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Major Themes of the Novel "A Tale of Two Cities"
A TALE OF TWO CITIES is rich in meaning and significance because it deals with severalthemes all of which have been skillfully coordinated and integrated with another. Some of thesethemes are obvious and others are less obvious and need careful examination. Dickens showsgrand objectivity of historical events, but also shows personal projection in the novel. However, ATALE OF TWO CITIES is a highly impersonal work with multiplicity of themes. Resurrection isindeed the central theme of A TALE OF TWO CITIES. Resurrection here takes a variety of forms,and almost at every stage, we witness some manifestation of it. Resurrection has, of course, areligious connotation and generally calls up the image of Jesus Christ rising from his grave onthe third day of his Crucifixion. But here resurrection requires a secular meaning. In addition to itsreligious meaning. Related to this is the theme of renunciation. Dickens makes use these twinthemes in a very elaborate manner. Dickens derived both of these themes from Wilkie Collin’splay,
The Frozen Deep
in the performances of which Dickens himself had taken part as an actor.
The resurrection of Dr Manette
: First Resurrection: The theme of resurrection is introduced atthe very beginning when Mr. Lorry, who is traveling by the mail-coach top Dover, sends amessage to Tellison’s Bank through the messenger, Jerry Cruncher. The words of Mr. Lorry‘smessage are “
Recalled to Life
”. (Give summary of Dr. Manette’s story) Mr. Lorry begins to feeldrowsy and it seems to him that he is going to Paris in order to dig out a dead man from the gravewhere he had been long buried. When Lorry meets Dr. Manette, it is truly a resurrection or rebirthafter death for Dr. Manette. Second Resurrection: Normal life and living with his daughter,starting his medical practice and his giving up the habit of shoe-making and the return of sanity ishis second resurrection.
Charles Darnay’s Resurrection
: Give Darnay’s account of Old Bailey where Dr. Manette, Lucieand Carton are present and Darnay is resurrected because of Sydney Carton from a seriouscrime of treason against England. Darnay’s second resurrection: When he is caught in Paris andis prisoned for fifteen months at La Force and is resurrected by the influence of Dr. Manette. (Giveaccount of case and the prevailing condition of Paris after the revolution). Darnay’s thirdresurrection: which is the most important. Dr. Manette’s written paper discovered from his cell isread out in the court and Darnay is sentenced to death, but his death is replaced by SydneyCarton, a kind fellow. (Give an account his story at the prison). This is his third resurrection. Thistime he has almost been taken out of his grave.
The Resurrection of Carton
: Though Carton dies, but he achieves a resurrection in two senses:Firstly, his death constitutes a spiritual resurrection for him. By this sacrificial death, Carton whohas been leading a life of profligacy, is morally regenerated. This moral regeneration or redemption is a kind of resurrection for him. Secondly, when Carton conceives his bold plan tosave Darnay’s life, the words of the Christian Burial Service are echo in his ears, “
I am theResurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall helive: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die
.” Carton had heard these words atthe time of his father’s funeral, and these words now come to him as a promise that the man whobelieves in Lord Jesus Christ never dies. These words echo in his ears when he is actually goingto be executed. Thus, Carton dies, feeling sure that he will find himself alive in another world.Carton dies with the certainty of resurrection.
The Grotesque resurrection of Cly:
There are comic and serious resurrections. Resurrection inthis novel assumes some comic and grotesque forms also. Roger Cly, a spy, is believed to havedied and been buried in the graveyard of Saint Pancras’s Church, but later we find him alive inParis at his old occupation of spying. So a man who was thought to be dead, came to life is alsoa kind of comic resurrection. His normal funeral ceremonies were performed and he was buriedto avoid the wrath of certain person who had become hostile to him in London.
The comic resurrection of Solomon (Barsad)
: Another comic example of resurrection isBarsad – Miss Pross’ brother whom she had almost given up as dead, but he appears in Paris.Miss Pross unexpectedly sees him and is astonished, though he feels greatly embarrassed to berecognized by her.
Jerry Cruncher – A Resurrection Man:
Another example of the grotesque type of resurrection
is to be found in the nefarious business which Jerry Cruncher is pursuing in order to supplementhis income. He and his associates dig out newly-buried coffins from their graves and take out thedead bodies in order to sell them to a surgeon for medical purposes. Young Jerry has espied hisfather at this kind of work and he too aspires to become “A resurrection man.”
Resurrection in the sense of Political and Social regeneration:
Finally, resurrection, for thepurpose of this novel, may also be taken to mean political and social regeneration. The FrenchPeople having been oppressed and exploited for centuries have been clamoring for a newpolitical and social order without any success. Ultimately they rise in revolt against theestablished authority and try to being about sweeping reforms. Of course, their action involvesunheard-of-criminal acts. The moral of the French Revolution, according to Dickens is that theupper classes everywhere should take a warning from what happened in France and shouldmend their ways in order to see that the poor are contented and happy.
Renunciation as a theme:
The other theme, less prominent but more valuable, is renunciation. Itis through a renunciation of his claim to the family estate and the family title that Charles Darnayattains a heroic stature in our eyes. When Charles Darnay was still a child, his mother hadimposed a duty on him and he had bravely promised to keep faith with her. On growing up, hedecides to give up his claim to the family inheritance because he realizes that the family to whichhe belongs had done many wrongs to the poor people. To him the family inheritance signifies, “
acrumbling tower of waste
”. This act of his shows his generous heart, a spirit of self-sacrificeindicative of his humanitarian instincts.
Social injustice, violence, bloodshed and imprisonment as themes of the novel:
Among thevarious themes of this novel is the social injustice. This theme is related of course, to the FrenchRevolution which was largely a result of those oppressive classes. The first glimpse of socialinjustice is given in the chapter called the Wine-Shop. When the wine from the broken cask isspilled on the ground symbolize bloodshed in the streets of Paris and the hunger and poverty of the people who rush to drink it. The incident of the child being run over by Marquis’s carriage. Hescolds the people for not caring about their children and spins a coin for the bereaved father as if for the compensation of the death of the child. The most shocking example of social injustice isthe prolonged imprisonment of Dr. Manette has recorded the circumstances under which he wasmade a prisoner is hair-raising. A TALE OF TWO CITIES is deeply colored by Dickens’ earlyexperiences in life and by what was happening to his emotional life when he started writing thisnovel. Early in his life, he had been a miserable witness to the imprisonment of his father whichhad left an unforgettable impression upon his mind. Prison and Imprisonment are two themesalways present in various novels of Charles Dickens. Almost every body in A TALE OF TWOCITIES is in prison.
Doubling as a theme
: The two lovers of Lucie seem to symbolize the duality in Dickens’s ownheart. Darnay and Carton who physically resemble each other were self-projections by Dickens.These two men represent the two different sides of Dickens’s literary personality. Darnayrepresents the light, sunny and optimistic aspect of Dickens’ personality who goes to France tohelp Gabelle without releasing the dangers he will face there. And Carton, on the other hand,represents the dark aspect of Dickens who loves Lucie but denies her by describing her as “
agolden-haired doll
” and he fails to claim her. Dickens’ own optimistic mood is reflected in thenovel. Doubling is also a theme in the sense that every thing in the novel is double. Doubleappearances, madness and sanity recurrences, the double arrest of Darnay, his doubleresurrection and Darnay’s and Carton’s love for Lucie is also a triangle. Doubling is a techniqueof symbolism in the fantasizing of reality, reappears throughout the book. The most obviousexample is physical resemblance of Darnay and Carton. These two personalities represent twodifferent worlds the social and collective on the one hand and the individual and subjective onthe other. Madame Defarge is an instructive example of Dickens’ attempt throughout this novel toidentity fantasy with reality, as in his own life. This is Dickens’ most personal novel in one wayand the most impersonal in the other.
A TALE OF TWO CITIES is rich in meaning and significance because it deals with severalthemes all of which have been skillfully coordinated and integrated with another. Some of thesethemes are obvious and others are less obvious and need careful examination. Dickens showsgrand objectivity of historical events, but also shows personal projection in the novel. However, ATALE OF TWO CITIES is a highly impersonal work with multiplicity of themes. Resurrection isindeed the central theme of A TALE OF TWO CITIES. Resurrection here takes a variety of forms,and almost at every stage, we witness some manifestation of it. Resurrection has, of course, areligious connotation and generally calls up the image of Jesus Christ rising from his grave onthe third day of his Crucifixion. But here resurrection requires a secular meaning. In addition to itsreligious meaning. Related to this is the theme of renunciation. Dickens makes use these twinthemes in a very elaborate manner. Dickens derived both of these themes from Wilkie Collin’splay,
The Frozen Deep
in the performances of which Dickens himself had taken part as an actor.
The resurrection of Dr Manette
: First Resurrection: The theme of resurrection is introduced atthe very beginning when Mr. Lorry, who is traveling by the mail-coach top Dover, sends amessage to Tellison’s Bank through the messenger, Jerry Cruncher. The words of Mr. Lorry‘smessage are “
Recalled to Life
”. (Give summary of Dr. Manette’s story) Mr. Lorry begins to feeldrowsy and it seems to him that he is going to Paris in order to dig out a dead man from the gravewhere he had been long buried. When Lorry meets Dr. Manette, it is truly a resurrection or rebirthafter death for Dr. Manette. Second Resurrection: Normal life and living with his daughter,starting his medical practice and his giving up the habit of shoe-making and the return of sanity ishis second resurrection.
Charles Darnay’s Resurrection
: Give Darnay’s account of Old Bailey where Dr. Manette, Lucieand Carton are present and Darnay is resurrected because of Sydney Carton from a seriouscrime of treason against England. Darnay’s second resurrection: When he is caught in Paris andis prisoned for fifteen months at La Force and is resurrected by the influence of Dr. Manette. (Giveaccount of case and the prevailing condition of Paris after the revolution). Darnay’s thirdresurrection: which is the most important. Dr. Manette’s written paper discovered from his cell isread out in the court and Darnay is sentenced to death, but his death is replaced by SydneyCarton, a kind fellow. (Give an account his story at the prison). This is his third resurrection. Thistime he has almost been taken out of his grave.
The Resurrection of Carton
: Though Carton dies, but he achieves a resurrection in two senses:Firstly, his death constitutes a spiritual resurrection for him. By this sacrificial death, Carton whohas been leading a life of profligacy, is morally regenerated. This moral regeneration or redemption is a kind of resurrection for him. Secondly, when Carton conceives his bold plan tosave Darnay’s life, the words of the Christian Burial Service are echo in his ears, “
I am theResurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall helive: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die
.” Carton had heard these words atthe time of his father’s funeral, and these words now come to him as a promise that the man whobelieves in Lord Jesus Christ never dies. These words echo in his ears when he is actually goingto be executed. Thus, Carton dies, feeling sure that he will find himself alive in another world.Carton dies with the certainty of resurrection.
The Grotesque resurrection of Cly:
There are comic and serious resurrections. Resurrection inthis novel assumes some comic and grotesque forms also. Roger Cly, a spy, is believed to havedied and been buried in the graveyard of Saint Pancras’s Church, but later we find him alive inParis at his old occupation of spying. So a man who was thought to be dead, came to life is alsoa kind of comic resurrection. His normal funeral ceremonies were performed and he was buriedto avoid the wrath of certain person who had become hostile to him in London.
The comic resurrection of Solomon (Barsad)
: Another comic example of resurrection isBarsad – Miss Pross’ brother whom she had almost given up as dead, but he appears in Paris.Miss Pross unexpectedly sees him and is astonished, though he feels greatly embarrassed to berecognized by her.
Jerry Cruncher – A Resurrection Man:
Another example of the grotesque type of resurrection
is to be found in the nefarious business which Jerry Cruncher is pursuing in order to supplementhis income. He and his associates dig out newly-buried coffins from their graves and take out thedead bodies in order to sell them to a surgeon for medical purposes. Young Jerry has espied hisfather at this kind of work and he too aspires to become “A resurrection man.”
Resurrection in the sense of Political and Social regeneration:
Finally, resurrection, for thepurpose of this novel, may also be taken to mean political and social regeneration. The FrenchPeople having been oppressed and exploited for centuries have been clamoring for a newpolitical and social order without any success. Ultimately they rise in revolt against theestablished authority and try to being about sweeping reforms. Of course, their action involvesunheard-of-criminal acts. The moral of the French Revolution, according to Dickens is that theupper classes everywhere should take a warning from what happened in France and shouldmend their ways in order to see that the poor are contented and happy.
Renunciation as a theme:
The other theme, less prominent but more valuable, is renunciation. Itis through a renunciation of his claim to the family estate and the family title that Charles Darnayattains a heroic stature in our eyes. When Charles Darnay was still a child, his mother hadimposed a duty on him and he had bravely promised to keep faith with her. On growing up, hedecides to give up his claim to the family inheritance because he realizes that the family to whichhe belongs had done many wrongs to the poor people. To him the family inheritance signifies, “
acrumbling tower of waste
”. This act of his shows his generous heart, a spirit of self-sacrificeindicative of his humanitarian instincts.
Social injustice, violence, bloodshed and imprisonment as themes of the novel:
Among thevarious themes of this novel is the social injustice. This theme is related of course, to the FrenchRevolution which was largely a result of those oppressive classes. The first glimpse of socialinjustice is given in the chapter called the Wine-Shop. When the wine from the broken cask isspilled on the ground symbolize bloodshed in the streets of Paris and the hunger and poverty of the people who rush to drink it. The incident of the child being run over by Marquis’s carriage. Hescolds the people for not caring about their children and spins a coin for the bereaved father as if for the compensation of the death of the child. The most shocking example of social injustice isthe prolonged imprisonment of Dr. Manette has recorded the circumstances under which he wasmade a prisoner is hair-raising. A TALE OF TWO CITIES is deeply colored by Dickens’ earlyexperiences in life and by what was happening to his emotional life when he started writing thisnovel. Early in his life, he had been a miserable witness to the imprisonment of his father whichhad left an unforgettable impression upon his mind. Prison and Imprisonment are two themesalways present in various novels of Charles Dickens. Almost every body in A TALE OF TWOCITIES is in prison.
Doubling as a theme
: The two lovers of Lucie seem to symbolize the duality in Dickens’s ownheart. Darnay and Carton who physically resemble each other were self-projections by Dickens.These two men represent the two different sides of Dickens’s literary personality. Darnayrepresents the light, sunny and optimistic aspect of Dickens’ personality who goes to France tohelp Gabelle without releasing the dangers he will face there. And Carton, on the other hand,represents the dark aspect of Dickens who loves Lucie but denies her by describing her as “
agolden-haired doll
” and he fails to claim her. Dickens’ own optimistic mood is reflected in thenovel. Doubling is also a theme in the sense that every thing in the novel is double. Doubleappearances, madness and sanity recurrences, the double arrest of Darnay, his doubleresurrection and Darnay’s and Carton’s love for Lucie is also a triangle. Doubling is a techniqueof symbolism in the fantasizing of reality, reappears throughout the book. The most obviousexample is physical resemblance of Darnay and Carton. These two personalities represent twodifferent worlds the social and collective on the one hand and the individual and subjective onthe other. Madame Defarge is an instructive example of Dickens’ attempt throughout this novel toidentity fantasy with reality, as in his own life. This is Dickens’ most personal novel in one wayand the most impersonal in the other.