of her father. Also, Mr. Lorry tells Dr. Mannette that he is recall...
Dr. Manette is imprisoned in the French Bastille for eighteen years by the cruel French government and unknown to him those many years of pain and suffering serve as a great sacrifice in the eyes of the Revolutionists. He is recalled to life from the time he served when he meets Lu...
When Carton is being taken to the guillotine, he meets a young seamstress who was imprisoned with Darnay. She soon discovers that Carton is not actually Darnay, ““Are you dying for him?” she whispered. “And his wife and child. Hush! Yes.”” (Dickens 365). Caron is asked by the seamstress if he is sacrificing himself for Darnay. Carton replies that he is, but also for Darnay’s wife and child, Lucie and little Lucie. This shows why Carton is sacrificing himself. Carton, though he is saving Darnay’s life, is ultimately giving his life to save Lucie and her child, as well as the future children she and Darnay will have. His love for Lucie is the true reason he commits such an act of self-violence. Sydney Carton’s sacrifice is heroic because he willingly gives his life to save Darnay’s and to preserve the happiness of his family (Keck). Carton is ultimately driven by his love for the Manette family, and his desire to protect them and the love they have for one another. Though Sydney Carton is seemingly a failure, “his redeeming grace is his love for Lucie, which persuades him to sacrifice himself so that she and her family can escape” (Plot Summary). Again, this shows that Carton’s sacrifice is driven by the love he holds for Lucie. Everything Carton told Lucie he would do for her and her family has ultimately
The French revolution occurred from 1789 – 1795 but some argue that it went up till 1799. King Louis XVI was crowned after the 7 years’ war which plunged France into economical debt and led to rise of corruption. The king’s ignorance led to increase of privileges grasped by nobles and the rich. Years of bad or no harvest led to unrest in France as the rich enjoyed their position in society while the poor suffered. The people were divided into three different classes known as estates, namely third estate – the proletariat, second estate – the clergy and the first estate – the aristocrats or monarchs. All this lead to an uproar in 1789 which begun peacefully but the real revolution started with “The storming of Bastille” where revolutionist seized control of a prison fort in Paris. This was a start to a struggle which the led to the break off of third estate to form the National assembly. This was instrumental to bring together the Declaration of rights of citizen which brought together the idea that all classes were equal. External threats also shaped the revolution with France having to face off with Austria and Prussia and beat them in the battle of Flerus which uncovered the king had been in coalition with the enemy the whole time. This led to him facing trial along with the queen and as a result their execution. The outcome was the rise of another dictatorship – Napoleon Bonaparte. He plunged the country into war again with economy dropping to lows soon after the revolution
The story takes place in France during the mid-1600s. Everyone in the family except for Orgon and his mother Madame Pernelle believe that Tartuffe, a man they took in, is a hypocritical fraud. Orgon privately reveals to his daughter Marianne that he wants her to marry Tartuffe. Marianne’s brother Damis learns of his father’s plans and becomes furious. Tartuffe and Elmire (Orgon’s wife) meet up to talk, and Damis hides to eavesdrop. Astonishingly, Tartuffe begins to admit feelings for Elmire and tries to seduce her. Elmire rejects him and then tries to make a deal with him: if he backs out of the marriage with Marianne, she will not inform Orgon of what happened. Just as Tartuffe agrees to this, Damis comes out of hiding and confronts Tartuffe of his wrongdoing. Orgon then walks into the room, and Damis tells him what happened. However, due to his fondness for Tartuffe, Orgon does not believe him! Orgon then goes as far as to disinherit Damis and make Tartuffe his sole h...
Dr. Manette starts his life as a young successful man but then is traumatized by imprisonment and again becomes successful with the comfort of, his daughter, Lucie. Lorry rescues Dr. Manette from his prison in St. Antoine and essentially brings him back to life. At first Alexandre seems unstable and much older than his years, but as Lucie nurses him back to life he transforms into the vibrant man missing throughout hers. Doctor Manette has no recollection of his successful past: “Doctor Manette, formerly of Beauvais . . . the young physician, originally an expert surgeon, who within the last year or two has made a rising reputation in Paris” (298). After his unnecessary imprisonment he is very weak and frail: “[h]e had put up a hand between his eyes and the light, and the very bones of it seemed transparent” (36). He is found in a dark garret hunched over a cobbler’s bench making shoes to pass time. At first Lucie is apprehensive about approaching her father, but as she observes his actions she is overcome with joy; she has now found her father whom she thought was dead for seventeen years. As he spends more time with Lucie and Miss Pross he gradually gains more and more strength and is beginning to reach his capacities in life. “This new life of the Doctor’s [is] an anxious life, no doubt; still the sagacious Mr. Lorry [sees] that there was a new sustaining pride in it” (253). The changes in Dr. Manette are not all by his own doing. He started life prosperous and fortunate, and after an ill-fated imprisonment it takes him a long while to accomplish the ability to endure life again.
At the beginning of the novel, Sydney Carton presents himself as a drunken attorney. When Carton converses with Charles Darnay, Dickens presents Carton as a drunk, "Carton, who smelt of port wine, and did not appear to be quite sober" (89). Carton appears constantly drunk at the beginning of the novel. Also, Carton has no sense of self-worth. When Carton drinks at the Bar with Mr. Stryver, Stryver describes him as, "[Y]our way is, and always was, a lame way. You summon no energy and purpose" (95). Dickens, also describes Carton as, "Sydney Carton, idlest and most unpromising of men" (92). As most people believe, Carton feels that he himself has no purpose. He agrees with the way other people feel about him and takes no initiative.
As he planned the events, he ended up in Darnay’s cell waiting to be beheaded. Before Carton is beheaded, his mind becomes completely clear. He looks at his life and knows he is going to a far better place. “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.” (367) Carton’s act of saving Charles Darnay was truly a positive decision for himself.
Dr. Manette is resurrected, or recalled to life, multiple times in A Tale of Two Cities. Lucie Manette, Dr. Manette’s daughter, always helps in saving him. Dr. Manette’s story begins with him being imprisoned in the Bastille. He gets out after eighteen years and stays at Monsieur Defarge, an old servant’s house. This is where Lucie meets him for the first time. She instantly tries to help save him. She insists on taking him out of Paris with her to keep him safe. He goes with her to a court hearing for Charles Darnay, where she speaks in court and he is acquitted. Charles and Lucie fall in love and plan to get married. On their wedding day Charles has a private conversation with Dr. Manette. During this conversation he tells Dr. Manette his real name, Charles Evrémonde. The next day, Mr. Lorry discovers that Dr. Manette has a relapse and is making shoes, as he did in prison. This relapse lasts nine days and nine nights. Afterwards, Mr. Lorry tells Dr. Manette that he has to get rid of his shoe making tools. Dr. Manette is hesitant until Mr. Lorry brings up Lucie saying, “‘I would recommend him to sacrifice it. Come! Give me your authority, like a dear good man. For his daughter’s sake, my dear Manette’… ‘In her name, then, let it be done.’”(232). This shows that Lucie is the only thing he cares about. In this way Lucie saved him as well. These are two w...
Charles Darnay, Evremonde as we know him, is a rich leader of France. On the other hand, a lawyer, whose name is Sydney Carton, seems to not care about anyone but himself. However, when he met Lucie Manette, his life was changed a little bit and added her in his circle of obligation. Both of these guys, in our case Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, felt something unique to Lucie Manette. While Darnay is being sentenced for treason and Lucie is one of the witnesses against Darnay, Carton seems to see the similarity between himself and Darnay and presented it to the court of law The Court of Law point out some similar appearances between them and no one is quite sure if both ...