The historical fiction A Tale of Two Cities set in London, England and Paris, France depicts the French Revolution. The novel by Charles Dickens is understanding towards the overthrow of French aristocracy, but very harsh towards the Reign of Terror that followed. From the title and throughout the book, Dickens uses the motif duality to highlight his themes and to connect the past and the present which is demonstrated through the connected cities of London and Paris, contrasting female characters Lucie and Madame Defarge, and lookalikes Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton.
The two cities Charles Dickens alludes in his title are his birthplace London, and Paris, the site of the French Revolution to analyze the social conditions that led to this …show more content…
Carton comes off as a lazy man with no self respect since he is acting like he does not care about his appearance. Later in the same chapter, the reader meets Charles Darnay. Darnay is on trial for treason and everyone in the courtroom is craving to get a glimpse of him except for Sydney Carton. Dickens characterizes Darnay as a “young man of about five-and-twenty, well-grown and well-looking”(60). For a man being accused of treason, Darnay is well put together and calm even bowing to the judge and standing quietly. During the trial, the audience learns that Darnay is acquitted due to Cartons smart thinking. Carton realized that Darnay and himself are doppelgängers and saves Darnay from being executed. The reader now understands that it is really Carton who does all the work behind closed doors and he is not the lazy man that he came off to be. After the trial comes to an end, Darnay and Carton go out to dine. Carton is heavily drinking and he acts bitter and rude towards Darnay. Dickens makes it evident that Carton is depressed when Carton says, “I care for no man on earth, and no man cares for me”, which creates sympathy for the man who has no love and is cold to other people (82). Later in the same chapter, Carton looks in a mirror, again representing duality, and tells himself that there is nothing to like about himself and that Darnay represents everything that he could have been. Carton wishes he could be Darnay because he is noticed by Lucie, and Carton wishes that she could care for him as much as he cares for her. The reader can really see the true form of Carton now. On the inside Carton is truly a good man who just wants to be loved but can not show it because he knows that no one will ever be able to love him. In the end of the novel, Darnay is imprisoned and is awaiting execution because of his family mistakes. Even though Lucie married Darnay, Carton
The two cities Charles Dickens alludes in his title are his birthplace London, and Paris, the site of the French Revolution to analyze the social conditions that led to this …show more content…
Carton comes off as a lazy man with no self respect since he is acting like he does not care about his appearance. Later in the same chapter, the reader meets Charles Darnay. Darnay is on trial for treason and everyone in the courtroom is craving to get a glimpse of him except for Sydney Carton. Dickens characterizes Darnay as a “young man of about five-and-twenty, well-grown and well-looking”(60). For a man being accused of treason, Darnay is well put together and calm even bowing to the judge and standing quietly. During the trial, the audience learns that Darnay is acquitted due to Cartons smart thinking. Carton realized that Darnay and himself are doppelgängers and saves Darnay from being executed. The reader now understands that it is really Carton who does all the work behind closed doors and he is not the lazy man that he came off to be. After the trial comes to an end, Darnay and Carton go out to dine. Carton is heavily drinking and he acts bitter and rude towards Darnay. Dickens makes it evident that Carton is depressed when Carton says, “I care for no man on earth, and no man cares for me”, which creates sympathy for the man who has no love and is cold to other people (82). Later in the same chapter, Carton looks in a mirror, again representing duality, and tells himself that there is nothing to like about himself and that Darnay represents everything that he could have been. Carton wishes he could be Darnay because he is noticed by Lucie, and Carton wishes that she could care for him as much as he cares for her. The reader can really see the true form of Carton now. On the inside Carton is truly a good man who just wants to be loved but can not show it because he knows that no one will ever be able to love him. In the end of the novel, Darnay is imprisoned and is awaiting execution because of his family mistakes. Even though Lucie married Darnay, Carton