A Tale of Two Cities
Study Guide
Setting:
1. London and Paris. Dickens sets up comparisons between the two cities in chapter one,
pointing out that they are not so different. This reflects both the purpose of the novel (a
warning that events may repeat themselves), and the motif of doubling that occurs
throughout.
2. Public and Private Spaces: Dickens alternates in his narration between public and
private settings. The serenity of the Manette’s home is contrasted with the turmoil in the
streets.
Motifs and Imagery
1. Doubling: Two cities, Foil characters (Darnay and Sydney Carton, Lucie and Madame
Defarge, “light and darkness”, opening paragraph (“best of times, worst of times…”),
twin Evremonde brothers. This is also a gothic element, popular with the Romantics.
2. Water- ocean, sea, rising tide – an image of the vastness and power of the mob.
Water takes on a negative association in the novel, which differs from our normal
perceptions of water being cleansing and life-giving. Instead, it begins to mean death.
(Gaspard is hung above a fountain, the mob is compared to an ocean rising, water
runs to Madame Defarge’s feet, etc.) Nothing in the Revolution is as it ought to be –
things are turned upside down.
3. Darkness and Light – serve as a contrasting motif, but also as imagery. Think “Night
Shadows”, secrets, imprisonment, the Defarges, (Madame Defarge is later called “The
Shadow”), and evil itself. Light (goodness) is contrasted with this darkness throughout
the novel (Lucie’s name means “light”).
4. The color red – red comes to mean blood, as we see when the cask of red wine spills
on the streets. The revolutionaries wear red caps, the Marquis drives home to his
country estate during a red sunset, and of course, the red of the human blood that is
spilt throughout the revolution is a powerful image.
Symbols:
1. The broken wine cask – Chapter 5 of Book One. The wine that spills acts
symbolically on multiple levels:
 It comes to represent the blood that will soon spill on those same streets
 It illustrates the hunger of the peasants, which will drive their thirst for not just
wine, but also blood.
 Illustrates the animal-like behavior of the peasants, and the irrationality of the
mob in general. “Tigerish smear,” blood on the wall, etc. Foreshadows future
mob behavior (the grindstone, the Carmagnole, etc.)
2. Madame Defarge’s Knitting –
1. literally a symbol of those who will be condemned by the revolutionaries.
2. appearance vs. reality – Knitting seems innocuous, but as she knits, she is
acting a cold-blooded killer. Reflects the insidiousness of the revolutionaries.
3. Allusion to the three Fates, who spin, knit, and cut the thread of life. Madame
is acting as all three, holding the fate of the victims literally in her hands.
Allusions:
1. Mythological - Madame Defarge as the Three Fates, The Gorgon’s Head,
2. Literary - The Loadstone Rock – from the Arabian Nights - a loadstone draws a ship
irresistibly to its destruction. This is the title of Chapter 24, “Drawn to the Loadstone Rock”, in
which Darney is drawn back to France where he will (almost) meet his doom. This is also an
example of foreshadowing.
3. Biblical  Dr. Manette is linked to Lazarus in his return to life
 Sydney Carton acts as a Christ figure by innocently sacrificing himself so that others
might live. He is also resurrected in the form of Lucie’s son in the future.
 Red wine and blood – Christ turned wine to blood the night before his execution. Wine
and blood become one.
Themes: The prevailing comments that a work suggests regarding life, human nature, society, etc.
Literary techniques and devices (motifs, images, symbols, characters, allusions, metaphors, etc)
all combine to aid these themes.
1. Death can yield resurrection and redemption
 Dr. Manette “recalled to life”
 Sydney Carton – resurrected in the form of Lucie’s son, redeemed through death
 Darnay – saved from death twice and “recalled to life”
2. The need for sacrifice to achieve something better
 Lucie, Dr. Manette, Carton, Miss Pross, and Darnay (the “good” characters) all
sacrifice or suffer in some way to achieve a greater purpose.
 The revolutionaries believe that only through sacrificing personal loyalties,
opinions, and loves can a new, better government be formed. (Former names are
replaced by “citizen” or “Jacques”
3. The violence and oppression of Revolution - a warning
 Dickens sympathizes with the peasants but not with the brutal actions of the
revolutionaries. Mob scenes emphasize this. The outcome for fighting cruelty with
cruelty is more cruelty and violence.
 The contrast of the two cities sets up this warning – they are more alike than they
first seem.
 Oppression will yield revenge and corruption. Evil breeds evil.
4. The power of goodness over evil
 Good eventually triumphs over evil through love and sacrifice.
 Light will conquer darkness and secrets will be revealed (truth).
 Suffering leads to revenge, which leads to more suffering. The only way to stop
the cycle is to turn suffering into forgiveness, which yields power. Evil breeds more
evil, but goodness breeds goodness.