A TALE OF TWO CITIES by CHARLES DICKENS

1. SYNOPSIS:
A Tale of Two Cities opens in the year 1775, with the narrator comparing conditions in England and France, and foreshadowing the coming French Revolution. It is a story of cruelty, violence, vengeance, love and sacrifice. Shown in the doubles of the introduction, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, ..... , this novel by Charles Dickens proves that even in times of war there can still be a side of goodness, a side of passion and love. Mainly, it revolves around three people; Lucie Manette, daughter of physician Dr Alexandre Manette, Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat by birth, and Sydney Carton, a man who has nothing to live for but changes as he found love. The darker side of the novel is shown by Marquis Evrmonde and Madame Defarge. The cruelty of Marquis Evrmonde is the reason why his brother, Charles Darnay left France and lived as Charles Darnay in England. It is also the reason why Madame Defarge bottles such terrible vengeance towards the Evrmondes, including Lucie Manette, Charles wife.

2. THEMES: Major Theme: The major theme centers on resurrection, bringing people back to life from
the seemingly inevitable clutches of death. Dr. Manette is rescued from long imprisonment and certain death and nursed back to health by the loving attention of his daughter Lucie. Darnay is twice saved from certain death by the compassion of Carton. These resurrected lives weave through the entire plot and hold the story together.

Minor Theme: The cruelty of war as seen in the French Revolution. Dickens spares no
details in painting the grim, and often senseless, violence of the patriot mob as they seek revenge and retribution against the patriots. Men are decapitated and their heads displayed to incite further violence.

3. LESSON(S) LEARNED: Sacrifice: This was portrayed by Sydney Carton. He was deeply in love with Ms. Manette,
and would sacrifice anything to make sure she was happy, whether with another man or not. He ended up switching places with Charles, who was in prison to make Lucie's life a happy one. Charles was arrested and put in jail. He wasn't guilty of anything, but wasn't going to go along with Sydney's plan to switch, so Sydney drugged him and switched places with him. Sydney died for Lucie and her child, as well as Charles. He finally had a purpose in his life.

Vengeance is never the Answer: Madame Defarge holds a deep vendetta for the
Evrmondes. She hides it in her silence while knitting the names of the victims who she shall kill. Eventually, her quest for vengeance became her own undoing and results in her downfall and death.