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. As seen in chapter five of
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Manette was used as an object of foreshadowing in Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities. First, Dr. Manette being cared for by Charles Darnay in 1775 was not a coincidence. This sets up the relationship between Lucie Manette and Darnay. Lucie discovered her father was still alive in Paris while she suffered many years without her father. As said in Darnay’s trial, Lucie confessed that “he was kind, and good, and useful to her father” (Dickens 54). Darnay’s caring for Dr. Manette is soon seen again when he wishes to marry Lucie. He soon develops a close relationship to Dr. Manette telling him that “I thank you with all my heart, and will open all my heart— or nearly so” as long as Lucie loves Darnay back (Dickens 103).Next, Manette’s relapse when talking to Darnay on the day of the wedding foreshadows the striking truth behind the doctor’s imprisonment. After hearing the truth of Darnay’s real name, Dr. Manette suffers a tragic relapse lasting for nine days. As seen later in the book, Dickens reveals that Dr. Manette was imprisoned a family name of Evrémonde. Tied in with another element of foreshadow, a scrap of paper is discovered in the Tower of London.As Darnay mentions this to the Manette family, Dr. Manette is quickly startled by this news however he does recover quickly.This letter foreshadowed the death sentence for Darnay in Book Three. When Darnay arrived in France to help an old friend, he is imprisoned. During his trial, he was about to be acquitted once more, however the Defarges bring up the letter that was discovered earlier. The letter was written by Dr. Manette during his stay in prison. The letter stated the cause of Dr. Manette’s imprisonment: Marquis Evremonde (both Charles Darnay’s father and uncle) ordered the Doctor to take care of a peasant woman. The woman was dying from a fever, and her brother from a stab wound. Darn’s uncle raped the peasant woman, killed the woman’s husband, then proceeded to kill her brother. Unfortunately,
Manette was used as an object of foreshadowing in Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities. First, Dr. Manette being cared for by Charles Darnay in 1775 was not a coincidence. This sets up the relationship between Lucie Manette and Darnay. Lucie discovered her father was still alive in Paris while she suffered many years without her father. As said in Darnay’s trial, Lucie confessed that “he was kind, and good, and useful to her father” (Dickens 54). Darnay’s caring for Dr. Manette is soon seen again when he wishes to marry Lucie. He soon develops a close relationship to Dr. Manette telling him that “I thank you with all my heart, and will open all my heart— or nearly so” as long as Lucie loves Darnay back (Dickens 103).Next, Manette’s relapse when talking to Darnay on the day of the wedding foreshadows the striking truth behind the doctor’s imprisonment. After hearing the truth of Darnay’s real name, Dr. Manette suffers a tragic relapse lasting for nine days. As seen later in the book, Dickens reveals that Dr. Manette was imprisoned a family name of Evrémonde. Tied in with another element of foreshadow, a scrap of paper is discovered in the Tower of London.As Darnay mentions this to the Manette family, Dr. Manette is quickly startled by this news however he does recover quickly.This letter foreshadowed the death sentence for Darnay in Book Three. When Darnay arrived in France to help an old friend, he is imprisoned. During his trial, he was about to be acquitted once more, however the Defarges bring up the letter that was discovered earlier. The letter was written by Dr. Manette during his stay in prison. The letter stated the cause of Dr. Manette’s imprisonment: Marquis Evremonde (both Charles Darnay’s father and uncle) ordered the Doctor to take care of a peasant woman. The woman was dying from a fever, and her brother from a stab wound. Darn’s uncle raped the peasant woman, killed the woman’s husband, then proceeded to kill her brother. Unfortunately,