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In literature, motifs are used constantly to provide a separate meaning to an idea, which ultimately results in a better comprehension of the text and the themes. Charles Dickens illustrates this by manipulating a strong force of nature to portray the events that created a large turning point in the history of France- the French Revolution. In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens creates the descriptive motif of the sea to describe the widespread anger and destruction of the revolutionaries, and to portray a large feeling of anticipation leading up to the event.
Dickens uses the motif of the sea to illustrate a great feeling of rage that flooded through the revolutionaries at that time. For example, Dickens explains the agitated nature of the sea
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when he writes, “In such risings of fire and sea- the firm earth shaken by the rushes of an angry ocean which had now no ebb…” (Dickens 195).
Dickens describes the oncoming force of the ocean to mirror the dangerous forces of the revolutionaries, who by now have no signs of ceding. Dickens also manipulates the opposing force of the earth, and categorizes it as “shaken” to show the effect the peasants have on the state of the Aristocracy. In addition, Dickens uses another sea motif to describe the aggressiveness of the gathering of the revolutionaries when he states, “As a whirlpool of boiling waters has a centre point, so all this raging circled round Defarge’s wine shop...” (Dickens 179). Dickens strategically uses the word “whirlpool” to stay consistent to the motif of the sea, while describing the raging tendencies of a spinning mass of water, or the furious townspeople shaking uncontrollably for vengeance. Dickens also places Defarge’s wine shop as the origin of the whirlpool to illustrate the beginnings of where the disturbances started that eventually built up into a large storm. Once again, Dickens uses the motif of the sea to describe the incomprehensible amount of …show more content…
anger that the third estate had when they stormed the Bastille when he writes, “The sea of black and threatening waters, and of destructive upheaving of wave against wave, whose depths were yet unfathomed and whose forces yet unknown” (Dickens 183). Dickens personifies the waters as highly dangerous and livid by describing the people of Saint Antoine as almost unstoppable due to their hatred for the Aristocracy. Dickens also accurately states the sea of people as “forces yet unknown” to show how their anger gives them power that has never been discovered before. Dickens uses the motif of the sea not only to describe the anger of the peasants, but to also create suspense in the sections of the novel prior to the revolution. The author also uses the motif of the sea to portray the buildup of the events that eventually initiated the start of the revolution.
For example, Dickens creates the image of the sea eventually attacking France when he writes, “...that they began to have an awful sound, as a great storm in France with a dreadful sea rising” (Dickens 177). Dickens specifically places the motif of the sea to show the rising of the revolution, as this illustrates that the revolution is arriving slowly, but is confidently approaching France. The term “dreadful” adds to the feeling of anticipation, as this illustrates that it is unknown when the war will arrive, but when it does, it will cause widespread damage throughout. In addition, Dickens initiates the suspense early on in the story when he states, “The desert was a desert of heaps of sea… the sea did what it liked, and what it liked was destruction,” (Dickens 17). This early placement of the motif of the sea is crucial to the effect of anticipation because it describes the first instance of the wild and untamed nature of the sea, much like the peasants in the revolution. Dickens also personifies the sea as “liking destruction” to add to the anticipation of the revolution because at this time in the book, there has been no destruction, indicating that destruction caused by revolution will soon come. Finally, Dickens places another motif of the sea to show the exact turning point of the entire buildup to the commencement of the revolution
when he writes, “The living sea rose, wave on wave, depth on depth, and overflowed the city to that point” (Dickens 179). In this case, the motif of the sea is the last piece of anticipation, as it describes the sea now rising out of the base of the ocean, or the revolutionaries are now taking action to avenge the ones they have lost. This placement of the motif is highly important, as it is the transition of the rising phase, to the actual first events that started the revolution. Dickens uses the motif of the growing sea to allow the reader to anticipate the upcoming revolution. The motif of the sea accurately parallels the nature of the revolution, as it is similar in respects to the development and the nature of the revolution itself. The frequency of the motif was also extremely beneficial, as the more times the motif of the sea was placed into the novel, the greater feeling of this motif being the symbolic characteristic of the revolution was imagined. Most importantly, the motif of the sea bound the novel together by illustrating the anger the peasants had towards the Aristocrats, and by creating anticipation for the revolution.
Some of the most intriguing stories of today are about people’s adventures at sea and the thrill and treachery of living through its perilous storms and disasters. Two very popular selections about the sea and its terrors are The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Longfellow. Comparison between the two works determines that “The Wreck of the Hesperus” tells a more powerful sea-disaster story for several different reasons. The poem is more descriptive and suspenseful than The Perfect Storm, and it also plays on a very powerful tool to captivate the reader’s emotion. These key aspects combine to give the reader something tangible that allows them to relate to the story being told and affects them strongly.
Also, the sentimentality, although at times difficult to endure, produced a deeper understanding and emphasis of the harsh conditions that the people of France dealt with. For example, when Dickens describes France as having “its one poor street, with its poor brewery, poor tannery, poor tavern, poor stableyard ...” and says. “It had its poor people, too,” you can relate these horrid conditions to the world in which we now live. For this reason, Dickens use of emotive words aids you in grasping the circumstances that influenced the characters’ actions and thoughts.
Through the symbol of knitting, the metaphor of the fountain and water, and the metaphor of the wine, the theme of fate is used fantastically by Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities. Because fate determines the outcome of many situations, these metaphors help guide these situations to their outcomes. The outcomes for many characters were inevitable no matter what because of fate and could not be changed. Without the theme of fate in the novel, the story would have turned out differently because fate determined the events in the novel and how the novel continues. Because of this, Dickens’ use of the theme of fate is superb throughout his novel and enhances the story and to adds to the plot.
Charles Dickens uses Foreshadowing Many times throughout the novel. He uses Foreshadowing to build suspense in his novel and make it seem like it had a haunting theme. Charles Dicken puts in Foreshadowing to anticipate near events in the novel. One example of this is that when the wine breaks on the street you can hear footsteps of people coming to drink it and this Foreshadows to the mobs of violent people to soon come to take over Paris.
By developing the symbols of scarecrows, blue-flies, and dogs, Dickens portrays the theme of man’s inhumanity. But, the French Revolution was not the first time ruthlessness and savagery have overcome mankind. Throughout history the same power struggle between upper and lower classes repeats itself over and over again, with the result always being the same—bloodshed. Mankind is a greedy, power-craving race who is never satisfied with what they have. Due to the fact that man will do anything to gain more authority no matter how morally wrong it is, bloodshed and war is inevitable. Wickedness and barbarity will continue to poison the human race so long as it is in human nature to yearn for power.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens explores the concept of rebirth (physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally) through the exploits of Doctor Manette, Charles Darnay, and Sydney Carton. Some major keys in his ideas of being resurrected are physical and mental recovery, escaping an unworthy past for a worthy cause, and the nobility of sacrifice.
A Tale of Two Cities Essay Throughout history, the powers of love and hate have constantly been engaged in a battle for superiority. Time and time again, love has proven to be stronger than hate, and has been able to overcome all of the obstacles that have stood in the way of it reaching its goal. On certain occasions, though, hate has been a viable foe and defeated love when they clash. In the novel A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens presents several different power struggles between love and hate.
The story’s theme is related to the reader by the use of color imagery, cynicism, human brotherhood, and the terrible beauty and savagery of nature. The symbols used to impart this theme to the reader and range from the obvious to the subtle. The obvious symbols include the time from the sinking to arrival on shore as a voyage of self-discovery, the four survivors in the dinghy as a microcosm of society, the shark as nature’s random destroyer of life, the sky personified as mysterious and unfathomable and the sea as mundane and easily comprehended by humans. The more subtle symbols include the cigars as representative of the crew and survivors, the oiler as the required sacrifice to nature’s indifference, and the dying legionnaire as an example of how to face death for the correspondent.
The symbols of the scarecrows and birds of fine song and feather, the knitting, and the Gorgon’s head help with the theme because they demonstrate how man can be cruel and unfeeling toward his fellow citizen. The symbols help in understanding the theme that both the aristocrats and the peasants are capable of being apathetic and cruel. The symbols also aid in reading and understanding the plot. Both the symbols and the theme enhance the plot and help in comprehending the characters. In short, evil is present everywhere, and terrible things happen to bad and good people.
Relief,” Millay used a similar form of imagery to describe the rain that resulted in the remembrance of the persona’s love: “…I miss him in the weeping of the rain…” (Millay, 3). This description of the rain not only helped better visualize the rain itself, but also emphasized the sorrowful and desolate undertone of the poem. Another exemplification of visual imagery utilized in Millay’s poem was used to illustrate the tides: “…I want him at the shrinking of the tide…” (Millay, 4). The retreating of the tides was easily concei...
...kens’ foreboding images of shadows elucidate their connection to, and tendency to imitate, the characteristics of fear. Through Alexandre Manette’s apprehensions concerning the inescapable horrors of his past imprisonment, one recognizes the follower aspect of both fear and shadows. For shadows, this stands quite literally; for fears, however, it depicts the common truth that deep-seated fears frequently remain with someone throughout a lifetime, present but not always active. Through the experiences of Lucie Manette and the revolutionaries, the oppressive aspect of shadows unveils itself: symbolic of fear, shadows cast themselves over others like tyrants, deprecating them and inducing terror in the process. It goes without saying that Charles Dickens’ usage of visual imagery constructs a sound and solid connection between the concepts of shadows, and inherent fear.
Symbolism was used to express the Captains minds set. In the beginning paragraphs, the Captain is viewed as depressed, apprehensive, and insecure. The Captain viewed the land as insecure, whereas the sea was stable. The Captain was secure with the sea, and wished he were more like it.
Dickens starts with a metaphor describing society. He talks about the landscape “with the corn bright in it, but not
Dickens was a great author as demonstrated by the way he employed the literary devices of setting, foreshadowing, and imagery, in A Tale of Two Cities. The reoccurring themes and symbols throughout the novel enhance the reading and keep the reader engaged. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is also a suspenseful novel, tying numerous characters together between London and Paris during the French Revolution. There are many symbols and themes throughout the book, but the theme that made this book most meaningful in my judgment is the theme of sacrifice in the name of love. This theme was represented through symbols, where characters in this novel risked and even took their lives for their loved ones. The theme of sacrificing in the name of love is greatly established throughout the novel by the reoccurring symbols being the golden thread, the fountain, and the shadow.
During the French Revolution, there were many controversies between the peasants and the aristocracy. In A Tale Of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, most of the peasants are revolutionaries fighting against their nobility. Dickens’ use of imagery throughout the novel tries to sway the reader’s opinions about the peasants. Charles Dickens depicts the French Revolution well with the images of the novel as well as the tone he uses. Throughout the novel, Dickens illustrates through his imagery how the peasants change from poor, secretive, and then on to vicious.