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A Tale of Two Cities: Dickens' Historical Masterpiece

Dickens' twelfth novel, published in his new weekly journal, All the Year Round, portrays the French Revolution against a detailed historical backdrop. Major themes include resurrection, class struggle, and sacrifice.

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A Tale of Two Cities: Dickens' Historical Masterpiece

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  1. Background Dickens' twelfth novel was published in his new weekly journal,All the Year Round, without illustrations. Simultaneously with the weekly parts, the novel was also published in monthly parts with illustrations by Hablot Browne. An American edition was also published, in slightly later weekly parts (May to December 1859), inHarper's Weekly.The novel, which begins "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", is set against the backdrop of the French Revolution and Dickens researched the historical background meticulously, using his friendThomas Carlyle’s History of the French Revolutionas a reference.

  2. Major Themes • Resurrection • Class Struggle • Sacrifice

  3. Major Characters Doctor Manette Character Traits • Honest • Sincere • Sensitive • Brave • Selfless

  4. Lucie Manette(The doctor’s daughter) Character Traits • Extremely caring and devoted • Someone who believed in her inner goodness to the extent of penetrating it to anyone else • Brave enough to face any trouble without shattering

  5. Charles Darnay Character Traits • Loved justice • Hated oppression • Hard working • Sincere

  6. Sydney Carton Character Traits • Cynical • Sincere • Unassuming • Helpful

  7. Jarvis Lorry Character Trait • A man of bussiness • Extremely loyal to everyone he was associated with • Firm with rules

  8. Miss Pross Character Traits • Emotional • Loyal • Strong headed • Devoted

  9. Emphasis on religion in novel • There is a special stress on religion in the novel • All the major characters are more or less religious people • Believe in the hereafter is very much stressed too

  10. Good The perseverance of values against all odds Believe in God and the ultimate retribution The strength to resist tyranny and stand against it Evil The oppression by the ruling class The unflinching desire to take revenge The boldness in doing crimes Good versus Evil

  11. Sequence of Events • Doctor Manette’s is imprisoned • Charles Darnay’s case in England • Charles and Lucie get wedded • Foulon is executed • The fall of Bastille • Mr Defarge searches Doctor Manette’s cell • Gabelle’s arrested

  12. The Fall of Bastille

  13. Charles Darnay arrives in Paris • Doctor Manette’s makes efforts to release Darnay • Charles is arrested again • Doctor Manette loses his mind again • Sydney Carton’s arrives in Paris • Miss Pross encounters John Solomon (her brother) • Sydney Carton talks to Solomon • Sydney Carton takes Charles place at the guillotine • Sydney Carton dies • Charles Darnay reaches England safely!

  14. The Guillotine

  15. Faith Vindicates “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known”

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