Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities: Moral Theory
In A Tale of Two Cities, why Charles Dickens using human nature moral theory in his novel? And, why a poor man who steals bread for his starving family considered a criminal? The purpose of this theory is to show how humans can grow in life by adapting moral behavior, and how does Dickens show in the novel by using the characters in “A Tale of Two Cities”.
Entire social classes can be place on the moral theory scale, such as the similarities between France’s wealthy citizens and its poor population. These two classes, however financially different, but exemplify the same dark side of human nature: its selfishness and inequality. Dickens show human nature’s being ghastly when the Monsieur runs over a peasant boy, “Pardon, Monsieur the Marquis!’ said a ragged and submissive man, ‘it is a child…’ Without deigning to look at the assemblage a second time, Monsieur the Marquis leaned back in his seat, and was just being driven away with the air of a gentleman who had accidentally broke some common thing, and had paid for it, and could afford to pay for it” (A Tale of Two Cities page 115 – 116). The rich Monsieur’s lack of emotion over killing a poor child, along with the poor class’s unwillingness to challenge the Monsieur, shows the overbearing of the rick and the poor’s apathy.
In another hand of moral theory, Dickens presentation that a few rightful and morally can act as a counter balance against the general population’s of self-centered is demonstrated through Sydney Carton. Although Dickens portrays Charles Darney as an acceptable character, but Carton serves as the trues hero in this novel. In the beginning, Carton, a careless and worthless alcoholic, because he ignores community expectations and lives off of the exchange between himself and Striver. Dickens clearly states Carton’s moral situation in the beginning of the second book, “Sydney Carton, idlest and most unpromising of men, was Stryver’s great ally. What the
In A Tale of Two Cities, why Charles Dickens using human nature moral theory in his novel? And, why a poor man who steals bread for his starving family considered a criminal? The purpose of this theory is to show how humans can grow in life by adapting moral behavior, and how does Dickens show in the novel by using the characters in “A Tale of Two Cities”.
Entire social classes can be place on the moral theory scale, such as the similarities between France’s wealthy citizens and its poor population. These two classes, however financially different, but exemplify the same dark side of human nature: its selfishness and inequality. Dickens show human nature’s being ghastly when the Monsieur runs over a peasant boy, “Pardon, Monsieur the Marquis!’ said a ragged and submissive man, ‘it is a child…’ Without deigning to look at the assemblage a second time, Monsieur the Marquis leaned back in his seat, and was just being driven away with the air of a gentleman who had accidentally broke some common thing, and had paid for it, and could afford to pay for it” (A Tale of Two Cities page 115 – 116). The rich Monsieur’s lack of emotion over killing a poor child, along with the poor class’s unwillingness to challenge the Monsieur, shows the overbearing of the rick and the poor’s apathy.
In another hand of moral theory, Dickens presentation that a few rightful and morally can act as a counter balance against the general population’s of self-centered is demonstrated through Sydney Carton. Although Dickens portrays Charles Darney as an acceptable character, but Carton serves as the trues hero in this novel. In the beginning, Carton, a careless and worthless alcoholic, because he ignores community expectations and lives off of the exchange between himself and Striver. Dickens clearly states Carton’s moral situation in the beginning of the second book, “Sydney Carton, idlest and most unpromising of men, was Stryver’s great ally. What the
Bibliography: Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. Dover Publications; Unabridged Edition, 1998, Print.