Introduction to English Literature

A Tale of Two Cities Ana Mara Lario Castelln

A Tale of two Cities

Charles Dickens

Ana Mara Lario Castelln A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens

Introduction to English Literature

A Tale of Two Cities Ana Mara Lario Castelln

1. Short Biography of the Author Charles Dickens was born in 1812 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. He was an English writer. He was the son of Eli abeth n!e "arrow and #ohn Dickens. He had se$en siblings% &rances, 'lfred 'llen, (etitia )ar*, Harriet, &rederick +illiam, 'lfred (amert, and 'ugustus ,ewnham. He and his famil* mo$ed from -ent to (ondon and when his father was .ailed because of some debts, he started to work in a shoes factor* where could know how life was for the poor. /hen, he denounced this situation with his no$els. 'part from the two *ears and a half he went to a pri$ate school, he got a .ob as a law*er in training in 1820. He learnt shorthand and little b* little he could make a li$ing writing. 1n 1823 he married Catherine Hogarth, daughter of the editor of the Evening Chronicle and the* had ten children. /he newspaper mentioned before seriali ed Pickwick Papers between 1823 and 1820. )ost of his no$els, such us Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge. Dickens4 series of fi$e Christmas "ooks were soon to follow5 A Christ as Carol, The Chi es, The Cricket on the !earth, The Battle o" #i"e, and The !aunted $an were first seriali ed in maga ines and due to it he had the public6s support. He $isited 7nited 8tates in 1892 and wrote his contro$ersial A erican Notes and the no$el% $artin Chu&&lewit' People in 7nited 8tates didn6t like them so much and it caused a big failure for Dickens. Howe$er, with Christ as Carol% he reco$ered his fame. (o bey and Son :1893; was his ne<t publication, followed b* (avid Copper"ield :189=;. 1n the same *ear he founded !ousehold )ords where he published Bleak !ouse and !ard Ti es' +hen Dickens met the actress Ellen /ernan, he left Catherine. 1n 18>= A Tale o" Two Cities was seriali ed, followed b* *reat E+pectations' 1n 1830 he went to 7nited 8tates for a reading tour and two *ears later he died from a cerebral hemorrhage at his home, ?ad4s Hill. 2. Sociological and istorical Background of the !i"es

A Tale o" Two Cities is set during 108@s, that is, eight* *ears before it was published, so 1 am going to talk about this large period of time.

Introduction to English Literature

A Tale of Two Cities Ana Mara Lario Castelln

108= was an important *ear% &rench Ae$olution took place and because of it )odern Era finished and started the Contemporar* 'ge. &rench Ae$olution was the most important politic fact at the end of 18 th centur* and the beginning of 1=th centur* which took awa* the monarch*. 1t is also important to mention during the 1= th centur* the 1ndustrial Ae$olution which changed societ*, economics and culture. &urthermore, ad$ances in medicine and human anatom* took place. /his made population grow. +hen A Tale o" Two Cities was published, Bictoria 1 was the Cueen of England. During her reign, ?reat "ritain became a political, economic, na$al and industrial world power. 'bout Bictorian societ* we ha$e to mention that there were strong social differences% upper class was so rich meanwhile lower and middle class li$ed in bad conditions. #. Setting A Tale o" Two Cities is set in England :(ondon; and &rance :Paris;.

Introduction to English Literature

A Tale of Two Cities Ana Mara Lario Castelln

$. %lot &'er'ie( or Synopsis (ucie )anette is an eighteen *ears old girl who thinks that her father is death. Howe$er, thanks to )r #ar$er she finds him in a wineDshop in &rance, but he is in bad health. Ence the* arri$e to England he reco$ers his health. /hen, a trial was celebrated against Charles Darna*, accused of being a &rench sp*. He is acCuitted and marries (ucie )anette, in spite of )r Carton who is in lo$e with her. Howe$er, nobod* knows that he is )arCuis of E$r!monde nephew, and he has to go to Paris with his famil*, where he is put in prison while &rench Ae$olution began. 't the end, )r Carton and Charles Darna*, due to their resemblance, change places and the first dies to sa$e the second. 8o, )r Darna* and his famil* and friends return to England happil*.

). Analysis of Ma*or Characters. FCharles Darna*% he is (ucie )anetteGs husband and he keeps a secret% he is the )arCuis of E$r!mondeGs nephew. He is a nobleman, but he isnGt like others% he is a good man and disagrees with rich people opinions. F)r )anette% he was a prisoner in the "astille for eighteen *ears and because of it, he is in bad health, but he reco$ers his health although he sometimes suffers relapses. He F8idne* Carton% he is a law*er and an e<ample of a man who gi$es e$er*thing, e$en the life, in name of lo$e. F(ucie )anette% she grows up without her father and gets married with Charles Darne*. )r Carton is also in lo$e with her. 8he is a beautiful woman de$oted to her famil*. F)r an )s Defarge% the* are a couple who fight blindl* for libert* and eCualit* with all the conseCuences, which dri$e them to not take into consideration an* friend. +. Ma*or !he"es. D8ociet*% itGs present in the entire no$el. 1 donGt onl* refer to the class struggle, but also to the social differences and in.ustices.

Introduction to English Literature

A Tale of Two Cities Ana Mara Lario Castelln

D(o$e and famil*% itGs easil* seen in the first meeting of (ucie and his father and in the determination of keep the famil* together. 't the end 8idne* Carton gi$es his life in order to get the pre$ious thing, but probabl* in an act of lo$e. ,. Author-s Style. !he (ay he uses (ords and constructs sentences. Charles Dickens belonged to Aealism mo$ement, so his language is Cuite direct and eas* to understand, at least, in the adaptation 1 ha$e read. 1n a Tale o" two Cities metaphors are easil* found. /ake the case of% the living sea o" angry people' 1 want to mention too a simil which is the crowd began to waves o" the sea' ove% like the

' clear motif is the doubles% the author speaks about two cities, Darna* and Carton are so similar, the* are like doubles and furthermore at the beginning of the book we find it% ,t was the best o" ti es% it was the worst o" ti es' 1 think )s Defarge knitting is a s*mbol which represents ma*be the patience this woman has to wait to the best moment to take re$enge and also a s*mbol of her $ictims4 destin*% death. /. D u"our and 0rony. Despite the fact )r )anette defends Charles Darna*, his letter written a long time before makes his daughter6s husband go to prison. )s Defarge is the sister of the woman who was killed b* the )arCuis of E$r!monde. 1t6s parado<ical that people kill to get libert* and eCualit*.

D D

&urthermore, Dickens is characteri ed b* his humour, which makes his critic sweeter. 1. 2or" and Structure. 1t is a no$el which is written in third person omniscient and $erbs are used in past during the narration and in present during the dialogues. 8o, we find direct and indirect speech.

Introduction to English Literature

A Tale of Two Cities Ana Mara Lario Castelln

/he time is linear, but we found a clear flashDback when the stor* about marCuis of E$r!monde connected with )s Defarge famil* is told and elipsis from )s )anette and )r Darna* wedding until the* go to &rance. 1 should also mention the two times used in e$er* no$el% F/he internal time is the duration of the facts told in the no$el5 in this case, twent* *ears appro<imatel*. F/he e<ternal time is the historic time which is 18th centur*. 'bout the internal structure% F1ntroduction% it goes from )s )anette and her father meeting until her wedding with )r Darna*. F"od*% storm* *ears in &rance :the fall of the "astille;, arri$al of )anette famil* to &rance and the two imprisonments of Darna*. FEnding% the changing of clothes of )r Carton and )r Darna* in order to sa$e the last one, the death of )r Carton and the departure from &rance of famil* )anette. 13. %oint of 4ie( 52ro" the Author6. 's a realistic author he is not neutral, because he wants the reader to know the real situation, so he informs at the same time he persuades a little to change what he is condemning. Dickens was a critic of the contradictions of Bictorian era% he denounces in.ustices of Bictorian institutions with poor. 1t is a non fiction stor* and we should mention the ob.ecti$it* of the author which makes more credible his stories, although as 1 said before this doesn4t mean that he doesn4t worr* about the serious problems of the times. 1 can contribute with a sentence, because sometimes there is nothing like an e<ample to understand what one is e<plaining% The people were poor% hungry and unhappy' The -ing ade paper oney and spent it% and the people had nothing to eat' 11. Cli"a7 of the (ork /he clima< of the work is when Darna* goes to &rance in order to sa$e ?abelle and he is .ailed, because itGs when the action e<actl* started. 8o this point is the HhighestI one and from this e$er*thing go from bad to worse% Darna* came out of prison and was .ailed again because of )r )anetteGs letter, the truth about )s DefargeGs secret was disco$ered and )r Carton died in order to keep the famil* together.

Introduction to English Literature

A Tale of Two Cities Ana Mara Lario Castelln

12. So"e rele'ant 8uotations 1n this point, it would be interesting to include the first paragraph of the book, because of the beaut* of its language. ,t was the best o" ti es% it was the worst o" ti es' ,t was the season o" light% it was the season o" darkness' ,t was the spring o" hope% it was the winter o" sadness' ,t was the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy."ive' 1 ha$e chosen also a dialogue between )s )anette and )r Carton, because of its future importance /'''01(on2t cry1% said Sidney Carton' 3, a not worth your love' But you should know that "or you% or "or anyone close to you% , would do anything' Please re e ber always% that there is a an who would give his li"e to keep so eone you love alive and close to you' *oodbye% $iss $anette1' Ethers important Cuotations are% 4riends and citi&ens5 )e are ready5 To the Bastille5 ,t is a "ar% "ar better thing that , do% than , have ever done6 it is a "ar% "ar better rest that , go to% than , have ever known' 1#. 4oca9ulary:;lossary List 8ome significant words in the no$el are% knit, prison, libert*, in.ustice, fight, wineDshop, trial, power, tribunal, guillotine, guilt*, innocentJ +e find set phrases like% it has been the last drea friends like pale or grave' 1$. Conclusion E$er*bod*, at least me, knows Charles (ickens for Oliver Twist and Da$id Copperfield and A tale o" two cities is sometimes forgotten b* those who don4t understand literature at all. 1t is a wellD known fact that Dickens wrote in order to critici e societ* and in.ustices. 1t is easil* seen in this no$el, although 1 think and ma*be 1 am wrong that he doesn4t make his criticism directl*, but he describes situations to illustrate it, like the bo* who was killed b* the )arCuis of E$r!monde. o" y heart and false

Introduction to English Literature

A Tale of Two Cities Ana Mara Lario Castelln

1 ha$e also to mention the differences established between England and &rance% England is described like a pacific place5 meanwhile &rance is represented like a re$olutionar* countr*. 1n this point, 1 ha$e to sa* that people fight to get libert* and against in.ustice and the same people is making in.ustice to get that the* want. +hat 1 found difficult to belie$e is the similarit* between )r Darna* and )r Carton if the* aren4t famil*. 'll no$els ha$e their unreal part, and 1 think that this is the one of this no$el. 1). Bi9liography #iteratura espa7ola y universal. #os! Calero Heras. Editorial% Ectaedro. Programa% lengua $i$a. 1+. <e9liography
http%KKwww.biografias*$idas.comKbiografiaKdKdickens.htm http%KKwww.onlineDliterature.comKdickensK http%KKen.wikipedia.orgKwikiK1=thLcentur* http%KKes.wikipedia.orgKwikiKBictoriaL1LdelLAeinoL7nido http%KKen.wikipedia.orgKwikiK'L/aleLofL/woLCitiesM(anguage