Before authors begin writing a novel, they have to consider what factors would make their story interesting to the audience that reads it. There are many different dynamics that can be included in a good read. Nonetheless, the keys to having a successful novel can depend largely on opinion, primarily on the opinions of the readers. Some would argue that having a fast-pace, action-packed storyline is the best, while others like a deep, complicated story with plenty of plot twists. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens can be ruled an unsuccessful novel based on different storyline formulas people prefer. However, Wilkie Collins, friend and contemporary of Dickens, is known to have made a more general suggestion for the formula to make a successful
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A first case of this is Madame Defarge. At the beginning of the story, the reader is shown a very callous, cruel woman. However, they are introduced to another side of her, an empathetic side. Dickens reveals the reason why she is so cruel and condemning of people, especially nobility, is because her family was taken away from her when she was young (Dickens 214-214). This helps the reader understand why she is the way she is and even pity her and what she had to go through. Dickens also uses the death of a peasant child by the Monsieur de Monsieur’s carriage (Dickens 68) to prey on the reader’s emotion so that they feel less sympathy for him when he is murdered in his bedroom (Dickens 80). Yet another case in which pathos is exercised is that of Darnay. He is being tried for the sins of his family, not because of any individual act he himself has committed. Darnay is taken away from his wife and child, and can only see them when they walk by his prison window, and knows he is doomed to die. Sympathy can also be given to the family who knows they will not be able to see him and visits him as if he were already dead; coming by not truly knowing if they are being seen by their loved …show more content…
The plot is primarily serious with a deep and detailed storyline. Nevertheless, there are a few instances of humor, such as the frequent mention of Jerry Cruncher’s “spiky hair looking as if it must tear the sheets to ribbons” (Dickens 34). Also, after Miss Pross mentions that they “shall have hundreds of people pretty soon”, there is frequent mention afterwards that states “no Hundreds of people came”, “still no Hundreds of people”, “Still, the Hundreds of people did not present themselves” and so on as a sort of joke to show how much Miss Pross exaggerated (Dickens 61-63). In addition, there is a glimpse of dark humor in the novel when Foulon, a noble “who told the famished people that they might eat grass” (Dickens 138) is killed with “his head…soon upon a pike, with grass enough in the mouth for all of Saint Antoine to dance at the sight of” (Dickens 140). Similarly, the idea that Jerry Cruncher believes himself to be “an honest tradesman” (Dickens 36) even though at night he is a grave-robber could be seen as ironic humor (Dickens 100-101). To add upon it, even the title of the chapter pokes fun of this contradiction, being named “The Honest Tradesman” after Jerry Cruncher’s faulty description of himself (Dickens 96). Aside from these minor incidents, the novel on a whole lacked humor, causing Dickens to miss this mark of a successful
A first case of this is Madame Defarge. At the beginning of the story, the reader is shown a very callous, cruel woman. However, they are introduced to another side of her, an empathetic side. Dickens reveals the reason why she is so cruel and condemning of people, especially nobility, is because her family was taken away from her when she was young (Dickens 214-214). This helps the reader understand why she is the way she is and even pity her and what she had to go through. Dickens also uses the death of a peasant child by the Monsieur de Monsieur’s carriage (Dickens 68) to prey on the reader’s emotion so that they feel less sympathy for him when he is murdered in his bedroom (Dickens 80). Yet another case in which pathos is exercised is that of Darnay. He is being tried for the sins of his family, not because of any individual act he himself has committed. Darnay is taken away from his wife and child, and can only see them when they walk by his prison window, and knows he is doomed to die. Sympathy can also be given to the family who knows they will not be able to see him and visits him as if he were already dead; coming by not truly knowing if they are being seen by their loved …show more content…
The plot is primarily serious with a deep and detailed storyline. Nevertheless, there are a few instances of humor, such as the frequent mention of Jerry Cruncher’s “spiky hair looking as if it must tear the sheets to ribbons” (Dickens 34). Also, after Miss Pross mentions that they “shall have hundreds of people pretty soon”, there is frequent mention afterwards that states “no Hundreds of people came”, “still no Hundreds of people”, “Still, the Hundreds of people did not present themselves” and so on as a sort of joke to show how much Miss Pross exaggerated (Dickens 61-63). In addition, there is a glimpse of dark humor in the novel when Foulon, a noble “who told the famished people that they might eat grass” (Dickens 138) is killed with “his head…soon upon a pike, with grass enough in the mouth for all of Saint Antoine to dance at the sight of” (Dickens 140). Similarly, the idea that Jerry Cruncher believes himself to be “an honest tradesman” (Dickens 36) even though at night he is a grave-robber could be seen as ironic humor (Dickens 100-101). To add upon it, even the title of the chapter pokes fun of this contradiction, being named “The Honest Tradesman” after Jerry Cruncher’s faulty description of himself (Dickens 96). Aside from these minor incidents, the novel on a whole lacked humor, causing Dickens to miss this mark of a successful