A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I'm still reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens and thought I'd publish a few discussion questions to think about:

1. What are some of the ways in which Dickens parallels the personal and the political in A Tale of Two Cities.
2. One of the novel's most important motifs is the figure of the double. What is the effect of Dickens's doubling technique? Does he use doubles to draw contrasts, comparisons, or both?
3. What are some examples of Dickens's use of foreshadowing in A Tale of Two Cities.
4. How sympathetic is Dickens towards the French Revolution?
5. The first paragraph of this book is widely quoted -- "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." -- why is this?
6. Some critics charge that Dickens, in much of his work, failed to create meaningful characters because he exaggerated them to parodic extremes. Is this a fair assessment of his characterization in A Tale of Two Cities? Does the author's use of caricature detract from his novel's ability to speak to human nature?
7. Dickens relies heavily on coincidence to fuel the plot of A Tale of Two Cities: letters are found bearing crucial information, for example, and long-lost brothers are discovered in crowded public places. Do such incidents strengthen or weaken the plot and overall themes of the novel?
8. Based on Dickens's portrayals of the villainous characters in his novel (particularly Madame Defarge), what conclusions might the reader draw about the author's notions of human evil? Does he seem to think that people are born evil? If so, do they lack the ability to change? Or does he suggest that circumstances drive human beings to their acts of cruelty?

And since I plan on re-reading Dickens's Great Expectations soon, I'm including some discussion questions for that classic as well:

1. In this novel, Great Expectations, things are often not what they seem. Discuss how the theme of "expectations" is illustrated by and through the various major characters in this book. How are Pip's expectations different and similar from those of his surrogate father, Joe (the blacksmith), Miss Havisham (the eccentric recluse), Estella (the daughter of a convict and murderess) and Pip's benefactor, (the convict) Magwitch?
2. Why do you think it is one of Magwitch's principal conditions that Pip (his nickname) "always bear the name of Pip" in order to receive his financial support?
3. If Pip had not received his "Great Expectations" and never left Joe's forge, how do you think his life would have been different? Are the lessons he learns during his physical and emotional journey necessary for him to arrive at the wisdom he evinces as the middle-aged narrator of this tale? In what ways?
4. Why do you think Miss Havisham manipulates and misleads Pip into thinking she is his secret benefactor? What, if anything, does she derive from this action?
5. Given Dickens's portrayal of Estella, what do you think attracts Pip to her in the first place and what, when he learns of her cold-blooded manipulation of men such as her husband, keeps Pip devoted to her until the end, loving her, as he says, "against reason, against promise, against peace?"
6. In the final chapter Estella says to Pip: "Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching." Discuss the theme of suffering in this book—specifically how it instructs Pip, Miss Havisham and Estella.
7. In Chapter 49 Miss Havisham confesses to Pip that in adopting Estella, she "meant to save her (Estella) from misery like my own." Do you believe this, given Dickens's harsh characterization of Miss Havisham throughout the novel?
8. And in the same Chapter (49) when Miss Havisham is set afire, do you believe that, given her state of mind, Dickens intends us to read this as an accident or a kind of penance/attempted suicide on her part for her cruelty to Pip and Estella?
9. What do you think makes Pip change his opinion of his benefactor Magwitch from one of initial repugnance to one of deep and abiding respect and love?
10. In Chapter 59, when Pip places Joe and Biddy's son (also named Pip) on the same tombstone that opens the novel, what do you think Dickens intends to tell us with this image? Given the novel's theme of how the sins of others are visited upon us, do you view this image as a foreboding one in any way?

And in case you're a teacher looking for materials to help you lead your class through A Tale of Two Cities, click here to view a Teachers' Guide (provided by Penguin Group).

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I've been slowly plodding through A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, which I first read when I was a kid.

I had forgotten that this classic piece historical fiction depicting the French Revolution was printed in serialized format in the twopenny periodical All the Year Round -- and I was thrilled to find an edition (by Penguin Classics) that publishes the full text of this story as it appeared in 1859 and includes the original illustrations by H. K. Browne ('Phiz').

I had also forgotten how easy it is to get confused about the plot, so I was thrilled to see that this edition includes a timeline of Dickens's fictional events and historical French Revolution events.

I've included the timeline here for easy reference as I continuing reading this masterpiece.

This timeline represents two kinds of events. Fictional events, involving characters invented by Dickens, are represented in plain type; historical events described or alluded to within the novel in italics. This timeline excludes famous events of the French Revolution not described or alluded to by Dickens; in other words, it is designed to suggest what parts and aspects of the Revolution the novelist works to make visible and to intertwine, and to a greater or lesser degree, with the private, invented action of his narrative.

• 1756-63: The Seven Years War (II.2)
• 5 January 1757: Robert Damiens attempts the assignation of Louis X V; two months later, Damiens is executed, as described by the mender of roads in conversation with the Defarges and their revolutionary associates (II.15)
• 22 December 1757: The twin Evremonde brothers hire Dr Manette (III.10)
• 29 December 1757: Death of the elder sister of the future Mme Defarge - seduced by the uncle of Charles Darnay (III.10)
• 31 December 1757: Dr. Manette arrested and confined within the Bastille (III.10)
• 1766: The Chevalier de la Barre accused, tried and executed (I.1)
• December 1767: Manette starts to write his confessions (III.10)
• 1775-83: The American Revolution (I.1)
• November 1775: Manette released from Bastille (I.4-6)
• March 1780: Darnay tried at Old Bailey (II.2-3)
• June 1780: Lorry, Darnay and Carton attend a gathering at Dr Manette's Soho house and sense (in Carton's words) 'a great crowd bearing down upon us' (II.6)
• July 1780: Monsieur (the uncle of Darnay) attends Monseigneur's reception in Paris; returning to the country, he receives Darnay at his chateau and, the morning after, is found dead (II.7-9)
• Summer 1781: Lucie Manette marries Darnay; Manette reverts temporarily to shoemaking; Jerry Cruncher participates in the 'funeral' of Roger Cly and later tries to dig up his body; the Defarges consult with the mender of roads and visit Versailles (II.10-20)
• 1783: Lucie Darnay's daughter born (II.21)
• 14 July 1789: Storming of Bastille, recovery by Defarge of Manette's confession (II.21)
• July 1789: The first emigration (II.23)
• Late July and early August 1789: The Great Fear, Evremonde chateau destroyed (II.23)
• 21 June 1792: Prussians issue the Brunswick Manifesto, threatening revenge on Paris and the Revolution. Lorry very worried about integrity of documents at Tellson's in Paris (II.24)
• 13 August 1792: Louis XVI and family imprisoned in the Temple (III.1)
• 14 August 1792: Finally receiving Gabelle's letter, Darnay leaves for Paris (II.24)
• 15-18 August 1792: Darnay arrested and imprisoned (III.1)
• 2-6 September 1792: September massacres in Paris (III.2-3)
• 3 September 1792: Lucie and Manette follow Darnay to Paris (III.2-3)
• September 1792-October 1793: They live in Paris, while Darnay languishes in prison (III.4)
• 21 September 1792-20 September 1793: The Year One of Liberty - l Vendemiaire to 30 Fructidor (III.4)
• 23 October 1792: Condemnation to death of returning emigrants (III.6)
• 21 January 1793: Execution of Louis XVI (III.4)
• 24 February 1793: 300,000 men recruited for armies, to combat internal rebellion and threat of invasion (III.4)
• 17 September 1793: Law of suspects (III.4)
• 16 October 1793: Execution of Marie-Antoinette (III.4)
• 31 October 1793: Execution of Girondins (III.4)
• November-December 1793: Lucie's vigils outside the prisons of La Force (III.5)
• 9 November 1793: Execution of Madame Roland (III.15)
• December 1793: The Terror in Lyon (mass drownings in DIckens's 'rivers of the South') (III.4)
• December 1793: Darnay's first trial; he is acquitted and rearrested; Carton arrives in Paris (III.6)
• December 1793 or January 1794: Second trial of Darnay; Darnay saved by Carton (III.9-15)

More Library Books

I went to the library yesterday to return a few books, and I could not resist borrowing a few.

• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
• Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds by Bernd Heinrich

You've probably heard of the first two and the third was a New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year (click here to read David Quammen's review titled "Bird Brains" and published August 1, 1999). Heinrich, who I am not familiar with, is a well known science writer who focuses on animals.

Lately, I've been feeling like it would be good to re-read some of the classics so expect to see me read books like Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe this summer.