Concept/Vocabulary Analysis
Literary Text: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Organizational Patterns: The book is separated into three parts or books: Book the
First: Recalled to Life, Book the Second: The Golden Thread, and Book the Third: The
Track of a Storm. The first book begins with the journey of Mr. Lorry of Tellson’s bank to
Paris in order to recall Dr. Manette to life and to reunite him and his daughter Lucie.
The second book takes place five years later and places Dr. and Lucie Manette and Jarvis
Lorry into the company of Sidney Carton and Charles Darnay. They become witnesses in
the courtroom trial of Monsieur Darnay on the charge of treason, who Carton is
defending. Their association is followed through the marriage of Darnay and Lucie and
to the point where Darnay, formerly known as Monsieur Evremonde, is drawn back to
France after a plea from a former employee is sent out to Darnay.
Issues Related to the Study of Literature:
Theme: Included in the novel are themes having to do with Revolution, love, and
life.
1.) Revenge: The French people have the opportunity to take revenge on
the aristocrats and they definitely take advantage of that opportunity by
not only taking revenge on their oppressors, but also the innocent. “The
chateau and all the race,” returned Defarge. “Extermination”(174).
2.) Character: Carton and Darnay, though alike in looks, begin the book
with two very different characters, Carton the drunkard lawyer and Darnay
the polished gentleman. Carton’s character can be very slippery, but looks
and character don’t always correspond. “Yet this Mr. Carton took in more
details of the scene than he appeared to take in; for now, when Miss
Manette’s head dropped upon her father’s breast, he was the first to see it”
(83).
3.) Love: Love actually moves a lot of the action of this book. Miss Pross’s
love for Lucie puts her in harms way, but helps her to save her ladybird.
Sidney Carton, the least loved of the book, is actually the one to show the
greatest act of love in giving up his life for his friends. “As the patient eyes
were lifted to his face, he saw a sudden doubt in them, and then
astonishment. . . . ‘Are you dying for him?’ she whispered. ‘And his wife and
child. Hush! Yes”(347).
4.) Sacrifice: This applies directly with the previous entry. Sacrifice is
something you are willing to do for those you love. Sidney’s sacrifice is the
ultimate and most noble one.
5.) Honor: Despite the danger of what may happen to him, Darnay returns
to Paris in order to speak in behalf of his families old servant Gabel. He has
severed all ties with his family, yet he still feels honor bound to try to help
those who have sworn allegiance to his family.
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Setting: The story takes place in both England and France at the time leading up
to and during the French Revolution, 1775 to approx 1790.
Foreshadowing: There are many instances of foreshadowing throughout the
book. Most of them are related through the symbols used in the book, the
broken wine cask, the echoing footsteps, and the coming storm, all
foreshadow the coming of the French Revolution and Darnay’s necessary
departure to France. Carton’s substitution of himself for Darnay is
foreshadowed in the Darnay’s treason trial as their likenesses are pointed
out in a rather dramatic fashion.
Point of View, Narrative Voice: The point of view of this novel is third person
omniscient. There is a lot of editorializing, especially about the revolution
and about certain characters.
Tone: There is both a tone of foreboding and of hope in this novel. The reader
knows that hard times are coming for the Darnay’s, and so things seem
rather bleak. The narrator’s comments about Lucie and the child seem to
lighten up the novel, giving hope and reassurance to the reader.
Personification: But that Woodman and that Farmer work, though they work
unceasingly, work silently”(14).
Symbolism: There are a lot of symbols at work in the novel.
Wine: chapter 5
Golden Thread: Book the Second
The lion and the jackal: Then the lion composed himself on his back on a
sofa on one side of the drinking-table, while the jackal sat at his own
paper-bestrewn table proper”(94).
The Storm:chapter 4
Echoing Footsteps: chapter 21
Pacing: Because the novel was originally written in serial form, the chapter
endings are particularly well written so that the reader would be compelled
to read on.
“‘Eighteen years!’ said the passenger, looking at the sun. ‘Gracious creator
of the day, to be buried alive for eighteen years’”(25).
“Come into the dark room here, and let us have and let us have one final
word alone”(301).
Affective Issues Related to this Work:
This novel can be taught very powerfully if students are shown connections
between the book and their own lives. The setting may be very foreign to them, but the
themes are more universal. Love, sacrifice, honor, and revenge, are all things that
students will probably have come in contact with at some point in their lives. They also
may relate with Sidney Carton, someone who has been misjudged by pretty much
everyone in the book at some point, even himself.
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Vocabulary Issues:
This book, having been written in nineteenth century England, has rather foreign
vocabulary to some students. The French and English words may be hard for students to
decipher at first. Some of the vocabulary is also, just rather advanced.
The first chapter alone, just two and one half pages uses words such as: Epoch,
incredulity, tumbrels, potentate, retinue, blunderbusses, environed, myriads
Also, the character of Jerry Cruncher speaks in a Cockney accent that is written
out phonetically. Students may have trouble understanding this unless they read it out
loud or have it read to them.
“’What d’ye mean? What are you horroaring at? What do you want to conwey to
your own father, you young Rip? This boy is getting too much for me!’ said Mr.
Cruncher, surveying him”(158).
Major Concepts:
Love: A major concept in this work is the power of love over hate. Lucie and Darnay are
very much in love with each other, and despite the French Revolution blowing up a storm
that threatens both of their lives, they and their loved ones are able to overcome the hate
that is represented.
Sacrifice: Another major concept in this novel is represented in Sydney Carton and his
willingness to sacrifice himself for Charles Darnay and Lucie and their child. Over and
over in the novel other people discount him or judge him to be a no-account. His gesture
or self-sacrifice, however, is one of the most powerful parts of the novel, and indeed the
most memorable.
Revenge: Revenge is also talked about a lot in the book. All of the French people are
looking for it, and some are willing to do anything in order to get it. Madame Defarge is a
perfect example of this. She has knit revenge into her crafts and she has a perfect
memory and tries to kill off all of those who cross her path and even those remotely or
not at all involved.
Background Knowledge:
There needs to be a lot of scaffolding with research about the French Revolution
and even some period information about France and England. This can be done in
conjunction with the first chapter and throughout the book as the need arises. Topics of
study include: The French Revolution in general, the plight of the peasants, the rise of
the bourgeoisie, the corruption of the nobles, English law at the time, the guillotine, the
Reign of Terror, King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, George III, the Bastille, etc.
Implications for Students of Diversity:
Sydney Carton is continually judge on his appearance and his actions without
trying to go any further. Students of diverse backgrounds may have experienced this
before, whether it be for the good or the bad.
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Gender Issues:
The issues involved tend to reinforce stereotypes. Lucie is the perfect Victorian
woman (the book was written in the Victorian Age) and swoons accordingly. It may be
fitting to mention the stereotypes, although most students will probably be able to pick
them out.
The Central Question/Enduring Issue:
The central question of the novel seems to be “When things are at their worst and
the whole world seems to be going downhill, what can I do to make things better?” and
“Am I willing to face those consequences?” Everyone in the book does their part to either
make things better, or worse depending on their character.
1.
Charles Darnay goes to Paris in the first place to help a former family retainer
named Gabel, which places his own.
2.
Miss Pross is willing to cross Madame Defarge in order to protect the Manettes,
for which she loses her hearing.
3.
Sydney Carton switches places with Darnay so that Darnay can live and that
his family will not miss suffer.
Research Issues:
1. Research of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The book takes place in
the eighteenth century and that affects what happens pulls all of the characters
into the events of the eighteenth century, the French Revolution. The basis of
the books revolves around the events leading up to and during the Revolution.
The story may have been written about the eighteenth century, but it was
written during the nineteenth century and that affects how the story Dickens
feels about the French Revolution as a Victorian Englishman and thus how the
story is presented. If your class is sophisticated, you can look up what other
British authors of the time wrote concerning the Revolution.
2. French Revolution—Have students study the key players and effects of the
French Revolution. Students can research what started the Revolution, how it
started, when it started, who was targeted to be executed, why them, how they
were executed, who ran the government, what kind of government it was, etc.
3. Fashion—Students can research and write about or draw the clothing of the
time period. Paper doll sets are made of Marie Antoinette’s clothing of the time.
If you can come across drawings of what peasants wore that the time, this
could help students contrast the resources between the upper and lower
classes.
4. Students can compare things going on today with past events: who are the key
players and why, what makes a Revolution successful and when has it gone too
far.
Informational/Functional Texts:
1. encyclopedia entry on the French Revolution
2. Web sites on history of 18th and 19th century
3. picture books on figurative language
4. picture books on French history: the Bastille, the French Revolution, famous
French Revolutionaries, the eighteenth century
5. books on past fashion, paper dolls
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