A Tale of Two Cities Study Guide

A Tale of Two Cities Study Guide

“A Tale of Two Cities” was published in Charles Dickens’ own magazine in 1859. He gained inspiration for the plot from another play he participated in as an actor at the time of writing. The book also has a right to be called historical, since the author referred to the French Revolution survivals while collecting the facts for the text.

The events take place in the 18th century. A high-ranking official of a well-known banking institution goes to France with a task: he is meant to notify the daughter of his client, Lucy Manette, that her father is alive. Right after this Dickens takes the readers five years ahead and the story starts to develop in a completely different manner.

The Manette family are involved in the trial of Charles Darnay, who is accused of treason. At the same time, the revolution starts to unfold and the French people seize a lot of government institutions. The country sinks into chaos, fear, and mess. The king is gone and the laws don’t work anymore.

The new government comes with a new agenda. The whole book is a compilation of different stories and sharp transitions from one to another. The characters of the book are very detailed and easy to understand.

“A Tale of Two Cities” is a complex story of an extraordinary family. It’s a story of a major event in the world’s history that changed the lives of millions, but caused even more lives to be ruined.

It’s full of experiments and challenges, both in terms of writing style and plot. The French Revolution in Charles Dickens words acquires new meanings and colors. All its horrors, savagery, barbarity and lust for blood are portrayed through the eyes and actions of simple people who created this Revolution. Each of them is worth discovering.

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