Charles Dickens Chapter Titles In A Tale Of Two Cities

Ben Weissler

3/16/08

Block 5

A Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cites, is a very rich text. The characters, plot, and writing style are all complex and multifaceted. However, one of the least studied and important part of this novel is the chapter titles and even the proposed novel titles. These titles reveal and expose more about the text, like symbolism and irony that would have otherwise been missed. Dickens' chapter and proposed novel titles are instrumental in revealing symbolism and irony in the book.

Dickens' chapter titles reveal underlying symbolism in the novel. One of most symbolic of all the chapter titles is that of Book II, chapter five: "The Jackal." The "jackal" is the nickname given to Sydney Carton,
In Book II, chapter four: "Congratulatory," Darnay has just won his treason case. Doctor Manatte, Lucie, Lorry, and Stryver all congratulate Darnay on the successful trial. After the group disperses, Carton invites Darnay, his look-alike, for a drink at the bar. At the bar, Carton asks Darnay if Darnay thinks that Carton likes him. When Darnay is unsure, Carton tells him: "I don't think I do." It is ironic that the title of the chapter is "Congratulatory", yet Carton spends a large part of the chapter expelling the reasons why he doesn't like Darnay, revealing Dicken's ironic humor. In Book II, chapter twelve: "The Fellow of No Delicacy," Stryver tries to win Lucie's hand in marriage. This chapter is ironic because Stryver has no delicacy at all, contrary to what the chapter title might have you thinking. The chapter reveals that Stryver is arrogant and dimwitted. Stryver decides to marry to place a "magnanimous bestowal of good fortune" upon Lucie, revealing his arrogant ways. Later, Stryver, speaking to Lorry, says "the young lady at present in question is a mincing fool," insulting Lucie. Simply put, Stryver has no delicacy at all, illuminating Dickens' tongue in cheek humor. A third and final chapter title that exhibits irony is the Book II, chapter 14: "The Honest Tradesman." This chapter centers on Jerry Cruncher and his activities as a self-labeled "Resurrection Man." Obviously, the irony is between the "honest tradesman"
One such title was "Buried Alive." This proposed title definitely carries symbolic value. Buried alive, or solitary confinement, is certainly one of the major themes in the novel. Dr. Manett spends eighteen years in solitary confinement, and Darnay spends four years imprisoned in the Bastille, too. Dickens gives a frightening account of being buried alive. As the Defarges enter the Bastille, the tumult comes to them "in a dull, subdued way," the sky could only "by stooping low and looking up." Perhaps Dickens' near obsession with imprisonment could be due to the child labor he faced as he grew up, working in various factories to try to repay his father's debt. A second proposed title was "Memory Carton." Memory plays a fascinating and symbolic role in this novel. When Dr. Manette learns Darnay's true name, the memory sends him into shock once again. Reflecting on his nine-day, shoemaking fit: the doctor says, "Remembrance that was the first cause of the malady. Some intense associations of a most distressing nature were vividly recalled, I think." Later on in the novel, memory plays a big role in Carton. The memory of his love for Lucie, his promise to "give my life to keep a life you love beside you," causes him to make the ultimate sacrifice. Dickens' proposed novel titles reveal are very symbolic.

Dickens' chapter titles and proposed novel