tale of two cities speech
"The storming of the Bastille...the death carts with their doomed human cargo...the swift drop of the guillotine blade-this is the French revolution that Charles Dickens vividly captures in his famous work "A Tale of two cities". With dramatic eloquence, he brings to life a time of terror and treason, a starving people rising in frenzy and the to overthrow a corrupt and decadent regime. With insight and compassion, he casts his novel of unforgettable scenes with unforgettable characters: the sinister Madame defarge, knitting her patterns of death, the gentle lucie manette, unswerving in her devotion to her broken father: the heroic Sydney Carton, who gives his life for the love of a girl who will never be his."That is what is on the back of this book...Sounds interesting huh? "Yeh sure" you say...WRONG! Upon reading "A tale of two cities" and studying the characterization, and writing techniques I have come to the conclusion that it is entirely over rated. Character development and portrayal is idealistic and cliched, the ending is incredibly predictable and it is rife with unfeasible coincidences, mainly centering about the character of Charles Darnay. Also Dickens's uses the tale to express his often-bias views on Fran
Even Dickens's views on the two cities Paris and London are portrayed in Black and white with very little in-between. I t seems that the character of Darnay has an abundance of guardian angels, or else good luck. "A young lady of not more than 17 in a riding cloak, and still holding her straw traveling hat by the ribbon in her hand. As his eyes rested on the short slight pretty figure, a quantity of golden hair, a pair of blue eyes that met his own with an enquiring look, and a forehead with a singular capacity (remembering how young and smooth it was) of lifting and knitting itself into an expression that was not quite of perplexity, or wonder, or alarm, or merely of bright fixed attention, though it included all four expressions." Also Dickens has an extreme inability to criticize an English or English living character, or to find a modicum of respectability or kindness in any French character. With two exceptions: one being the young woman who is beheaded the moment before Sydney Carton. She is an enemy of the enemy, she is to be killed and in doing so allows Dickens once again to express hi moral values, this time Using Sydney Carton. After speaking with Carton, even though she is facing death she becomes happy to die for her countrymen, while unscrambling submitting to her death. In doing so depriving the common enemy, that is, the blood crazed peasants, a small victory? With the modern views on racism, Dickens's blatant criticism of France and it's people would probably not be so widely accepted if written today. Jerry Cruncher, the body snatcher is about the most sinful of the English Characters, but even he is given the chance to reform and mend his ways, thereby repenting for all his sins. This too counts as another moral for Dickens. In Charles Dickens' time racism was not regarded as it is today and so if he wished to send a message to the French population it was his right. However many may believe that he has taken his bias too far in these instances.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Dickens's Biases, Madame Defarge, Sydney Carton, Charles Dickens', Fashion Dickens, Manette Lucie, Madame Miss, Overall Dickens's, Paris London, Charles Dickens, love hate, lucie manette, madame defarge, tale cities, sydney carton, french revolution, character lucie, moment reader, views cities, throughout novel,
Approximate Word count = 1952
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
