Date post: | 18-Nov-2014 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | alyxandrahopkins |
View: | 3,547 times |
Download: | 1 times |
A Tale of Two Cities
By: Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities
By: Charles Dickens
Alyxandra Hopkins
Mrs. Susan Wehrsig
AP English Literature
Alyxandra Hopkins
Mrs. Susan Wehrsig
AP English Literature
IntroductionIntroduction
Introduction
Written by Dickens in 1849 Written in three parts Released one part at a time
throughout 1849 Set against the backdrop of the
French Revolution Begins in 1775
Main Characters
Main Characters
Charles Darnay
Protagonist Honorable Born of French nobility, but rejects
his aristocratic Evremonde familial ties
Works as a French tutor in England Arrested by French for emigrating
Wins the love of Lucie Manette
Lucie Darnay
Loving and compassionate Daughter of Dr. Alexander Manette Marries Charles Darnay Selfless
Love of her father Love for Charles Darnay
The “Golden Thread” for her father
Dr. Alexander Manette
Started as a thriving doctor with a beautiful family
Imprisoned in the Bastille prison for eighteen years Becomes deranged and withdrawn Cobbles shoes to pass time
Nursed back to life and vitality by his daughter
Sydney Carton
Most dynamic and redeeming character An intelligent lawyer, but wastes his
talent through drinking and indolence Apathetic and feels like a waste of life Falls in love with Lucie Takes Charles’ place at the guillotine
Redeems his reputation Sacrifice saves Darnay and his family
Minor Characters
Minor Characters
Madame Defarge
Antagonist Seeks liberation of
French peasantry Bloodthirsty and malicious in this quest
Destructive towards anyone associated with the aristocracy Manages third arrest of Darnay Tries to kill the Darnay family
Dies in the attempt
Miss Pross
Lucie’s nurse and guardian Faithful and virtuous Has a “heart of gold” Goes beyond the call of duty to
protect and care for Lucie and her family Kills Madame Defarge in order to
protect them
SettingsSettings
Tellson’s Bank
in London
Bastille Prison
in Paris
Defarge’s wine shop
in Paris
Settings
SymbolsSymbols
The Broken Wine Cask
Peasants rush forward to lick up wine Desperate and hungry
Literally starving due to poverty Yearning for liberation from oppressive
aristocracy
Wine is associated with blood Violent means peasantry will take to
achieve liberation Blood of aristocrats that will be spilled
Madame Defarge’s Knitting
List of the people she condemns Knits peacefully while plotting the
death of others Mythological Fates
Used knitting to determine length of each person’s life
She weaves the fate of the lives of the those whose names she knits
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Dickens’ Style
Dickens’ Style
Style
Vividly detailed sentences bring sentences to life Mimics scenes to make realistic
Speeches are boring and pedantic Storming of Bastille is choppy and chaotic
Replicates violence rolling through streets
Repetition reinforces ideas Reader can grasp their significance
and importance to the story
Dominant Themes, Issues, and Philosophy
Dominant Themes, Issues, and Philosophy
Tendency of Violence and Oppression in Revolutionaries
Madame Defarge is the embodiment of this violent tendency
Dickens’ condemns this tendency Violence makes the peasants no better
than their aristocratic oppressors Does not justify their violent acts The death of Madame Defarge
exemplifies this disapproval
The Possibility of Resurrection Re-emergence of Dr. Manette into
society Lucie guides him back to sanity in
order to maintain regular societal interactions
Carton’s giving his life to save Darnay Sacrifice renews his reputation
Carton envisions a renewed Paris After the Revolution, there will be
peace and prosperity
Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies
Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies
Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies Paradox:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”
Parallelism: “It was the best of times… it was the age of
wisdom… it was the epoch of belief”
Foreshadowing: The description of the trees foreshadows the
use of their wood for the guillotine
Other Authors’ Opinions and
Interpretations
Other Authors’ Opinions and
Interpretations
Edgar Johnson
Novel is uncharacteristic and lacks humor
Not as much “rich profusion of character creation” as in Dickens’ longer novels
Intricately linked plot relationships seem more artificial
John Gross
“A thin and uncharacteristic work” “Notoriously deficient in humor” Dickens remained a moralist and
preacher His saving grace for the novel
Unconventional style is unappealing, yet the moralistic ideas saved the reputation of the book