Charles Dickens' Use of Sacrifice in A Tale of Two Cities Essay

The novel, A Tale of Two Cities, was written by Charles Dickens and was published in 1859. A Tale of Two Cities is a historical fiction based during the French Revolution. As two groups of people who both live in London and Paris find themselves in a situation that affects all of them, which ends with some deaths and suffering. Charles Dickens purpose for writing A Tale of Two Cities was to inform and amplify the readers mind on human nature. Throughout the book Charles Dickens uses many themes and characteristics, that bring out human nature in all his characters, to broaden the view of the readers.

The literature that came out of the French Revolution often shares common themes of death, rebirth, and destruction. Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is much the same way. Throughout the novel, Dickens clearly supports the revolution but also depicts the brutality of the revolutionaries. Dickens uses powerful metaphors of a sea to symbolize the revolutionaries destroying old France and the belittling name of “Jacques” to depict the narcissistic views of the French aristocracy to show his support for the revolution.

Because of the social and political ways of the aristocracy, tensions rose throughout France. This hostility between the peasants and the aristocrats started the French Revolution in 1789. Sixty years later, Charles Dickens wrote his novel, A Tale of Two Cities, in pieces. Dickens wonderfully portrays this war with his flawless imagery and reoccurring themes. One of his many themes throughout his novel is the theme of revenge. Dickens beautifully supports the theme of revenge through his clever symbols such as the candles during the burning of the château, birds of fine song and feather, and knitting.

Charles Darnay, Evremonde as we know him, is a rich leader of France. On the other hand, a lawyer, whose name is Sydney Carton, seems to not care about anyone but himself. However, when he met Lucie Manette, his life was changed a little bit and added her in his circle of obligation. Both of these guys, in our case Charles Darnay

Charles Dickens novel A Tale of Two Cites had multiple themes, motifs, symbols, and allusions built around one or more characters, including the theme of no sacrifice, no victory. Sacrifices were used all throughout the book whether it was to help a revolutionary mob overthrow the king and queen or to say the husband of the person you love. Either way, they helped moved the plot along in a unique way the only Charles Dickens was able to master.

Charles Dickens focuses on the revenge that put the bloody French Revolution in motion in his suspenseful story A Tale of Two Cities. The French Revolution was a revolt instigated by the peasants, who attacked the nobles with vengeful hearts starting in the year 1789, and going on until the year 1799. The settings of the book took place in both London and England, two parallels in novel, two cities where the plotting of the Revolution went into affect. Although the reasons behind the different examples of revenge are exposed, the actions taken with revenge in mind are inexcusable and not justifiable. Dickens portrays the theme of revenge successfully through the joker Gaspard, the brave younger brother who sacrificed himself to protect his

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a story of great sacrifices being made for the sake of principle. There are many examples of this throughout the book made by many of the characters but some or more evident than others. In Book The First, entitled “Recalled to Life,” the most obvious sacrifice for the sake of principle was made by Dr. Manette. He is imprisoned for eighteen years in the Bastille, for no apparent reason. Another noticeable sacrifice made for the sake of principle was made in Book The Second, entitled “The Golden Thread,” also by Dr. Manette. Charles Darnay reveals the truth about himself and about his family history. He tells Dr. Manette his real identity and that he is heir to the Marquis

Charles Dickens writes an exemplary novel about the French Revolution, which follows the lives of those weaving into and out of it. Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities takes place in the late 1700s in France and England. The novel introduces a theme of man’s inhumanity to man, the cruel behaviors people show to each other. Throughout the book, the inhumanity of different characters towards other men slowly becomes more and more prevalent. Dickens uses the Evremonde brothers, Madame Defarge, and the Revolutionaries to show that there is no redemption for man’s inhumanity against man.

In A Tale of Two Cities, Doctor Manette is a dynamic character because he undergoes an important change throughout the story. In 1757, Doctor Manette is a respectable physician with a loving wife and daughter. One week later, he is in prison in Bastille and remains there for eighteen years. Due to the psychological trauma of his unfair imprisonment, Doctor Manette forgets everything he once was and becomes a broken man. His life after prison is a continual struggle

Twelve months later Dr. Manette asked for Lucie’s hand in marriage. If Lucie accepts, Darnay will give his true identity to the Manettes. Sydney is also falling in love with Lucie but he knows that she is much to good for him and she will never be his. Lucies’s beauty is so magnificent to Carton that by knowing here, she has made his life worth living. Her presence gives Sydney a reason to get up in the morning. Sydney would do any thing for her "…O Miss Manette, when the little

Dickens uses the melodramatic technique, sensational and extravagant emotional appeal to engage the readers and drive them burst into tears. This is demonstrated in the sensationalism of A Tale of Two Cities. Sacrifice, for instance, is exemplified when Charles sacrifices his family wealth and heritage in order to live a life free of guilt for his family's awful crimes, “He knew very well, that in his horror of the deed which had culminated the bad deeds and bad reputation of the old family house, in his resentful suspicions of his uncle, and in the aversion with which his conscience regarded the crumbling fabric that he was supposed to uphold, he had acted imperfectly.” Another example is the ultimate sacrifice made by Sydney Carton to keep

In 1792, while the French Revolution was in full swing, Darnay decided to go to France to save a family servant, Gabelle. Upon his arrival, he was immediately jailed. Lucie and Dr. Manette soon showed up in Paris at the doorstep of Tellson's French office, where Lorry already was present. Dr. Manette managed to get Darnay released after a year, yet he was re-jailed the same day by Madame Defarge because his family, the Evremondes, had previously killed off her family. Darnay was tried the next day and sentenced to death.

As a young man, Dr. Manette had a successful life. Wrongfully convicted, Dr. Manette was thrown in prison for eighteen years. Within the walls of the Bastille, Dr. Manette began shoemaking to keep his sanity. Locked inside the prison, Manette was isolated from the rest of the world. When released from prison, Manette was on the dawn of a great odyssey. Helping out his son-in-law Charles Darnay, Manette was able to bring comfort to him throughout his imprisonment. He assisted with helping Darnay and Lucie remain in touch. “The calm in the storm.” Manette remains calm in all the calamity in Paris.

In the story A Tale of Two Cities andaccording to the definition I do see Dr. Manette as being the hero of this story because he is a big role in his daughter's life. Also the fact that through out the story he makes many sacrifices for his daughter. He even goes out of his way to help set free his daughter's husband, Charles Darney. Even though if he gets caught doing such things he could be put into the jail. As I continued to read this story I figured out that Charles' Father and Uncle were responsible for Manette being thrown into the Basille, surpsingly to me Manette still goes through helping try and get Charles out of jail dispite the fact that his relatives were the reason of his inprisonment.

Although the “rebirth” does not take place right then Lucie’s love for her father is never doubted for even a second. In chapter six, when she sees her father for the very first time Lucie says to him, “…that your agony is over...I have come here to take you from it...” (49), this marks the beginning of the doctor’s rebirth. Through this statement Dickens has Lucie promising that she will do anything for her father out of pure love. As the Manette’s travel back to England, in time it becomes clear that Lucie’s love towards her father is beginning to have an impact on his behavior. In chapter five, of the second book Dr. Manette is able to carry on a complete conversation, which shows the readers that he is regaining his sanity. Later on in chapter seven of the third book, Dickens reminds his readers again of how far Dr.Manette has come since that first day in the Defarge’s attic, “No garret, no shoemaking, no One Hundred and Five, North Tower, now! He had accomplished the task he had set himself…" (285-6). It is at this moment that the reader knows he has been resorted back to his old self before he was in prison. Throughout all the hardship and pain the doctor has to endure, his daughter Lucie never leaves his side.