How Charles Dickens Shapes A Tale of Two Cities

How Dickens Shapes A Tale of Two Cities

In A Tale of Two Cities author Charles Dickens uses literary techniques throughout the novel such as doubling and repetition. One way Dickens utilizes doubling is through the characters such as Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge who are complete opposites. Dickens choice to create doubling among characters not only creates opposites throughout the novel, it also reveals many hidden patterns the eventually unravel to readers as the novel progresses. An example of these hidden connections is revealed with Madame Defarge’s vengeance towards Darnay and his family.
Lucie Mantte, Doctor Manette daughter is described as a beautiful and loving individual who binds together many of the characters. She is seen as ‘the golden thread’ in the sense that she uses her love to rejuvenate her father in his traumatizing state. The golden thread is symbolized through the piece of golden hair Doctor Manette kept. Dickens creates a very caring and compassionate tone when Lucie speaks in the novel. For instance in her conversation with Mr. Lorry she says, “I can bear anything but the uncertainty you leave me in at this moment” (Dickens 27). Mr. Lorry has yet to inform Lucie her father is alive, yet her emotions and sorrow on the situation are revealed to the reader. We can see the significant impact her father’s disappearance has had on her both physically and mentally. Once Lucie is told her father is alive she goes to him and realizes the traumatized state of shoemaking he is in. Dickens often expresses Lucie’s emotions through gestures and actions she makes such as kissing her hands then touching her father (Dickens 45). When Dickens says she rocks her father on her breast like a ‘child’, this informs reade...

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... on the other hand is described in the court room as to be staring off at the ceiling with no type of attitude change which suggests that he is less concerned with himself and surroundings (Dickens 72) We are told that Carton does not keep up on his physical appearance which is complete opposite of Darnay who is well reserved and up kept. Even so Carton is the reason behind Darnay being acquitted since they look so alike, which suggests Carton is heroic. To Carton, Darnay is a representation of the life he could have had. They both are in love with Lucie Manette and are similar in many ways. Carton comes to Darnays rescue again in the novel when he is sentenced to death and takes Darnay’s place. This suggests that although Darnay is portrayed to be heroic, Carton is far more heroic since he risked his entire life to allow Darnay and his family to have a happy life.