Themes of “A Tale of Two Cities”

Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. The ever present possibility of Resurrection with A Tale of Two Cities Dickens asserts his belief in the possibility of resurrection and transformation both on a personal level and on a societal level. The narrative suggests that Sydney Carton’s death secures a new peaceful life for Lucie Manette, Charles Darnay, and even Carton himself. By delivering himself to the guillotine, Carton ascends to the plane of heroism, becoming a Christ-like figure whose death serves to save the lives of others. His own life thus gains meaning and value. Moreover, the final pages of the novel suggest that, like Christ, Carton will be resurrected-Carton is reborn in the hearts of those he has died to save.

Two of the most outstanding and obvious themes in this novel are resurrection and renunciation. Resurrection appears here in several forms. Dickens elaborates his theme with the character of Doctor Manette. Early on in the novel, Lorry holds on imaginary conversation with him in which he says that Manette has been “recalled to life”. As this statement implies, the doctor’s eighteen-year imprisonment has constituted a death of sorts. Lucie’s love enables Manette’s spiritual renewal, and her maternal cradling of him on her breast reinforces this notion of rebirth.

The theme of resurrection is introduced at the very beginning when Mr. Lorry, who is travelling by the Mail-coach to Dover, sends a message to Tellson’s Bank through the messenger, Jerry Cruncher. The words of Mr. Lorry’s message are “Recalled to life.” Under the circumstances, to bring Dr. Manette to England and to enable him to live again as a free man is nothing short of recalling him to life. It is truly a resurrection or a rebirth after death for Dr. Manette.

But a second resurrection for Dr. Manette has yet to take place. Dr. Manette cannot lead a normal life or enjoy his new found freedom unless he recovers his sanity. Under the loving care of his daughter, Dr. Manette begins to improve both physically and mentally. This, then, is Dr. Manette’s second resurrection. If his release is a physical resurrection for him, his recovery from insanity under the care of his daughter is a mental resurrection for him. Then Charles Darnay is saved from the jaws of death at least three times. Once at Old Bailey and twice in Paris after his trials by the Revolutionary Tribunal.

The necessity of sacrifice connected to the theme of the possibility of resurrection is the notion that sacrifice is necessary to achieve happiness. Dickens examines this second theme, again on both a national and personal level. For example the revolutionaries prove that a new, egalitarian French republic can come about only with a heavy and terrible cost-personal loves and loyalties must be sacrificed for the good of the nation. Also, when Darnay is arrested for the second time, in book the third chapter the guard who seizes him reminds Manette of the primacy of state interests over personal loyalties. Moreover, Madame Defarge gives her husband a similar lesson when she chastises him for his devotion to Manette an emotion that, in her opinion only clouds his obligation to the revolutionary cause. Most important, Clarton’s transformation into a man of moral worth depends upon his sacrificing of his former self. In choosing to die for his friends, Carton not only enables their happiness but also ensures his spiritual rebirth.

Among the obvious themes of this novel is social injustice. This theme is related, of course, to the French Revolution which was largely a result of those oppressive conditions under which the common people in France had been living for many decades. The first glimpse of the prevailing social injustice in France is given to us in the chapter called “The Wine - Shop”.

“A large cask of wine had been dropped and broken in the street.”

After briefly describing the scene of poverty, the author goes on to describe the hunger which was rampant among the inhabitants of Paris

“Hunger was pushed out of the tall houses.”

Hunger was prevalent everywhere, says the author. The incident of a child being run over by the Marquis’s carriage and getting killed also points to conditions of social injustice.

“That you people cannot take care of yourselves and your children ………. He threw out a gold coin for the valet to pick up ………… The tall man called out again with a most unearthly cry, “Dead!”

The Marquis throws a gold coin towards the bereaved father as if that would compensate him for the death of his child. The Marquis’ attitude towards the widow who meets him on his way is another example of the gulf between the rich and the poor, between the privileged classes and the common people. But the most shocking example of social injustice in those times is the prolonged imprisonment of Dr. Manette.

“Did you ask me for my name?”
Assuredly I did.”
“One Hundred and Five, North Tower.”

It shows how much influence the members of aristocratic and titled families wielded in those days at the royal court and with the government ministers, and how ordinary people were victimized by them.

“To destroy the corrupt old world, they must seize absolute power. Yet absolute power is unjust, corrupt by nature.”

The French Revolution and the violence and blood shed which it led to constitute another obvious theme. Without any direct analysis of the Revolution or any philosophizing, Dickens succeeds in conveying to us the logic of cause and effect. The Revolution took place because of the conditions of social injustice which prevailed exercised by the government over the common people to whose needs it had become completely indifferent. The revolutionary scenes and episodes show clearly Dickens’ view that, when the common people acquire unlimited power, they are capable of becoming as ruthless and cruel as the privileged classes had previously been. The revolutionary mob in the novel goes to the extreme and commits and kinds of excesses.

The excesses come afterwards when for instance; eleven hundred persons are butchered by the mobs during a period of four days and four nights. The excesses are represented by two blood-curdling incidents¾the sharpening of swords, knives etc. by a crowd of people on a grindstone, and the dancing of the Carmagnole. The obvious inference from these scenes and accounts is that revolution is a monster which should be shunned and that the only way in which it can be avoided is that the rich people should realize their responsibility towards the poor and take the necessary steps to relieve the misery of the poor before it is too late. Thus the novel contains an implied warning to the rulers and the privileged classes of all countries.

Coming to the less obvious themes, we find that much of Dickens’ own life and experience in the past as well as at the time of his writing this novel has gone into the making of it.

“A Tale of Two Cities” equal history plus Dickens”.

A Tale of two cities is deeply coloured by Dickens’s early experiences in life and by what was happening to his emotional life when he started writing his novel. His childhood, like many of those portrayed in his novels, was not a particularly happy one, owing in the main of his father’s inability to stay out of debt. This led in 1824, to his father’s imprisonment ……… Memories of this time haunted him for the rest of his life.

Early in his life he had been a helpless and miserable witness to be imprisonment of his father, and this imprisonment had left an unforgettable impression upon his mind.

Dickens elaborates his theme with the character of Doctor Manette. Early on in his novel, Lorry holds an imaginary conversation with him in which he says that Manette has been “Recalled to Life”. As this statement implies, the doctor’s eighteenth-years imprisonment has constituted a death of sorts, Lucie’s love enables Manette’s spiritual renewal and her maternal cradling of him on her breast reinforces this notion of rebirth.

The two lovers of Lucie seem to symbolize the duality in Dickens’s own heart. Darnay and carton who physically resemble each other were self-projections by Dickens. These two men represent the two different sides of Dickens’s literary personality. Darnay represents the light, sunny and optimistic aspect of Dickens nature.

Carton, on the other hand represents the dark side of Dickens. Carton loves Lucie but at first he denies her by describing her as “a golden haired doll” and then he fails to claim her.

Madness is also a theme in this novel. Dr. Manette goes mad during the long years of his imprisonment. After he has been rescued, he is brought back to health through love and care. This recurrence of madness is a doubling of the original condition, and it produces a feeling that one is never to be free. Doubling in this sense and in several senses is part to the structure of this novel.

Other examples of this kind of doubling are Darnay’s double arrest, and the sudden announcement that Dr. Manette is one of the three persons who have denounced Darnay. The latter development is a notable irony because Dr. Manette had earlier been represented as an innocent man who had suffered a gross injustice. These cases of doubling symbolically represent examples of the contradictory nature of subjective experience even of the self, in relation to events. Certainly Dr. Manette had as much reason to curse the Evremonde race as to protect his son-in-law.