Reflection of A Tale of Two Cities

To start with, I’d like to illustrate the background of the novel.The last two decades of the 18th century is marked as a turning point in the history of Europe. The French Revolution that began in 1789 changed the political landscape of Europe. With the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, the citizens of France destroyed the centuries-old institutions of feudalism and absolute monarchy. The poor economic policies of the king and the discontent of the citizens with the French monarchy gave rise to the upheaval. King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were executed. Though the French Revolution could not achieve its ultimate goal and turn into a chaotic bloodbath, it played an important role in influencing the modern nation by portraying the inherent power of will of the common people. The French Revolution, just like the American Revolution, was started to inculcate political liberty and rational thought among the masses. The ideals that the Enlightenment period of the 18th century inculcated in the people were soon compromised when the Revolution of French citizens turned into “terror.” Moreover, the French Revolution was not restricted to France. It also cast a sharp and long shadow on nineteenth-century industrialized Britain. With the advent of industrialization, Britain was divided into two classes: the rich and the poor. The Elite classes started fearing the oppressed class to start the Revolution and rebel against the monarchy; however, political compromises and wake-up calls by literary figures like Dickens attempt to stop the crisis in England. The novelists like Dickens, Scott, and Eliot used the genre of historical fiction to talk about the problems that were prevailing in their societies. They would use the events of the past to reveal the present to revolve around the crisis. The novels of these novelists discuss how individuals are created and shaped by political history and vice versa. As for characters, what impressed me most was Sidney Carton and Charles Darnay. Sidney Carton is the most vigorous character in the novel A Tale of Two Cities. At the beginning of the novel, he appears to be a drunk and lazy lawyer who aggregates a little concentration in his life. For him, his existence is nothing but supreme waste and claim that he does not care for anything or anyone. However, the readers realize that there is a deep feeling inside Sidney Carton that he wants to articulate it but is unable to do. Though, in his conversation with Charles Darnay, who has been recently proved guiltless, comments about Lucie. However, his tone was sardonic and bitter and let down his growing interest and developing feelings for Lucie. Ultimately, he gathers courage and confesses his feelings for Lucie to her. Unknowing that Lucie and Darnay are soon going to marry, he proposes his love for Lucie and also claims that he is not worthy of her. This event changes the life of Sidney Carton and makes the basis for the sacrifice that Sidney makes for Lucie at the end of the novel. And Charles Darnay, after renouncing his connection with the Evremondes, he abandons his family and position as the French aristocrat and goes to England. Though Darnay supports the revolutionary ideal of human liberty, he is not a radical revolutionary like French masses. He symbolizes the middle position between the mistreatment practiced by the aristocracy and the lethal anger displayed by the revolutionaries. Charles Darnay displays a heroic character of obligation and justice when trying to help the oppressed peasants and endangers his own life by helping Gabelle. But Charles also deceives himself by thinking that he can change the power and make the Revolution a positive change in France. Moreover, Charles is not able to see the potential of Sidney Carton and is guided by his wife, Lucie, to believe in the potential of Sidney Carton. Darnay is the representative of virtuous but imperfect humanity. The novel A Tale of Two Cities By Charles Dickens illustrates the possibility of transformation and resurrection. Charles Dickens, in the novel, declares that resurrection and transformation are possible on a personal level, as well as social level. The death/sacrifice of Sidney Carton not only restores the peaceful life of Charles Darnay but also of Lucie Manette and Dr. Manette and Sidney Carton himself. Carton rises to the status of heroism by providing himself with execution. He becomes a Christ-like figure who restores and rescues the lives of others by his death. Even he gives meaning and value to his life. Moreover, at the end of the novel, the narrative suggests that the life of Sidney Carton – like Christ’s life – will be resurrected as Sidney Carton gains immortality in the hearts of people whom he died for. Moreover, the novel also asserts that the destruction of the old Monarchy of France is a way to the new and beautiful Paris that Carton envisions during execution. Though Carton spends most of his life in idleness and sloth, his final deed shows the human potential for better change. Though most of the novel describes the cruelness of aristocrats and outrageous peasants both, it also delivers the belief that this violence will pave the way for a better society. The theme of resurrection Dr. Manette is also called forth by Mr. Lorry, who sends a secret message saying that “recalled to Life.” According to this, the 18 years long imprisonment of Dr. Manette is considered as death. The love of Lucie restores Dr. Manette’s life and supports the notion of rebirth. In addition, the theme of justice presents in the novel through the institutions that are responsible for serving justice and as well as through the individuals who want to attain justice outside the courtroom. In the novel, the imprisonments and the trials represent justice. Though the legal systems are designed to provide justice to the masses, the prisons and courts, most of the time, punish the innocent people. As the legal system failed to provide justice, the individual seeks it outside it. When Gaspard’s son is killed, he realizes that the legal system will never give him justice against the strong and powerful aristocrat, thus killing Marquis in his bed. Similarly, Madame Defarge has been scheming against the Evremonde’s family for years because she knows that the legal system cannot stand against the wealth and power of Evremondes. Furthermore, I am also interested in the theme of jealousy. As it’s said in the novel, “Mr. Lorry knew Miss Pross to be very jealous, but he also knew her by this time to be, beneath the service of her eccentricity, one of those unselfish creature -- found only among women -- who will, for pure love and admiration, bind themselves willing slaves, to youth when they have lost it, to beauty that they never had, to accomplishments that they were never fortunate enough to gain, to bring hopes that never shone upon their own sombre lives” These statements come from chapter 6 called Hundreds of People in the second section of the book, the Golden Thread. When the waves of four months had rolled over the trial for treason, Mr. Jarvis Lorry planned to dine with the Doctor. The doctor lived in a quiet street-corner not far from Soho-square. After Mr. Jarvis Lorry arrived , he went upstairs to and admired the Doctor’s house alone. Suddenly an inquiry occurred, which was from Miss Pross. Then they had a heated talk and Miss Pross showed concern about Lucie. She thought Doctor Manette was not worthy of such a daughter and couldn’t bear multitudes of people would take Ladybird’s affections away from her. Then here comes the statements in the question. After that, they talked about the past of Doctor Manette and then father and daughter did at last appear. But, no hundreds of people came there. Mr. Lorry knew Miss Pross to be very jealous because she didn’t want anyone to take Lucie’s affection away from her and she envied the close relationship between Lucie and her father, after all it was she who raised the ladybird up and Doctor Manette just came here after Lucie grew up. However, Mr. Lorry also knew Miss Pross by this time to be ,beneath the service of her eccentricity, one of those unselfish creatures, and he had such an exalted respect for it , stationing her near to the an Angel. Although Miss Pross was not like many ladies who got up both by Nature and Art, she was willing to bind herself slave for pure love and admiration, to youth, beauty, accomplishments and bright hope that she never had. Miss Pross was selfless, and actually there were many women like her who were unselfish and kept a faithful heart in that period. I can really understand the jealousy of Miss Pross. She was such a woman who suffered the torture from the society and lost many treasures like youth, beauty and hope etc. I think maybe Lucie has carried all best wishes of her and essentially, she had a very close relationship with Lucie. Therefore, she was jealous because she’s afraid of Doctor Manette and other people who may take Lucie’s affection away from her, intervening their original lives. In fact, “jealousy” is a common emotion in our daily lives. Sometimes it has a bad effect, so we need to control the degree of the emotion well and find ways to deal with it. But sometimes it will turn into a motivation to push us become better. Maybe beneath this emotion, we will still have a faithful heart to admire others, realize our shortcomings,and pursuit of progress.