Examples Of Inhumanity In A Tale Of Two Cities

Improved Essays
The French Revolution, beginning in 1789, was fueled by the poor’s response to oppression. As uneasiness and tension rose between the aristocracy and the common people, so did thoughts of revolution. Seeing as the French Revolution caused a massive amount of bloodshed and discontent across Europe, inhumanity is prevalent in Dickens’ portrayal of not only the aristocracy, but also the Revolutionaries. In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens explores not only what makes one human, but what drives one to inhumanity. His examples of inhumanity are brilliantly placed within the actions of his characters, perhaps the most important character being Madame Defarge. Through her, the reader gains a new profound perspective on the general antagonist,

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” the novel, A Tale of Two Cities written by Charles Dickens, opens up in 1775 in the face of the French Revolution. The classic novel takes place in England and France where Sydney Carton and Madame Defarge both contrast greatly. Carton changes his life as an indolent, alcoholic to a man of bravery who sacrifices his own life whereas Madame Defarge, the antagonist, is a vengeful woman representing the French Revolution. Both Sydney Carton and Madame Defarge show dedication for different reasons which portrays the theme, good vs. evil. Sydney Carton is introduced as a drudge whereas Madame Defarge is introduced angry and mysteriously.…

    • 888 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The novel A Tale of Two Cities follows the growth and complexity of Madame Defarge as the plot develops and changes over time. Her seemingly insignificant role in the beginning of the novel quickly shifts to the evolution of a predominant character. As a strong woman of the French Revolution, she possesses a number of allies and motives related to the cause. Madame Defarge and her husband own a wine shop in France that is introduced with the vivid scene of wine spilled all over the streets along with the excited response of the poor people around. This scene parallels to the blood spilled throughout the course of the French Revolution, catalyzed in part by Madame Defarge.…

    • 961 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The motif of darkness assists the context in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens whilst directing to the inscrutable quality of human nature, the foreboding mystery in its setting, and the overbearing obscurity over clarity. First, Dickens conveys the motif of darkness through the characters’ reactions and sentiments. For instance, Dickens portrays the dehumanizing nature of society through relevant characters when he illustrates, “Those who had been greedy with the staves of the cask, had acquired a tigerish smear about the mouth; and one tall joker so besmirched, his head more out of a long squalid bag of a night-cap than in it, scrawled upon a wall with his finger dipped in muddy wine-less –BLOOD” (Dickens 32). This is intriguing as it displays the savage-like features the civilization had acquired as they yearned for a revolution that would act upon…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Charles Dickens is utterly a famous author. He has written over fifteen literary works. One of which in “A Tale of Two Cities” and it takes place during the time of the French revolution. In this novel, a man by the name of Dr. Manette has been incarcerated for almost two decades. When he is discharged, he is mentally unstable, a friend of the family finds his daughter and the two reunite.…

    • 1084 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dr. Manette Adversity

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens involves many instances of adversity that the characters are to face. The different characters in this novel each react differently to adversity within their lives. With this, Dickens’ characters react in ways that show more into their personalities and lives, either showing the best or worse side of themselves when faced with such turmoil and difficulty. Dr. Manette as a character, as well as his behaviors, exemplify the idea that individuals show the best side of themselves when faced with adversity due to the way that he continues to help his family, devotes so much effort to the causes of others, and his ability to put his past behind him. Dr. Manette and his behaviors first exemplify…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dickens’s thrilling novel A Tale of Two Cities effectively informs the reader of the barbaric events of the French Revolution whilst expressing his increased sympathy toward the French…

    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    How could something as delicious as chocolate be used to portray an entire class of snobbish French citizens? By using metaphorical language, A Tale of Two Cities describes the tensions that caused a truly vicious war to occur in France. Moreover, numerous key characters and images are able to capture the spirit of redemption amid the turmoil. Utilizing a plethora of symbolism, Charles Dickens is able to perfectly represent the self-absorbed aristocracy, revolutionary fever, and a theme of resurrection in his novel as well as the French Revolution. Chocolate, carriages, and coins are all symbols of the aristocracy’s greed, cruelty, and pure ignorance towards the peasants’ plight.…

    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Charles Dicken presents numerous dualities in his book A Tale of Two Cities, one of which are the characters Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge. These two characters represent two very different themes of purity and hatred, respectively, shown by analyzing their physical traits, character traits, and their past. Lucie Manette has the purity of an angel. The first time she is introduced in the book, she is described as “ a short, slight, pretty figure, a quantity of golden hair, a pair of blue eyes…” (Dickens 33).…

    • 1258 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Tale Of Two Cities Essay

    • 1052 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The French Revolution, notorious for its barbarous bloodshed which occurred continuously throughout the war, is an undeniable turning point in history, inspiring millions. The revolution was a response to the ruthless and selfish upperclass, stripping the lower class of their wealth, quality of life, and identity. Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities was intended as a parallel to the revolution, encapsulating the effects it had on the lower class citizens by using the lives of French and English citizens. In the novel, Dickens maintains the recurrence of only a handful of characters throughout the story line, Dr. Alexandre Manette being one of the most important as the father of Lucie Manette and father in law to Charles Darnay. Through the…

    • 1052 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In a novel like A Tale of Two Cities, historical fiction can express the impact of historical events, “through the joys, trials, sufferings, and victories of characters”(Allingham) as the readers experienced. In the novel, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, the theme of sacrifice lets the reader realize the cost of life as well as the progression of the plot through the sacrifices made by the Seamstress, Miss Pross, and Sydney Carton. The seamstress seems as though she has no significance to the plot of the novel but the reader learns that she is making an ultimate sacrifice. The seamstress is one of the innocent people who gets killed by the guillotine in order to save France.…

    • 1126 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When discussing his popular work the Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens explains the main theme that “Death may beget life, but oppression can beget nothing other than itself” (Dickens). Death and oppression often go together, with oppression resulting in death or death resulting in oppression. However, they differ in that death can result in something positive, such as the life of another person being saved while oppression only results in more oppression. Specifically, in The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, the character Madame Defarge evinces this point because her childhood trauma affects her decisions as an adult. Like Madame Defarge, Queen Mary I of England, the mistreated and unwanted child of King Henry VIII, also emphasizes…

    • 1080 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Charles Dickens uses the literary device of foreshadowing to build a suspenseful plot in Tale of Two Cities. Foreshadowing is the act of planting a seed earlier in a story that will predict an event that will be later revealed. Dickens uses the literary device in mentioning the French Revolution, “a time of great change and great danger,” predicting many deaths to come, and lastly, using the figure of Doctor Manette to compliment the plot. Through this, Dickens creates one of the most popular novel of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. First, the French Revolution is foreshadowed by Dickens in many forms including, the breaking of a wine cask, footsteps continuously echoing, and the mob’s thirst for death.…

    • 1214 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” (1). Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities is a classic novel showcasing double motifs and recurring contrasts, which are presented through three examples. First, the two major female characters of Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge demonstrate opposing forces. Second, the title itself is a contrast of two cities. Lastly, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, though alike in appearance, clash drastically in their indirect characteristics.…

    • 426 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The characterization used in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities does not detract from the novel’s ability to speak to the human condition for some characters while it does detract from the novel’s ability to speak…

    • 1402 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The characters in a Tale of Two Cities by, Charles Dickens have the capability to choose their own fate, through the actions they do throughout the novel. They control a major part of their own lives, but they are still easily influenced by their surroundings. There are some situations in which they must succumb to their pre-determined destinies and must accept their fate. Forces around them play an immense part in making them choose a particular decision, which leads them to a variety of distinctive outcomes in their lives. One decision made by a character can cause a chain reaction that causes every other character’s fate for be altered forever.…

    • 1010 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays