"A Tale of Two Cities"

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at how Dickens explored and intertwined the contradictory concepts of justice that collided during the French Revolution namely a collective social justice versus an individual's rights and liberties. The paper critically examines Dickens' portrayal of lead characters such as Sydney Carton, Charles Darnay and Monsieur and Madame Defarge, whom Dickens issues as archetypes. These individuals are swept up in the events of the French Revolution, and their choices make them representative figures of the various segments of society who were caught up in the Revolution.

From the Paper:

"A Tale of Two Cities" was written in 1859, during what is widely considered Dickens' second phase of writing. During this time, the last two decades of his life, Dickens novels moved from humor and satire, and increasingly dealt with themes like cynicism and despair.
In other novels written during this period, Dickens wrote of a girl whose childhood is affected by a father's confinement in debtor's prison (Little Dorrit), the decline of Victorian society due to a rising materialism (Our Mutual Friend)."

More papers on "A Tale of Two Cities":

• Book Review # 695 : "Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities"
• Analytical Essay # 59175 : "Class Struggles in "A Tale of Two Cities"
• Analytical Essay # 51427 : "A Tale of Two Cities"
• Book Review # 108716 : "Fairy Tales and "A Tale of Two Cities"

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