1. A Tale of two cities
THE
GOLDEN
THREAD

2. Chapter 1: Five Years Later
How does Dickens make England the mirror image of France?
England has many of the social problems that France did in Book One
Like France, England has its prisons that admit young men and release old men
in England, the prisons are transformed into "acceptable" social structures
Tellson's Bank serves as one of these prisons
it has very elderly clerks who have committed themselves to service, or kept themselves "in a dark place" since their youth
everything in Tellson's points towards death and decay
What do we learn about England by examining the character of Jerry Cruncher ?
we see that the life of the poor in France is not so much different than the life of the poor in England
although Jerry and his family are played for comic effect, one can see that he is merely a light-hearted version of the French peasants of the Saint Antoine district
he lives in a poor section of town, and his family has very little food
What do we know about Jerry’s mysterious job that gives him rusty hands and dirty boots?
Jerry's second occupation is as much a mystery to young Jerry as it is to us at the moment
we only know that it worries Mrs. Cruncher and that Jerry has not had much luck at it lately

3. Chapter 2: A Sight
the penalties throughout the world in those days were quite severe even for minor offenses such as stealing a loaf of bread - for such a theft, a man might lose a limb or even his life
What was the penalty for the high crime of treason? What is it?
Quartering - the man would be half hanged, then he would be disemboweled while still alive, and then decapitated and his body cut into quarters
a not uncommon punishment in England or France in the 18th Century

4. Duality & foreshadowing
What version of the Paris mobs is presented?
in this case, it becomes the English crowd at the courts
Dickens thus presents a foreshadowing of future events: the mob, hungry for blood, eagerly watches a man who is under the threat of death
thus, he demonstrates his criticism of the British legal system and mob psychology
What do you notice about Darnay's initials?
some scholars suggest that Darnay is an idealized version of Dickens
Darnay is clearly an idealized man, with his handsome looks and calm demeanor
What is the significance of Darnay being placed under a mirror on the stand?
Dickens uses the mirror to suggest that Darnay will be presented with a mirror image (theme of DUALITY) of himself - an image we will see in the next chapter.

5. Chapter 3: A Disappointment
What examples of duality or resurrection are present?
Corrupt, dangerous "witnesses" in Barsad and Cly
Darnay
Darnay can also be seen as a newer version of Dr. Manette
he also has to be rescued from the horrible fate that the trial has for him
both Darnay and Dr. Manette were both "recalled to life"
ironically, this time Lucie and Lorry serve as accomplices in Darnay's pending death through their testimony
even more ironically, Darnay falls in love with Lucie just as she is providing the most damning evidence against him
a heroic figure that will provide the evidence that turns the trial, here it is Sydney Carton
Dickens presents Sydney Carton as a lowly clerk. However, he is actually a powerful man
his power is a covert power that stems from his powers of observation (like Madame Defarge)
he is the first one to see Darnay's resemblance to him, and he calls for help for the fainting Lucie, who is ignored by the crowd

6. Chapter 4: Congratulatory
Carton takes Darnay to a nearby tavern where Darnay sits down to a meal after his ordeal while Carton sits opposite him with a bottle of port. As they sit together, Carton, in his half-insolent manner, baits Darnay: "That's a fair young lady to be pitied by and wept for by! How does it feel? Is it worth being tried for one's life, to be the object of such sympathy and compassion, Mr. Darnay?" Darnay does not reply to the question but instead thanks Carton for his help in the trial. Carton rejects this and asks, “Do you think I particularly like you?" "You have acted as if you do; but I don't think you do." "I don't think I do," agrees Carton, whereupon Darnay expresses a wish to part friends, pays the bill and rises to leave. Then, all of Carton's bitterness comes to the surface. "I am a disappointed drudge, sir, I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me." As Darnay leaves, Carton considers his image in a mirror. Why should he like a man who resembles himself? For he only reminds him of what he, Carton, might have been. And then to have those blue eyes and fair face show pity and despair for Darnay. "Come on, and have it out in plain words! You hate the fellow."

7. How does Dr. Manette react to Darnay’s face?
something in Charles Darnay's face awakens a spark of disturbing recognition in Dr. Manette's mind
Any examples of duality in this chapter?
Sydney Carton – ill-mannered, unkempt, heavy drinker
Charles Darnay – polite, composed, a gentleman
it is in the reflected light of Lucie Manette that each would like to bask, but Carton knows that for him it is impossible and so he hates the man for whom it is possible and who, if things had been different, he might have been
Darnay represents Carton’s unrealized possibilities

8. Chapter 5: The Jackal
What is the setting as Carton makes his way home? Significance?
the air is cold & the sky overcast
the bleak setting reflects his unhappy feelings
How are Stryver & Carton viewed in the eyes of the community?
Stryver seems to be a great man, a Lion, while Carton appears as a hanger-on to Stryver's coat-tails, a Jackal
though Carton can see that his present life is a waste, that his talents might be put to better use than serving as mental drudge to a pompous, successful lawyer, he is unable to change his situation
Why does Stryver call Carton "Memory" in this chapter?
it implies that Carton has the ability to transcend time
he can move well in the past and the present because of his power to remember things

9. Chapter 6: hundreds of people
Miss Pross assumes a proprietary air over Lucie, and she resents the "dozens of people" who come to the house looking after her "Ladybird" (Lucie). "Do dozens come for that purpose?" asks Mr. Lorry. "Hundreds," replies Miss Pross.
Lucie remarks that sometimes, when she has sat before this same window of an evening, she has thought that the echoes of the footsteps in the streets before the house are the footsteps of people who are coming, by-and-by, into their lives. Indeed, many footsteps can be heard rushing and echoing through the storm and the sounds of lightning and thunder and torrents of rain underline this picture of multitudes rushing down upon them.

10. What are some similarities between Mr. Lorry & Miss Pross?
they are both unmarried, but neither of them seems to mind because they have the power to protect the Manettes
Pross and Lorry resemble fairy godparents to the Manettes, as they have saved and will save again the Manettes from their dangerous situations later in the book
they are even given magical powers
Miss Pross is called "Sorceress" because of her ability to turn any poorly made ingredient into a delicious meal
this allusion to magic also sets up the theme of dark magic, which will reveal itself in the next chapter.
What is Charles’ story and how does Dr. Manette react to Charles and his story?
Charles Darnay's story has brought a shock of recognition to Dr. Manette and he looks at Darnay with that same look of dislike and fear which we noted at the trial
he recalls that he, too, has written something during his imprisonment and buried it in his cell
How is Lucie like a prophetess in this chapter?
the great crowd of people that Lucie senses will soon enter their lives is already forming and will sweep into their lives in a very short while, bringing death and destruction
the depressing nature of the rain implies that the times will grow more difficult
the footsteps that the rain emulates will later be transformed into the footsteps of the Paris mobs, which are coming straight to Lucie and Dr. Manette's door

11. Chapter 7: Monseigneur in town
The Marquis takes out his purse: "It is extraordinary to me that you people cannot take care of yourselves and your children. One or the other of you is forever in the way. How do I know what injury you have done my horses? See! Give him that," and he tosses a coin to the ground.
Another man (Defarge) appears on the scene and comforts the weeping father: "Be a brave man, Gaspard. It is better for the poor little plaything to die so, than to live."
His remarks please the Marquis, who throws him another coin and begins to drive away. Suddenly, the coin is flung back into the coach. The enraged Marquis stops the coach and looks out but Defarge is nowhere to be seen, and in his anger the Marquis does not notice the woman standing nearby staring at him, and knitting. As the coach departs, she remains there and knits on with the steadfastness of fate.

12. How is peasant life cheap to the nobility of France?
a child is killed under the horses' hooves, a coin is thrown out, and it is all forgotten by the Marquis who is able to pay for anything he breaks
it is not forgotten by the father of the child - Gaspard, the man who wrote the word "blood" on a wall with a wine- soaked hand and whose prophetic word has struck at his own being
What is Madame Defarge knitting?
like the three fates of Greek mythology, she, with her knitting, is recording the names of many Frenchmen whom she has marked for death
What might the water and fountains symbolize?
the fountain that sees the child's death does not have the power to cleanse and purify
from this death, all fountains will become places of death
instead of the purifying fountains, the mob itself will resemble a large sea
also, this new water will replace these fountains with fountains of blood

13. Chapter 8: monseigneur in the country
What is suggested by the bleak setting of the countryside?
suggests that the aristocrats starve the land as they starve the people
another description of the abject misery in which the French people live and the callousness of the nobility toward their suffering – this time of the poor in the country
What has the mender of roads has seen?
an unidentified man hanging from the underside of the Marquis' carriage
this extraordinary event occupies their full attention 
What might the crimson light of the sun bathing the Marquis symbolize?
the child he has killed
his own death?
a dawning of a new day with this 1st revolutionary act