The 16th and 17th century in Europe was a time of turmoil and change. Revolutions were shaping and transforming the country by means never seen before. Two books, Les Misérables and A Tale of Two Cities, are perfect examples that demonstrate the chaos of that time. One book, Les Misérables, is written by Victor Hugo, who is French, whereas the author of A Tale of Two Cities is Charles Dickens, an Englishman. However, while Les Misérables and A Tale of Two Cities differ slightly, the overall takeaway from these stories is similar.
Revolutionists were a core focus in both books but they were shown in drastically different lights. In A Tale of Two Cities, revolutionists are shown as blood thirsty and cruel. For example, the story focuses on one …show more content…
For example, the revolution aspect of the story focuses on one character, Marius. Marius lives with his French aristocrat family. When he was a child, his grandparents forbade his father to contact Marius because he had fought in the French Revolution with democratic ideals whereas his extended families were more conservative. Marius’ aristocratic and conservative families are shown as bad people. “He (his grandfather) had an unmarried daughter over fifty years old, whom he belabored severely when he was angry, and whom he would have gladly horsewhipped. She seemed to him about eight years old” (Hugo 153). Marius’ grandfather is shown as a cruel and rude old man. Later, when Marius gets more into his father’s politics, he realizes his democratic ideals are greatly admirable and he feels ashamed that he shunned him for years, “My father, was a humble and heroic man, who served the republic and France gloriously, who was great in the greatest history that men have ever made” (Hugo 178). He went from slandering his father and being an aristocrat to defending him from his conservative family and loving his father with every fiber of his …show more content…
For example, the male leads, Jean Valjean and Dr. Manette, are both genuinely good people who have been wronged and abused by the prison complex. Jean Valjean was imprisoned for stealing bread and then added many more years onto his service because he kept trying to escape. Dr. Manette was also in prison and suffered abuse from the guards as well as endured psychological abuse. Jean Valjean’s change in mental state is shown when the author describes him as he enters and leaves prison, “Jean Valjean entered the galleys sobbing and shuddering: he went out hardened; he entered in despair: he went out sullen” (Hugo 25). Manette is also shown as being heavily affected by his hell and he continually suffers breakdowns and due to the intense abuse, begins subconsciously making shoes, something he was forced to do in jail. Both men have young daughters at a marriageable age, and both their daughters fall in love with French aristocrats who loathe their uncles. However, the different time periods at which these books take place have a huge impact on how the story
Revolutionists were a core focus in both books but they were shown in drastically different lights. In A Tale of Two Cities, revolutionists are shown as blood thirsty and cruel. For example, the story focuses on one …show more content…
For example, the revolution aspect of the story focuses on one character, Marius. Marius lives with his French aristocrat family. When he was a child, his grandparents forbade his father to contact Marius because he had fought in the French Revolution with democratic ideals whereas his extended families were more conservative. Marius’ aristocratic and conservative families are shown as bad people. “He (his grandfather) had an unmarried daughter over fifty years old, whom he belabored severely when he was angry, and whom he would have gladly horsewhipped. She seemed to him about eight years old” (Hugo 153). Marius’ grandfather is shown as a cruel and rude old man. Later, when Marius gets more into his father’s politics, he realizes his democratic ideals are greatly admirable and he feels ashamed that he shunned him for years, “My father, was a humble and heroic man, who served the republic and France gloriously, who was great in the greatest history that men have ever made” (Hugo 178). He went from slandering his father and being an aristocrat to defending him from his conservative family and loving his father with every fiber of his …show more content…
For example, the male leads, Jean Valjean and Dr. Manette, are both genuinely good people who have been wronged and abused by the prison complex. Jean Valjean was imprisoned for stealing bread and then added many more years onto his service because he kept trying to escape. Dr. Manette was also in prison and suffered abuse from the guards as well as endured psychological abuse. Jean Valjean’s change in mental state is shown when the author describes him as he enters and leaves prison, “Jean Valjean entered the galleys sobbing and shuddering: he went out hardened; he entered in despair: he went out sullen” (Hugo 25). Manette is also shown as being heavily affected by his hell and he continually suffers breakdowns and due to the intense abuse, begins subconsciously making shoes, something he was forced to do in jail. Both men have young daughters at a marriageable age, and both their daughters fall in love with French aristocrats who loathe their uncles. However, the different time periods at which these books take place have a huge impact on how the story