The repetition of a word or group of words at the start of the sentence for stylistic effect
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of
Darkness” (Dickens 11).
“A great city by night, that every one of those darkly clustered houses encloses its own secret; that every room in every one of them encloses its own secret; that every beating heart in the hundreds of thousands of breasts there, in some of its imaginings, a secret to the heart nearest it!” (Dickens 19).
“The little narrow, crooked town of Dover hid itself away from the beach, and ran its head into the chalk cliffs, like a marine ostrich” (Dickens 26).
“The wine was red wine, and had stained the ground … it had stained many hands, too, and many faces, and many naked feet
… BLOOD” (Dickens 37).
“Those who had been greedy with the staves of the cask, had acquired a tigerish smear about the mouth” (Dickens 37)
The novel begins with an anaphora, in this famous quotation, to emphasize that the following narrative is a historical account. Dickens also uses a paradox to introduce the notion that there are contrasting beliefs, feelings, perspectives of the times depending on which socioeconomic position one held. In short, the conflict between the difference classes prior to the Revolution is, from the onset, accentuated.
- Through the use of dark imagery, an ominous feeling is created
-the repetition of the word “secret” in the passage, and the fact that everyone is working so hard in to keep “their” secrets, seems to foreshadow that, at some point, an important secret will be revealed
-The town of Dover, through the use of a simile, is being compared to a marine ostrich.
-An ostrich is said to bury its head in sand at the time of danger; similarly, the townspeople may be frightened by their oppression and are choosing to hid in fear
-However, eventually, an ostrich has to show its head, and if the danger is still present, they will violent retaliate. This foreshadows that the town of Dover, may also revolt against their oppressors.
Metaphorically, the spilt wine is compared to blood – the blood of the people who have died because of the severe poverty they have face and also the blood that will soon be spilt because of the revolution.
An implied metaphor is implored to compare the poor to a tiger, suggesting their complete desperation and poverty.
Despite their despair, the fact that they are being compared to a tiger also suggests that they are strong and fierce.

“Hunger was pushed out of the tall houses, in the wretched clothing that hung upon poles and lines; … Hunger stared down from the smokeless chimneys and started up from the filthy street that had no offal, among its refuse” (Dickens 33)
“The hollowness and thinness of his face would have caused him to look large, under his yet dark eyebrows and his confused white hair” (Dickens 43).
“There was yet an upper staircase, of a steeper inclination and of contracted dimensions, to be ascended” (Dickens 39).
“Do you mean to finish that pair of shoes today?” (Dickens 44).
“It is a lady’s shoe. It is a young lady’s walking–shoe … I never saw the mode”
(Dickens 44-45)
“One Hundred and Five, North Tower”
(Dickens 45).
Dickens uses personification to display the extreme the conditions that the people of France are forced to live in.
-Hunger is humanized and described as a murderer “staring” down at them
-The true murderer is the King of France and by personifying hunger it alters it from an abstract idea, to a person that is able to be defeated
-The repetition foreshadows how the people of France will eventually revolt since hunger has consumed their lives.
Dr. Manette’s hair is personified which is ironic since he is not completely “human.”
-His spirit is depleted and by characterizing his “hair” has
“confused” it indicates that he lacks direction, since a person’s hair lays on his head, and a sense of identity, since usually one’s hair can define their personality
The staircase is symbolic of Mr. Manette’s journey, as well as the Revolutionists’ path.
It is described as “steep” and “inclin[ed]” implying that both
Mr. Manette’s journey to reclaim is former self, and the
Revolutionists’ path to emancipation will be long and treacherous.
Symbolically, the shoes represent Mr. Manette’s attempt to maintain his sanity and sense of self.
The fact that the shoes are also a “lady’s shoe” implies that his main motivation to preserve is the memory and love of his daughter.
Manette using his place of captivity in lieu of his name is symbolic that his captivity is the only thing with which he identifies.