Tale Of Two Cities Symbol Analysis

Improved Essays
“All nature is a vast symbolism; every material fact has sheathed within it a spiritual Truth.” quote by Edwin Hubbell Chapin. There are many ways to explain emotions, feelings, and innuendos through actions, objects also known as Symbols. Symbols are the most notable literary element throughout Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. There are three symbols throughout the book; the first is the color Red. Second symbol is the color Gold. And lastly the Darkness and shadows. These three symbolic elements are used to describe character feelings and or themes in the book. They are also used to convey ideas and clarify meanings on a more advanced level of interpretation.
The first symbol Red. To Emphasize its importance of this symbol in the book
…show more content…
“She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery: and the sound of her voice, the light of her face, the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with him almost always”. Lucie is the Sunshine in Dr. Manette's life. She cures him of his misery and brings him to a calm yet stable mindset which allows Dr. Manette's character to really “shine”. “Three more birthdays of Little lucie had been woven by the golden thread into the peaceful tissue of the life of her home”. This shows that little Lucie is becoming like her mother in the sense of how perfect she is. “Yes. It took four men, all four ablaze with gorgeous decoration, and the Chief of them unable to exist with fewer than two gold watches in his pocket, emulative of the noble and chaste fashion set by Monseigneur, to conduct the happy chocolate to Monseigneur's lips. One lacquey carried the chocolate-pot into the sacred presence; a second, milled and frothed the chocolate with the little instrument he bore for that function; a third, presented the favoured napkin; a fourth (he of the two gold watches), poured the chocolate out. It was impossible for Monseigneur to dispense with one of these attendants on the chocolate and hold his high place under the admiring Heavens”. Gold in this is used to show that even the servants of the Monseigneur are filthy rich and are still better off than the poor people of the city. Gold is the physical thing in this context, showing that the servants feel rich and that makes the Monseigneur sense his true

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Perhaps unbeknownst to the reader, the author’s attributed value of life provides only half of a very important theme to be combed from the story. The final passage describes a very distinct image of Nathaniel exaltedly holding valuable caviar. However, better thematic understanding does not arise from the action of holding of caviar, but rather how it was held: “... like a jackpot (92).” This carefully incorporated simile equates the symbolic eggs to substantial monetary gain. Additional detail found the within the same and preceding paragraphs indicate a disregard for life and implication that money is of higher priority.…

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Harrison Bergeron Symbols

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Symbolic Stories Authors all over the world use symbolism in their stories; it gives the reader a little twist. For instance, valentines day is coming up and what sign do you use, a heart! This is symbolic for love passed on to others. Now if you didn’t know before, symbolism is when an object is used to represent something else. Some examples of this is “Harrison Bergeron”,”The Lottery”,and “2BRO2B.”…

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    One particular debate that has bedeviled humanity since its inception is the question of the nature of human morality. We as humans argue about the source of morality: most religious fundamentalists argue that morality comes from a deity, whereas secularists tend to argue that morality comes from within and is subjective. We also argue about its objectivity, and many will attest that their moral code is a paragon above all others. Morality is a code by which most sane humans live their lives; it would seem logical that such a dominant force in human interaction would foster such discourse. Amongst all the uncertainty in the nature of morality, however, there is but one certainty: morality is based entirely on perspective.…

    • 1240 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Symbols Found in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has long been appraised for being an exemplary novel and has been acclaimed for generations. In this 1920’s novel Fitzgerald uses many forms of figurative language to convey his thoughts and feelings. One important piece of figurative language that is used many times throughout the book is symbolism. Although there is a great deal of symbolism found in the novel three symbols stand out the most.…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dickens uses symbolism to emphasize the structure of the setting, in A Tale of Two Cities. Throughout the novel, the readers can see symbolism used, especially in the Wine Shop. Dickens uses this quote to emphasize wine stains,”A large cask of wine had been dropped…”(p.35) This quote symbolizes the spill of blood that is brought upon because of the revolution that is looming around the country. A second example about symbolism being used is when the people of the country dropped everything to run where the accident had happened,”Had suspended their business, or their idleness, to run to the spot…”(p.35)…

    • 184 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Symbols dictate our every move in our world, and it is the same in the world of fiction. Symbolism in literature has been a widely used tool for centuries, used to signify something much deeper than the simple object described by the author. It is indescribable how important symbols are in a story. In the respective stories, Hamlet and The Great Gatsby, their symbols give meaning to their story; they add depth to quite simple stories of revenge and the fight for the American dream.…

    • 1547 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Symbolism is an artistic and poetic movement or style using symbolic images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind. It originated in late 19th century in France and Belgium. Symbolism helps the reader understand the depths and secrets of the story or work of literature. In the three stories, Young Goodman Brown, A Good Man is Hard to Find, and A Rose for Emily, they all seem to portray many elements of symbolism. Symbolism is a very important feature in stories or pieces of literature and should always remain as long as the writers want the readers to be interested.…

    • 1486 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “I am like one who died young. All my life might have been” (Dickens 151). In Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, people are suffering, but in some cases do not recover and do not have better outcome in life. Furthermore, these people need something in order to be resurrected from their miseries. Compassion has the power to resurrect sufferers.…

    • 987 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Theme Of Power In Macbeth

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages

    he illustrious author John Huebert once wrote, "Power corrupts, incorruptably". Huebert pokes at the cliche theme of life that views the idea of power as an innate evil within all men. All men strive to achieve it and, in this endavour, many fall prey to destructive moral behavior. Behavior that inevitably corrupts a man whom attains power. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, this issue holds both political and social relevance as the protagonist aims to become King.…

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses many symbols, for example the sunshine, the forest, and water. Symbols of things would be the scarlet letter itself and the symbols of places would be like the scaffold. Finally, symbols of people would include Dimmesdale and Pearl, also being a symbol, are one of the heavily symbolized characters in the book. Some of these symbols can help characters understand their lives or even foreshadow events that appear later in the story.. In this novel, the symbols are used frequently throughout the novel and help the reader understand the book bit by bit with each characters’ input.…

    • 1306 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Examples Of Symbolism

    • 102 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Symbolism from “Stockings,” “Church,” “The Man I Killed,” “Ambush,” and “Style” Within all of these chapters there are objects and people used to how symbolism. Symbolism is technique in which the author does not want their words to be taken literally, but instead represent a deeper meaning. Symbolism usually is under the surface and requires the reader to take a closer look in order to understand what the author is trying to say. One of the more noticeable instances of symbolism was in chapter 14 called, “Style.”…

    • 102 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dr. Manette is one character that secretly illustrates the theme of appearance versus reality. In book one, Lucie Manette, daughter of Dr. Manette, finds her father and brings him “back to life” (54). Lucie helps her father to restart his life with her. Adding onto this, Dr. Manette appears to be well again, but the truth is, Dr. Manette is dying inside. When he reconnects with his daughter, Dr. Manette also starts caring for patients again.…

    • 259 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    " This last quote shows Dr. Alexandre Manette 's sacrifice in being arrested, taken away from his daughter. "If you hear in my voice … any resemblance to a voice that once was sweet music in your ears, weep for it, weep for it! If you tough, in toughing my hair, anything that recalls a beloved head that lay on your breast when you were young and free, weep for it, weep for it! If, when I hint to you of a Home that is before us, where I will be true to you with all my duty and with all…

    • 1123 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Symbolism is everywhere in literature. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, symbolism is “the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities” (Symbolism, n1). Symbolism is widely used throughout literature. Iin plays like The Miracle Worker symbolism is used to drive the story forward. A symbol in The Miracle Worker that drives the play’s plot forward is the keys that are kept around the Keller household.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Spotlights In almost every piece of literature you find certain words or descriptive objects that point towards a meaning that the author is trying to convey. Although sometimes one can look right over them and not notice them at all. These symbols play a key role in helping to move along a piece, as well as to help expose any meaning the author is hoping to expose. One such meaning is from “The Pardoner’s Tale,” Geoffrey Chaucer, which takes place and was written during the middle ages. This short story focuses on a group of highly intoxicated friends, who after seeing their deceased friend pass by decide to hunt down and kill death.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays