Before choosing to read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, I had done some background research on my choice. A Tale of Two Cities surrounds the love between a young woman, Lucie Manette, and the two men who love her, Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay. This drama plays out in London and Paris, right before and during the French Revolution.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” (10 Dickens).
This quotation from the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities beautifully summarizes the time period in which this story takes place. The comparisons made in this first sentence show the great divide between the haves and have-nots. During the Age of Enlightenment, while the nobles lived in luxury and the philosophes dreamed of a democratic government, the peasants could be found starving everywhere throughout France. Eventually, riots broke out and there was little the privledged first and second estates could do to stop the third estate from tearing their current society apart. These frightful beginnings lead people to be extremely fearful throughout the entire French. Many were paranoid because of the continuous cry of the peasants for the blood of traitors.
Due to the general information I found on this novel, and the knowledge I have about the French Revolution, I predict that this time period will bring out the true nature of the people portrayed. This time period can help the author share his feelings about human nature and the power of love between people. In the end, I believe that Dickens will show that love can overcome the evil in the world and transform it into a better place despite someone’s surroundings.
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