Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Uploaded by sas108 on Sep 10, 2006
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens ~ Setting and Atmosphere
Tale of Two Cities takes place in France and England during the troubled
times of the French Revolution. The main action in the novel is scattered out in many places such as: the Bastille, Tellson's Bank, and largely, the streets of Paris. Although the story takes place during the years 1775 and 1793 it also refers to events that took place in the past which helps define characters. In the first book there are a few comparisons that convey the atmosphere of chaos. Latter on in the second book when we encounter The Marquis we see that the true nature of the atmosphere is in fact evil and tense. Almost all the peasants in the novel are shown as dirt poor, doing this Dickens make the atmosphere very dull and grim because of the very poor conditions France is under. A great description of the peasants is offered when a cask of wine broke;
“The wine was red wine, and had stained the ground of the narrow street in the suburb of Saint Antoine, in Paris, where it was spilled. It had stained many hands, too, and many faces, and many naked feet, and many wooden shoes. The hands of the man who sawed the wood, left red marks on the billets; and the forehead of the woman who nursed her baby, was stained with the stain of the old rag she wound about her head again.”
not only does this quotation tell us were this is taking place, Saint Antoine, but also how poor the people really are. Since they all scramble to drink the wine because they had never tasted undiluted wine. It is good that Dickens set the novel in France and England for the purpose of contrast.
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens ~ Personal Reflection
Throughout the novel A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens creates suspense and mystery keeping his readers interested. This novel has fascinated reader over a span of more than one-hundred years, using an intriguing plot with an unbelievable storyline. Most of his suspense is created through the use of cliffhanger episodes at the end of each chapter. But in my opinion the best part of the book was the twist at the end, when Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton switch places,...