Short essay: mood in A Tale of Two
Cities
How does Dickens create mood with his choice of words? Look
at the description of Tellson’s Bank (beginning of Book II,
Ch. 1) or the descriptions of the courtroom crowd in Book
II, Ch. 2-3. Describe the mood you perceive from close
reading. Then, show how Dickens evokes this mood with his
use of metaphors and any other figurative language, any
rhetorical devices (personification, etc.), symbolism,
images of any kind, and any other information you can find
in these scenes that you feel is relevant.
Use multiple quotations from the book, but provide only the
relevant pieces of the quotation. In other words, use
“flow” quotes integrated into your own words.
To help you get organized, read closely then make a list of
specific words/phrases and mood(s) like we did briefly with
the “Wine Shop” chapter and parts of other chapters,
Requirements: More than one page, but no more than two
pages), typed, double-spaced. Give your essay an original
title. Name/block/date in upper right-hand corner.