Tone Analysis of The Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens presents his story of aristocracy and tyranny clashing during the French Revolution. The dramatic novel grabs the reader's attention as events unfold in a time of love and sorrow. In Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities he illustrates the picture of two countries that eventually become tied together by the characters in a cynical yet factual tone using diction and symbolism.

The author's use of symbolism shows the sorrowful state that the people were in during the French Revolution. Dr. Mannete is introduced to the reader as being "buried alive" but eventually he will be "resurrected." The doctor was cut off from the rest of the world for eighteen years and had no contact with the outside. After being brought back to life, Dr. Mannete becomes compassionate towards others and will help those who are later "buried alive." When the red wine "stained" the ground at the wine shop, it symbolized the blood that would be shed later on with the "murdering" of prisoners. The spilt blood at the first of the novel represents the blood that will be shed during the revolution to purge the aristocracy. Throughout the novel, red is representational of what will come during the revolution and the lives of love ones that will soon be lost. Dickens' use of symbolism shows the anguish of the people as well as the true nature of the characters as they are introduced to us.

The tense times of the revolution are shown through the author's use of diction. As we quickly learn that "it was the best of times, it was the worst of time" it is shown how the people live in time of "despair." The times of love, hate, and oppression display how people that lived during the revolution were forced to live. People were unhappy with the aristocracy, and they were blood thirsty to get rid of them. Dickens' portrays the difference in social classes when he states that the "mankind of the blood of monseigneur" is "superior" to those of lower class. The main purpose of the Revolution is to get rid of the aristocracy, and the revolutionaries won't stop until they exterminate all of them, even some of the ones that have done no wrong. The people want to take out all their rage on some of the individuals who are cherished by others. Dickens' shows the reader with immense details the pain the revolution causes with his diction.

Tale of Two Cities has been read by millions of people and the story will continuously be read as time goes on. Dickens' use of diction and symbolism keeps the reader's attention and supplies them with a factual yet fiction story of love, hate, and tyranny.