A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens Born in 1812 in Portsmouth, England He had very encouraging parents who supported his writing and acting His father was sent to debtor’s prison which negatively impacted his youth At the age of 12, Dickens started working in a rat- infested warehouse—12 hour days, six days a week—in an attempt to help his family get out of debt A change of fortune rescued the family, but not before the experience affected Dickens

TOTC – a serial publication Dickens’ novels were published serially. Dickens’ novels were published serially. Installments consisted of 2 or 3 chapters at a time. Installments consisted of 2 or 3 chapters at a time. A Tale of Two Cities was originally published from April through November of 1859 in the magazine called All the Year Round. A Tale of Two Cities was originally published from April through November of 1859 in the magazine called All the Year Round.

Before writing fiction, Dickens worked as an actor, a court reporter, and a journalist At 24, he published his first novel serially; many subsequent novels were published in this manner serial publication forced Dickens to carefully construct his stories to ensure continuity he became an expert at weaving intricate and suspenseful novels with humorous protagonists and horrifying villains serial publication heightens suspense and anticipation TOTC – a serial publication

Common Characteristics of Dickens’ Work Focused on social injustice. Criticized the systems and classes which took advantage of the poor. Family life was not portrayed in the nicest light.

Now…On To A Tale of Two Cities 1859 Tale of human behavior (goodness and wickedness of people)

Historical Context Two Cities—London and Paris Dickens begins TOTC in England where crime runs rampant. Later he shows his main characters living in refuge from the turmoil of England with its disease, slums, and despair associated with its Industrial Revolution The American Revolution is mentioned briefly (How might the American Revolution have influenced the French and English?) France is depicted as seething with wronged, vengeful people who create the revolution. At this time, 3% of the population (clergy and aristocracy) controlled the country with rulers Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI.

French Rulers Marie Antoinette Louis XVI

A Tale of Two Cities -style Much of the history of the French Revolution is compressed in A Tale of Two Cities as Dickens’ uses imagery to portray the horror of the revolution Mob violence initiated by oppression Gruesome deaths Ultimately, though, the anger and violence takes a backseat to sacrifice and healing love

Dickens worked to create inventive plots with developed characters…critically, he is most often compared to Shakespeare (ironically his favorite author!). The novel chiefly relies on foreshadowing and suspense (read the novel like a mystery). It is told by an omniscient narrator—allowing for the foreshadowing. Dickens also relies heavily on syntax, imagery, personification, and general description with ironic and symbolic elements throughout. Style cont.

Literary Concepts Focus: Irony

Symbol: a concrete object or action that stands for a complex or abstract idea or relationship Look for the following symbols and their meanings in TOTC: Blood-red wine and the broken wine cask Knitting The golden thread the Marquis (an archetype)

Doppelganger: is a look-alike or double of a living person; in some traditions it is seen as a harbinger of bad luck. Sydney Carton is a brilliant but indolent barrister. He discovers he bears an uncanny resemblance to Charles Darnay, a French emigre he has defended against a treason charge. Both men love the same woman, Lucie Manette.

Motifs: recurring structures, symbols or ideas that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes

Themes A Tale of Two Cities explores questions about revolutions, the abuse of power, the nature of justice and loyalty, and the ability of love to triumph over hatred.

Themes Remember to think of these themes in TOTC and other works we have read. Cruelty, injustice, and oppression can incite people to rebel against governments. Heroism can be expressed through self-sacrifice. Violence and terror are often used to achieve the goals of revolutions. Power tends to corrupt people. Love has the power to comfort, heal, and redeem. The possibility of resurrection and transformation

Why We Read It Dickens is one of the most celebrated authors in history. The AP exams love him, so the more familiar you are with his work, the better off you will be come exam time. Despite being long and challenging Dickens’ stories are actually very entertaining!

How to have the best of times and avoid the worst of times when reading. Keep up with the reading! We will have regular reading quizzes. Keep your study guide up to date! Keep track of characters and main events for each chapter. Ask questions!

Portsmouth— Home of Dickens Paris—about 150 miles south of Calais Both Calais and Dover are mentioned in Book the First