A-Tale-of-Two-Cities-LitChart

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books. A Tale of Two Cities INTRO how political history is shaped by individuals or how it shapes them in turn.BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF CHARLES DICKENS KEY FACTSBorn to a naval clerk, Dickens moved with his family to Londonat age 10. When his father was briefly imprisoned for debt, • Full Title: A Tale of Two CitiesCharles worked long days at a warehouse. He left school at age • When Written: 185915, but read voraciously and acquired extensive knowledge • Where Written: Rochester and Londonthrough jobs as a law clerk, court reporter, and journalist. As a • When Published: 1859novelist, Dickens was successful from the start and quickly • Literary Period: Victorian erabecame the most famous writer in Victorian England for his • Genre: Historical novelunforgettable characters, comic ingenuity, and biting social • Setting: London and Pariscritique. He also enjoyed huge popularity in America where he • Climax: Sydney Carton's rescue of Charles Darnay from prisonmade several reading tours. He worked tirelessly, producing a • Antagonist: French revolutionaries; Madame Defargemagazine Household Words (later All the Year Round) and • Point of View: Third person omniscientcranking out still-famous novels including Oliver Twist, BleakHouse, Great Expectations, and David Copperfield. Dickens had EXTRA CREDITten children with his wife Catherine Hogarth, but theirmarriage was never happy and Catherine left him after Dickens Serial fiction: Like many of Dickens's novels, A Tale of Two Citieshad an affair with the actress Ellen Ternan. Dickens died in was first published in installments in his magazine All the Year1870 and is buried in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. Round. Many Victorian novels were first published in serial parts and then later collected into books.HISTORICAL CONTEXT American favorite: Since its publication, A Tale of Two Cities hasLike the American Revolution, the French Revolution was always been Dickens's most popular work in America.launched in the spirit of rational thought and political liberty.But these ideals of the 18th-century Enlightenment period PLOT SUMMARYwere soon compromised when the French Revolution devolvedinto the \"Terror\"—a violent period of beheadings by the very The year is 1775. On a mission for his employer, Tellson's Bank,citizens who overthrew the tyrannous French monarchy. The Mr. Jarvis Lorry travels to Dover to meet Lucie Manette. OnFrench Revolution cast a long shadow into 19th-century his way, Mr. Lorry receives a mysterious message and repliesBritain, as industrialization seemed to divide the English with the words \"Recalled to life.\" When they meet, Mr. Lorrypopulation into the rich and poor. Many people feared the reveals to Lucie that her father, Dr. Alexandre Manette, whooppressed working class would start an English Revolution, but she thought was dead, is still alive. Dr. Manette had beena series of political compromises and wake-up calls like secretly imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille, but his formerDickens's A Tale of Two Cities helped to avert the potential crisis. servant Monsieur Defarge, who now owns a wine shop in Paris that is a center of revolutionary activities, has smuggled Dr.RELATED LITERARY WORKS Manette out of prison and hidden him in the store's attic. Meanwhile, Defarge's wife, Madame Defarge, secretlySir Walter Scott pioneered the genre of historical fiction. In encodes the names of the Revolution's enemies into hernovels like Waverley, Scott places fictionalized characters knitting. Mr. Lorry and Lucie arrive in Paris to find Manetteagainst a war-time historical tableau. Scott also uses a narrator compulsively making shoes in a dark corner—prison has leftwho alternately explains, editorializes, preaches, and jokes, like him insane. Lucie lovingly restores him to himself and theyDickens's own characteristic narrative voice. Historical fiction return to London.evolved with works like George Eliot's Middlemarch with its The year is 1780. In London, Charles Darnay stands trial formultiple plot lines and realistic psychological detail. Scott, treason as a spy. Lucie and Dr. Manette attend, having metDickens, and Eliot all use historical fiction to examine Darnay during their return from France. The defense lawyer iscontemporary problems. They use the past to reflect thepresent in hopes of resolving its crises. Their novels explore©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 1

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.Mr. Stryver, but it is his bored-looking associate, Sydney revealed that Madame Defarge was the sister of the peasantsCarton, who wins the case. Carton points out how much he the Evrémondes killed.himself resembles Darnay in order to ruin the main witness'scredibility. Carton conspires with Mr. Lorry to get everyone in a carriage ready to flee for England. With Barsad's help, Carton gets intoIn France, the wealthy aristocracy wallows in luxury and Charles's prison cell, drugs him, and swaps clothes with him.ignores the suffering poor. Marquis St. Evrémonde recklessly Barsad drags the disguised Charles back to Mr. Lorry'sruns over and kills a child with his carriage. At his castle, he carriage, which bolts for England. Madame Defarge shows upmeets his nephew Charles Evrémonde (a.k.a. Darnay) who has at Lucie's apartment, but Miss Pross blocks her way. The tworeturned to France to renounce his family. That night, the scuffle. When Madame Defarge tries to draw her pistol, sheMarquis is murdered in his sleep. accidentally shoots herself. The blast deafens Miss Pross for life.Back in England, Charles, Stryver, and Sydney Carton allfrequently visit Dr. Manette and Lucie. Mr. Stryver plans to On his way to the guillotine in place of Charles, Cartonpropose to Lucie, but Mr. Lorry warns him that his proposal is promises to hold hands with a young seamstress, who has beenunlikely to be accepted. Carton also admires Lucie; he tells her wrongly accused. He dies knowing that his sacrifice was thehow she makes him believe that, despite his ruined past, he still greatest thing he's ever done.has a shred of goodness deep within him. Charles obtains Dr.Manette's permission to marry Lucie, but Manette refuses to CHARACTERSlearn Charles's real name until the wedding day. On thewedding day, Dr. Manette relapses into his shoe-making Charles Darnay (a.k.a. Charles Evrémonde) – Renouncing themadness after discovering that Charles is an Evrémonde. Mr. terrible sins of his family, the Evrémondes, Charles abandonsLorry helps him recover. Charles and Lucie soon have a his position in the French aristocracy to make his own way indaughter of their own. England. Charles believes in the revolutionary ideal of liberty, but is not a radical revolutionary. Instead, he represents aThe year is 1789. Defarge leads the peasants in destroying the rational middle ground between the self-satisfied exploitationBastille. He searches Dr. Manette's old cell and finds a letter practiced by the old aristocracy and the murderous ragehidden in the chimney. The new Republic is declared, but its exhibited by the revolutionaries. Charles has a heroic sense ofcitizens grow extremely violent, imprisoning and killing justice and obligation, as shown when he arranges to providearistocrats. Charles's former servant, Gabelle, writes a letter for the oppressed French peasantry, and later endangersfrom prison asking for help. Charles secretly leaves for Paris himself in coming to Gabelle's aid. However, Charles is alsoand is immediately taken prisoner. Mr. Lorry travels to Paris on deluded in thinking he can divert the force of history andbank business and is soon joined by Lucie and Dr. Manette. change the Revolution for the better. Similarly, CharlesBecause of his imprisonment, Dr. Manette is a local hero. He constantly overlooks Sydney Carton's potential and must learnuses his influence to get Charles a trial, but it takes over a year. from his wife, Lucie, to have faith in Carton. Charles representsEvery day Lucie walks near the prison hoping Charles will see an imperfect but virtuous humanity in whose future we musther. Charles is finally freed after Dr. Manette testifies. But that trust.very night, he is arrested again on charges brought byMonsieur and Madame Defarge. Dr. Alexandre Manette – An accomplished French physician who gets imprisoned in the Bastille, and loses his mind. In hisMiss Pross and Jerry Cruncher have come to Paris to help. On madness, Manette embodies the terrible psychological traumathe street, they run into Miss Pross's brother, Solomon Pross, of persecution from tyranny. Manette is eventuallywhom Jerry recognizes from Charles's English trial as John \"resurrected\"—saved from his madness—by the love of hisBarsad. Sydney Carton also shows up and, threatening to daughter, Lucie. Manette also shows how suffering can becomereveal Barsad as a spy, forces his cooperation to help Charles. strength when he returns to Paris and gains a position of authority within the Revolution. Manette tries to return theAt Charles's second trial, Defarge produces Dr. Manette's favor of resurrection when he saves Charles Evrémonde at hisletter from the Bastille, which explains how the twin trial. However, Manette is ultimately a tragic figure: his oldEvrémonde brothers—Charles's father and uncle—brutalized a letter from the Bastille seals Charles's fate. Falling once morepeasant girl and her brother, then imprisoned Manette to into madness, Manette's story implies that individuals cannotprotect themselves. Charles is sentenced to death and sent escape the fateful pull of history.back to prison. Realizing his letter has doomed Charles, Dr.Manette loses his mind. That night, Carton overhears Madame Lucie Manette – The daughter of Dr. Manette, and Charles'sDefarge at her wine shop plotting against Lucie and her wife. With her qualities of innocence, devotion, and abidingdaughter in order to exterminate the Evrémonde line. It is love, Lucie has the power to resurrect, or recall her father back©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 2

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.to life, after his long imprisonment. Lucie is the novel's central to sketchy doctors. He complains about his wife's prayingfigure of goodness and, against the forces of history and because it makes him feel guilty about his secret activities, butpolitics, she weaves a \"golden thread\" that knits together the by the end of the novel he decides to give up his secret job andcore group of characters. Lucie represents religious faith: when endorses praying, a sign that he hopes to be resurrectedno one else believes in Sydney Carton, she does. Her pity himself through the power of Christ.inspires his greatest deed. John Barsad (a.k.a Solomon Pross) – Barsad was born SolomonSydney Carton – In his youth, Sydney Carton wasted his great Pross, brother to Miss Pross, but then became a spy, first forpotential and mysteriously lost a woman he loved. Now he's a the English, then later for the French government. He is andrunk and a lawyer who takes no credit for his work. Carton amoral opportunist. In England, he accuses Charles Darnay ofhas no hope for his life. Only Lucie understands his potential treason.for goodness. In his selfless dedication to her and her family,Carton represents the transformative power of love. His self- Jacques Three – \"Jacques\" is the code name for every malesacrifice at the end of the novel makes him a Christ figure. By revolutionary; they identify themselves by number. Jacquessaving Lucie's family, Carton redeems himself from sin and lives Three is a cruel, bloodthirsty man who represents theon in their grateful memory. corruption of the Revolution's ideals. He controls the jury at the prison tribunals.Monsieur Defarge – The former servant of Dr. Manette,Defarge uses his Paris wine shop as a place to organize French The Vengeance – A peasant woman from Paris and Madamerevolutionaries. Like his wife, Madame Defarge, Defarge is Defarge's ultraviolent sidekick. Like Madame Defarge andfiercely committed to overthrowing tyranny and avenging Jacques Three, The Vengeance enjoys killing for its own sake,injustice. Yet Defarge always retains a shred of mercy, and does not for any reasonable political purpose.not participate in his wife's plot to kill Lucie. This quality ofmercy makes Defarge a symbol for the failed Revolution, which The mender of roads (the wood-sawyer) – A French workingultimately loses sight of its ideals and revels in the violence it man who represents how average people become seduced bycauses. the worst, most violent qualities of the Revolution.Madame Defarge – The wife of Monsieur Defarge, Madame Gabelle – A servant of Charles Evrémonde who carries outDefarge assists the revolutionaries by stitching the names of Charles's secret charities. Gabelle is jailed simply bytheir enemies into her knitting. Madame Defarge wants association with the aristocracy, showing how justice flies outpolitical liberty for the French people, but she is even more the window during the Revolution.powerfully motivated by a bloodthirsty desire for revenge,hoping to exterminate anyone related to the Evrémondes. Roger Cly – A spy and colleague of John Barsad who faked hisWhere Lucie Manette is the embodiment of pity and goodness, death to escape prosecution.Madame Defarge is her opposite, a figure of unforgiving rage.Over the course of the novel she emerges as a kind of anti- Miss Pross – The long-time, devoted servant of Lucie Manette.Christ, completely devoid of mercy, and as such comes to She is Solomon Pross's sister, and hates the French.symbolize the French Revolution itself, which soon spun out ofcontrol and descended into extreme violence. Monseigneur – A powerful French aristocrat.Marquis St. Evrémonde – Charles's uncle and a cruel French Mrs. Cruncher – The wife of Jerry Cruncher (and mother ofaristocrat committed to preserving the power of the French Young Jerry), Mrs. Cruncher's regular praying constantlynobility. He and his twin brother exemplify the tyrannical and upsets Cruncher, who feels that it interferes with his work.uncaring aristocracy. When the Marquis is murdered, his Though in fact her praying interferes only in the sense that itcorpse is a symbol of the people's murderous rage. forces Cruncher to face the guilt he feels at his job robbing graves. By the end of the novel, Cruncher has himself given upMr. Jarvis Lorry – An older gentleman who works for Tellson's his job and taken up his wife's practice of praying regularly.bank, Lorry is a model of loyalty and discretion. Lorry hides hisemotions under the cover of \"business,\" but he works hard to Young Jerry – The son of Jerry Cruncher and Mrs. Cruncher.save the Manettes and to encourage Charles to become Lucie's Young Jerry is just a boy, but he becomes curious about whathusband. work his father goes off to do at night-time. He follows his father one night, and watches in terror as his father attempts toMr. Stryver – A lawyer who defends Charles Darnay. Stryver, open up the grave of Roger Cly. Young Jerry then flees. Yet theas his name implies, only cares about climbing the professional next day Young Jerry asks his father what a \"resurrection man\"ladder. and to both his father's dismay and pride explains that he wants to be one when he grows up.Jerry Cruncher – By day, an odd-job man for Mr. Lorry. Bynight, a \"resurrection man\"—robbing graves to sell body parts©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 3

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books. THEMES everything about other people. Instead, it suggests that love and faith are the only things that can bridge the gap betweenIn LitCharts each theme gets its own color and number. Our two individuals.color-coded theme boxes make it easy to track where thethemes occur throughout the work. If you don't have a color 3 FATE AND HISTORYprinter, use the numbers instead. Madame Defarge with her knitting and Lucie Manette1 TYRANNY AND REVOLUTION weaving her \"golden thread\" both resemble the Fates, goddesses from Greek mythology who literally controlled theMuch of the action of A Tale of Two Cities takes place in Paris \"threads\" of human lives. As the presence of these two Fateduring the French Revolution, which began in 1789. In A Tale of figures suggests, A Tale of Two Cities is deeply concerned withTwo Cities, Dickens shows how the tyranny of the French human destiny. In particular, the novel explores how the fates ofaristocracy—high taxes, unjust laws, and a complete disregard individuals are shaped by their personal histories and thefor the well-being of the poor—fed a rage among the broader forces of political history. For instance, both Charlescommoners that eventually erupted in revolution. Dickens and Dr. Manette try to shape and change history. Charles seeksdepicts this process most clearly through his portrayal of the to escape from his family's cruel aristocratic history and makedecadent Marquis St. Evrémonde and the Marquis' cruel his own way in London, but is inevitably drawn \"like a magnet\"treatment of the commoners who live in the region under his back to France where he must face his family's past. Later in thecontrol. novel, Dr. Manette seeks to use his influence within the Revolution to try to save Charles's life from the revolutionaries,However, while the French commoners' reasons for revolting but Dr. Manette's own forgotten past resurfaces in the form ofwere entirely understandable, and the French Revolution was an old letter that dooms Charles. Through these failures ofwidely praised for its stated ideals of \"Liberty, Equality, and characters to change the flow of history or to escape their ownFraternity,\" Dickens takes a more pessimistic view. By showing pasts, A Tale of Two Cities suggests that the force of history canhow the revolutionaries use oppression and violence to further be broken not by earthly appeals to justice or politicaltheir own selfish and bloodthirsty ends, in A Tale of Two Cities influence, but only through Christian self-sacrifice, such asDickens suggests that whoever is in power, nobles or Carton's self-sacrifice that saves Charles at the end of thecommoners, will fall prey to the temptation to exercise their full novel.power. In other words, Dickens shows that while tyranny willinevitably lead to revolution, revolution will lead just as 4 SACRIFICEinevitably to tyranny. The only way to break this cycle isthrough the application of justice and mercy. A Tale of Two Cities is full of examples of sacrifice, on both a personal and national level. Dr. Manette sacrifices his freedom2 SECRECY AND SURVEILLANCE in order to preserve his integrity. Charles sacrifices his family wealth and heritage in order to live a life free of guilt for hisEverybody in A Tale of Two Cities seems to have secrets: Dr. family's awful behavior. The French people are willing toManette's forgotten history detailed in his secret letter; sacrifice their own lives to free themselves from tyranny. InCharles's secret past as an Evrémonde; Mr. Lorry's tight-lipped each case, Dickens suggests that, while painful in the shortattitude about the \"business\" of Tellson's Bank; Jerry term, sacrifice leads to future strength and happiness. Dr.Cruncher's secret profession; and Monsieur and Madame Manette is reunited with his daughter and gains a position ofDefarge's underground activities in organizing the Revolution. power in the French Revolution because of his earlierIn part, all this secrecy results from political instability. In the incarceration in the Bastille. Charles wins the love of Lucie. Andclash between the French aristocracy and revolutionaries, both France, Dickens suggests at the end of the novel, will emergesides employ spies to find out their enemies' secrets and deal from its terrible and bloody revolution to a future of peace andout harsh punishments to anyone suspected of being an enemy. prosperity.In such an atmosphere, everyone suspects everyone else, andeveryone feels that they must keep secrets in order to survive. Yet none of these sacrifices can match the most important sacrifice in the novel—Sydney Carton's decision to sacrifice hisThrough the secrets kept by different characters, A Tale of Two life in order to save the lives of Lucie, Charles, and their family.Cities also explores a more general question about the human The other characters' actions fit into the secular definition ofcondition: what can we really know about other people, \"sacrifice,\" in which a person gives something up for nobleincluding those we're closest to? Even Lucie cannot fathom the reasons. Carton's sacrifice fits the Christian definition of thedepths of Dr. Manette's tortured mind, while Sydney Carton word. In Christianity, God sacrifices his son Jesus in order toremains a mystery to everybody. Ultimately, through Lucie's redeem mankind from sin. Carton's sacrifice breaks the grip ofexample, the novel shows that, in fact, you can't ever know©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 4

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.fate and history that holds Charles, Lucie, Dr. Manette, and symbolism: he uses wine-to-blood to symbolize brutality rathereven, as the novel suggests, the revolutionaries. than purification, implying that the French Revolution has become unholy.5 RESURRECTION KNITTING AND THE GOLDEN THREADClosely connected to the theme of sacrifice is the promise ofresurrection. Christianity teaches that Christ was resurrected In classical mythology, three sister gods called the Fatesinto eternal life for making the ultimate sacrifice (his death) for controlled the threads of human lives. A Tale of Two Citiesmankind. Near the end of A Tale of Two Cities, Carton adapts the classical Fates in two ways. As she knits the namesremembers a Christian prayer: \"I am the resurrection and the of her enemies, Madame Defarge is effectively condemninglife.\" As he goes to the guillotine to sacrifice himself, Carton has people to a deadly fate. On the other hand, as Lucie weaves hera vision of his own resurrection, both in heaven and on earth \"golden thread\" through people's lives, she binds them into athrough Lucie and Charles's child, named Sydney Carton, better destiny: a tightly-knit community of family and closewhose life fulfills the original Carton's lost potential. Yet friends. In each case, Dickens suggests that human destiniesCarton's is not the only resurrection in the novel. After having are either predetermined by the force of history or they arebeen imprisoned for years, Dr. Manette is \"recalled to life\" by tied into a larger pattern than we as individuals realize.Lucie's love. Jerry Cruncher, meanwhile, works as a\"resurrection man\" stealing body parts from buried corpses, GUILLOTINEbut by the end of the novel he gives it up in favor of praying fora holier resurrection of his own. The guillotine, a machine designed to behead its victims, is one of the enduring symbols of the French Revolution. In Tale of Two6 IMPRISONMENT Cities, the guillotine symbolizes how revolutionary chaos gets institutionalized. With the guillotine, killing becomesIn the novel, the Bastille symbolizes the nobility's abuse of emotionless and automatic, and human life becomes cheap. Thepower, exemplified by the unjust imprisonment of Dr. Manette guillotine as a symbol expresses exactly what Dickens meant byby Marquis St. Evrémonde. Yet the Bastille is not the only adding the two final words (\"or Death\") to the end of theprison in A Tale of Two Cities. The revolutionaries also unjustly French national motto: \"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, or Death.\"imprison Charles in La Force prison. Through this parallel,Dickens suggests that the French revolutionaries come to SHOES AND FOOTSTEPSabuse their power just as much as the nobility did. At her London home, Lucie hears the echoes of all theThe theme of imprisonment also links to the theme of history footsteps coming into their lives. These footsteps symbolizeand fate. For instance, when Charles is drawn back to Paris fate. Dr. Manette makes shoes in his madness. Notably, hebecause of his own past actions, each checkpoint he passes always makes shoes in response to traumatic memories ofseems to him like a prison door shutting behind him. tyranny, as when he learns Charles's real name is Evrémonde. For this reason, shoes come to symbolize the inescapable past. SYMBOLS QUOTESSymbols appear in red text throughout the Summary & Analysissections of this LitChart. The color-coded boxes under each quote below make it easy to track the themes related to each quote. Each color correspondsWINE to one of the themes explained in the Themes section of this LitChart.Defarge's wine shop lies at the center of revolutionary Paris,and throughout the novel wine symbolizes the Revolution's BOOK 1, CHAPTER 1 QUOTESintoxicating power. Drunk on power, the revolutionarieschange from freedom fighters into wild savages dancing in the It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the agestreets and murdering at will. The deep red color of wine of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch ofsuggests that wine also symbolizes blood. When the Revolution belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light,gets out of control, blood is everywhere; everyone seems it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it wassoaked in its color. This symbolizes the moral stains on the the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we hadhands of revolutionaries. The transformation of wine to blood nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we weretraditionally alludes to the Christian Eucharist (in which wine all going direct the other way.symbolizes the blood of Christ), but Dickens twists this©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 5

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.•Related themes: Fate and History •Speaker: Lucie Manette •Mentioned or related characters: Dr. Alexandre Manette•Theme Tracker code: •Related themes: Sacrifice, Resurrection, Imprisonment •Theme Tracker code: 3 456BOOK 1, CHAPTER 3 QUOTES BOOK 2, CHAPTER 2 QUOTESA wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature isconstituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every The sort of interest with which this man was stared andother. A solemn consideration, when I enter a great city by breathed at, was not a sort that elevated humanity … The formnight, that every one of those darkly clustered houses encloses that was to be doomed to be so shamefully mangled, was theits own secret; that every room in every one of them encloses sight; the immortal creature that was to be so butchered andits own secret; that every beating heart in the hundreds of torn asunder, yielded the sensation. Whatever gloss the variousthousands of breasts there, is, in some of its imaginings, a spectators put upon the interest, according to their several artssecret to the heart nearest it! and powers of self-deceit, the interest was, at the root of it, Ogreish.•Related themes: Secrecy and Surveillance •Mentioned or related characters: Charles Darnay (a.k.a.•Theme Tracker code: Charles Evrémonde) •Related themes: Secrecy and Surveillance, Imprisonment 2 •Theme Tracker code:BOOK 1, CHAPTER 5 QUOTES 26The children had ancient faces and grave voices; and upon BOOK 2, CHAPTER 4 QUOTESthem, and upon the grown faces, and ploughed into everyfurrow of age and coming up afresh, was the sign, Hunger. It Only his daughter had the power of charming this blackwas prevalent everywhere. Hunger was pushed out of the tall brooding from his mind. She was the golden thread that unitedhouses, in the wretched clothing that hung upon poles and him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond hislines; Hunger was patched into them with straw and rag and misery: and the sound of her voice, the light of her face, thewood and paper; Hunger was repeated in every fragment of the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with himsmall modicum of firewood that the man sawed off; Hunger almost always.stared down from the smokeless chimneys, and started up fromthe filthy street that had no offal, among its refuse, of anything •Mentioned or related characters: Dr. Alexandre Manette,to eat. Hunger was the inscription on the baker's shelves, Lucie Manettewritten in every small loaf of his scanty stock of bad bread; at •Related themes: Fate and History, Resurrection,the sausage-shop, in every dead-dog preparation that was Imprisonmentoffered for sale. •Theme Tracker code:•Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution, Fate and History 3 56•Theme Tracker code: 13BOOK 1, CHAPTER 6 QUOTES BOOK 2, CHAPTER 5 QUOTESIf you hear in my voice … any resemblance to a voice that once Waste forces within him, and a desert all around, this manwas sweet music in your ears, weep for it, weep for it! If you stood still on his way across a silent terrace, and saw for atouch, in touching my hair, anything that recalls a beloved head moment, lying in the wilderness before him, a mirage ofthat lay on your breast when you were young and free, weep honourable ambition, self-denial, and perseverance. In the fairfor it, weep for it! If, when I hint to you of a Home that is before city of this vision, there were airy galleries from which the lovesus, where I will be true to you with all my duty and with all my and graces looked upon him, gardens in which the fruits of lifefaithful service, I bring back the remembrance of a Home long hung ripening, waters of Hope that sparkled in his sight. Adesolate, while your poor heart pined away, weep for it, weep moment, and it was gone. Climbing to a high chamber in a wellfor it!©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 6

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.of houses, he threw himself down in his clothes on a neglected •Theme Tracker code:bed, and its pillow was wet with wasted tears. 13•Mentioned or related characters: Sydney Carton•Related themes: Secrecy and Surveillance, Sacrifice BOOK 2, CHAPTER 10 QUOTES•Theme Tracker code: He had loved Lucie Manette from the hour of his danger. He 24 had never heard a sound so sweet and dear as the sound of her compassionate voice; he had never seen a face so tenderlyBOOK 2, CHAPTER 7 QUOTES beautiful, as hers when it was confronted with his own on the edge of the grave that had been dug for him.But, the comfort was, that all the company at the grand hotel ofMonseigneur were perfectly dressed. If the Day of Judgment •Mentioned or related characters: Charles Darnay (a.k.a.had only been ascertained to be a dress day, everybody there Charles Evrémonde), Lucie Manettewould have been eternally correct. Such frizzling and •Related themes: Resurrection, Imprisonmentpowdering and sticking up of hair, such delicate complexions •Theme Tracker code:artificially preserved and mended, such gallant swords to lookat, and such delicate honour to the sense of smell, would surely 56keep anything going, for ever and ever. … with the rustle of silkand brocade and fine linen, there was a flutter in the air that BOOK 2, CHAPTER 13 QUOTESfanned Saint Antoine and his devouring hunger far away. For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything. If my•Mentioned or related characters: Monseigneur career were of that better kind that there was any opportunity•Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for•Theme Tracker code: you and for those dear to you. Try to hold me in your mind, at some quiet times, as ardent and sincere in this one thing. The 1 time will come, the time will not be long in coming, when new ties will be formed about you […] O Miss Manette, […] when youBOOK 2, CHAPTER 8 QUOTES see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life,Expressive signs of what made them poor, were not wanting; to keep a life you love beside you!the tax for the state, the tax for the church, the tax for the lord,tax local and tax general, were to be paid here and to be paid •Speaker: Sydney Cartonthere, according to solemn inscription in the little village, until •Mentioned or related characters: Lucie Manettethe wonder was, that there was any village left unswallowed. •Related themes: Sacrifice •Theme Tracker code:•Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution•Theme Tracker code: 4 1 BOOK 2, CHAPTER 16 QUOTESBOOK 2, CHAPTER 9 QUOTES Another darkness was closing in as surely, when the church bells, then ringing pleasantly in many an airy steeple over\"Repression is the only lasting philosophy. The dark deference France, should be melted into thundering cannon; when theof fear and slavery, my friend,\" observed the Marquis, \"will keep military drums should be beating to drown a wretched voice,the dogs obedient to the whip, as long as this roof,\" looking up that night all potent as the voice of Power and Plenty, Freedomto it, \"shuts out the sky.\" and Life. So much was closing in about the women who sat knitting, knitting, that they their very selves were closing in•Speaker: Marquis St. Evrémonde around a structure yet unbuilt, where they were to sit knitting,•Mentioned or related characters: Charles Darnay (a.k.a. knitting, counting dropping heads.Charles Evrémonde)•Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution, Fate and History •Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution, Fate and History, Imprisonment©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 7

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.•Theme Tracker code: 6 strike. The fingers of the knitting women were vicious, with the experience that they could tear. 13 •Related themes: Tyranny and RevolutionBOOK 2, CHAPTER 18 QUOTES •Theme Tracker code:Nothing would induce him to speak more. He looked up, for an 1instant at a time, when he was requested to do so; but, nopersuasion would extract a word from him. He worked, and BOOK 2, CHAPTER 23 QUOTESworked, and worked, in silence, and words fell on him as theywould have fallen on an echoless wall, or on the air. With the rising and falling of the blaze, the stone faces showed as if they were in torment. When great masses of stone and•Mentioned or related characters: Dr. Alexandre Manette timber fell, the face with the two dints in the nose became•Related themes: Imprisonment obscured: anon struggled out of the smoke again, as if it were•Theme Tracker code: the face of the cruel Marquis, burning at the stake and contending with the fire. 6 •Mentioned or related characters: Marquis St. EvrémondeBOOK 2, CHAPTER 20 QUOTES •Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution •Theme Tracker code:My husband, it is so. I fear he is not to be reclaimed; there isscarcely a hope that anything in his character or fortunes is 1reparable now. But, I am sure that he is capable of good things,gentle things, even magnanimous things. BOOK 2, CHAPTER 24 QUOTES•Speaker: Lucie Manette Like the mariner in the old story, the winds and streams had•Mentioned or related characters: Charles Darnay (a.k.a. driven him within the influence of the Loadstone Rock, and itCharles Evrémonde), Dr. Alexandre Manette was drawing him to itself, and he must go. Everything that arose•Related themes: Resurrection, Imprisonment before his mind drifted him on, faster and faster, more and•Theme Tracker code: more steadily, to the terrible attraction. His latent uneasiness had been … that he who could not fail to know that he was 56 better than they, was not there, trying to do something to stay bloodshed, and assert the claims of mercy and humanity.BOOK 2, CHAPTER 21 QUOTES •Mentioned or related characters: Charles Darnay (a.k.a. Charles Evrémonde)The sea of black and threatening waters, and of destructive •Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution, Fate and Historyupheaving of wave against wave, whose depths were yet •Theme Tracker code:unfathomed and whose forces were yet unknown. Theremorseless sea of turbulently swaying shapes, voices of 13vengeance, and faces hardened in the furnaces of sufferinguntil the touch of pity could make no mark on them. BOOK 3, CHAPTER 1 QUOTES•Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution Not a mean village closed upon him, not a common barrier dropped across the road behind him, but he knew it to be•Theme Tracker code: another iron door in the series that was barred between him and England. The universal watchfulness so encompassed him, 1 that if he had been taken in a net, or were being forwarded to his destination in a cage, he could not have felt his freedomBOOK 2, CHAPTER 22 QUOTES more completely gone.The raggedest nightcap, awry on the wretchedest head, had •Mentioned or related characters: Charles Darnay (a.k.a.this crooked significance in it: \"I know how hard it has grown for Charles Evrémonde)me, the wearer of this, to support life in myself; but do you •Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution, Fate and History,know how easy it has grown for me, the wearer of this, to Imprisonmentdestroy life in you?\" Every lean bare arm, that had been withoutwork before, had this work always ready for it now, that it could©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 8

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.•Theme Tracker code: 6 Looking at the Jury and the turbulent audience, he might have thought that the usual order of things was reversed, and that 13 the felons were trying the honest men.BOOK 3, CHAPTER 2 QUOTES •Mentioned or related characters: Charles Darnay (a.k.a. Charles Evrémonde)As these ruffians turned and turned, their matted locks now •Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution, Imprisonmentflung forward over their eyes, now flung backward over their •Theme Tracker code:necks, some women held wine to their mouths that they mightdrink; and what with dropping blood, and what with dropping 16wine, and what with the stream of sparks struck out of thestone, all their wicked atmosphere seemed gore and fire. The BOOK 3, CHAPTER 8 QUOTESeye could not detect one creature in the group free from thesmear of blood. Miss Pross recalled soon afterwards, and to the end of her life remembered, that as she pressed her hands on Sydney's arm•Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution and looked up in his face, imploring him to do no hurt to Solomon, there was a braced purpose in the arm and a kind of•Theme Tracker code: inspiration in the eyes, which not only contradicted his light manner, but changed and raised the man. 1BOOK 3, CHAPTER 4 QUOTES •Mentioned or related characters: Sydney Carton, John Barsad (a.k.a Solomon Pross), Miss ProssAbove all, one hideous figure grew … the figure of the sharp •Related themes: Sacrifice, Resurrectionfemale called La Guillotine. It was the popular theme for jests; it •Theme Tracker code:was the best cure for headache, it infallibly prevented the hairfrom turning grey, it imparted a peculiar delicacy to the 45complexion, it was the National Razor which shaved close: whokissed La Guillotine, looked through the little window and BOOK 3, CHAPTER 9 QUOTESsneezed into the sack. It was the sign of the regeneration of thehuman race. It superseded the Cross. Models of it were worn \"I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he thaton breasts from which the Cross was discarded, and it was believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: andbowed down to and believed in where the Cross was denied. whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.\"•Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution •Speaker: Sydney Carton •Related themes: Sacrifice, Resurrection•Theme Tracker code: •Theme Tracker code: 1BOOK 3, CHAPTER 5 QUOTES 45No fight could have been half so terrible as this dance. It was so Before that unjust Tribunal, there was little or no order ofemphatically a fallen sport—a something, once innocent, procedure, ensuring to any accused person any reasonabledelivered over to all devilry—a healthy pastime changed into a hearing. There could have been no such Revolution, if all laws,means of angering the blood, bewildering the senses, and forms, and ceremonies, had not first been so monstrouslysteeling the heart. Such grace as was visible in it, made it the abused, that the suicidal vengeance of the Revolution was touglier, showing how warped and perverted all things good by scatter them all to the winds.nature were become. •Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution, Imprisonment•Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution •Theme Tracker code:•Theme Tracker code: 16 1BOOK 3, CHAPTER 6 QUOTES BOOK 3, CHAPTER 10 QUOTES©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 9

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.The boy's eyes, which had been fixed on mine, slowly turned to BOOK 1, CHAPTER 1the looker-on, and I saw in the two faces that all he said wastrue. The two opposing kinds of pride confronting one another, \"It was the best of times, it was The contradictions listed in theI can see, even in this Bastille; the gentleman's, all negligentindifference; the peasants, all trodden-down sentiment, and the worst of times…\" The year opening of the novel portraypassionate revenge. is 1775, a time that the 1775 as an age of profound•Speaker: Dr. Alexandre Manette•Mentioned or related characters: Marquis St. Evrémonde narrator describes through a transition, full of promise and•Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution, Fate and History•Theme Tracker code: set of contradictions: wisdom threat. The comparison to 13 and foolishness, belief and Dickens's Victorian timesBOOK 3, CHAPTER 14 QUOTES disbelief, optimism and doubt, establishes the novel's use of theThere were many women at that time, upon whom the time laid light and darkness, hope and past to comment on the present.a dreadfully disfiguring hand; but, there was not one amongthem more to be dreaded than this ruthless woman, now taking despair. The narrator 1her way along the streets … imbued from her childhood with a compares this historical era tobrooding sense of wrong, and an inveterate hatred of a class,opportunity had developed her into a tigress. She was his own present moment inabsolutely without pity. Victorian England.•Mentioned or related characters: The Vengeance•Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution, Fate and History In France, the government The narrator extends the•Theme Tracker code: spends wildly and hands out potential similarities between 13 harsh sentences to anyone revolutionary France andBOOK 3, CHAPTER 15 QUOTES connected with a crime, no England. Because of theirAlong the Paris streets, the death-carts rumble, hollow andharsh. Six tumbrils carry the day's wine to La Guillotine. All the matter how minor. In England, injustices, both governments aredevouring and insatiate Monsters imagined since imaginationcould record itself, are fused in the one realisation, Guillotine. … burglars infest the cities—even sowing the seeds of discontentCrush humanity out of shape once more, under similarhammers, and it will twist itself into the same tortured forms. the Mayor of London gets and political radicalism.Sow the same seed of rapacious license and oppression overagain, and it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind. robbed—and not even 1 6 frequent hangings can stop the•Related themes: Tyranny and Revolution, Fate and History•Theme Tracker code: wave of crime. 13 The narrator tells an allegory The Woodman stands for Death SUMMARY & ANALYSIS of the Woodman and the and the Farmer for Fate. Both,The color-coded boxes under \"Analysis & Themes\" below make Farmer—figures of the coming the narrator implies, will harvestit easy to track the themes throughout the work. Each colorcorresponds to one of the themes explained in the Themes revolution who are silently at the awful products of thesection of this LitChart. work. But the royalty in both monarchy's political mistakes. England and France believe in 1 3 their divine right to rule and don't notice the gathering storm. BOOK 1, CHAPTER 2 On a stormy night in late The port city of Dover was the November 1775, the mail main port for passage between coach from London slogs its England and France. The road way toward Dover. Three from London to Dover, battered passengers sit in the carriage. by storm and fraught with Everyone is suspicious of each suspicion and highwaymen, other. When he hears an represents the worsening approaching horse, the coach political conditions in both driver stops the carriage: it's a countries. messenger seeking one of the 23 passengers, Mr. Jarvis Lorry of Tellson's Bank. Mr. Lorry recognizes the man as Jerry Cruncher, who works odd-jobs for Tellson's.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 10

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.Jerry gives Mr. Lorry a note \"Recalled to life\" sets up the BOOK 1, CHAPTER 4that reads \"Wait at Dover for theme of resurrection. At both In Dover, Mr. Lorry takes a Mr. Lorry works like a secretMam'selle.\" In reply, Mr. Lorry ends of the book, someone room at the Royal George agent for Tellson's Bank. He usestells Jerry to return to liberates another person from Hotel. The 17-year-old Lucie the cover of \"business\" to assistTellson's with the message: prison and saves them from the Manette arrives that same in political activities (like freeing\"Recalled to life.\" The coach grave. Jerry's odd thought afternoon, having received Dr. Manette). But he also usesdrivers overhear the establishes the mystery of what vague instructions to meet a \"business\" rhetoric to hide hismysterious message but can his other work might be. Tellson's Bank employee at the feelings and protect others'make nothing of it. Neither can 2 5 Royal George Hotel regarding emotions, even when explainingJerry, though he worries that some business of her \"long a father's history to his daughter.\"recalling to life\" would be bad dead\" father. Though hefor his other work. describes his news as just a 23BOOK 1, CHAPTER 3 \"business matter,\" Mr. LorryThe narrator reflects on the One of the main themes in all of struggles with his emotions asstrangeness of the human Dickens's work is the search forcondition: how we are all mutual understanding and he explains the \"story of one ofmysteries to each other. No human sympathy.matter how close, we always our customers\"—Lucie's father,remain alienated from each 2other by our unique Dr. Manette.individualities. 20 years ago, Dr. Manette, a Lucie learns her own and her renowned doctor, married an father's real history—her father English woman and trusted his suffered imprisonment at the affairs to Tellson's Bank. One hand of a tyrannical government.Half asleep in the mail coach, Mr. Lorry's dream foreshadows day, Manette disappeared, Lucie's history makes her a figureMr. Lorry dreams of Dr. Manette's situation. Lorry's having been jailed by the who connects the \"two cities\" ofwandering through the inner questions about whether the authorities and taken to a Paris and London, and in A Talevaults of Tellson's Bank and man \"cares to live\" and whether secret prison. Rather than tell of Two Cities, characters cannotfinding everything safe. He he wants to see \"her,\" link the Lucie the truth, Lucie's mother escape their histories.also dreams that he \"was on idea of Manette's potential told her that her father was 1 3 6 dead. Lucie's mother herselfhis way to dig someone out of return to life with a woman, died soon afterwards, and Mr.a grave.\" In his dream, he sees a suggesting that it is love that will Lorry took Lucie from Paris tocadaverous man who has been return him to life. The dream of London.buried alive for 18 years. Mr. digging up someone from a graveLorry asks the man if he cares also foreshadows Jerry's other Mr. Lorry braces Lucie for a Though freed from jail, Manetteto live, then also asks over and job as a grave robber. shock: her father is not dead. is still imprisoned by hisover if the man will \"come and 56 He has been found, though traumatic history. It nowsee her?\" Sometimes the man he's a shell of his former self. becomes clear that Lucie is thecries out that seeing \"her\" Manette is now in the care of a woman whom Lorry in his dreamwould kill him, at other times former servant in Paris, and hoped could save Manette. Missthat he must see her Mr. Lorry tells the astonished Pross is a stereotypical Britishimmediately. Lucie that he and she are going servant, brash, devoted to her to go to Paris so that she can mistress. \"restore [her father] to life.\" 3 56 Lucie's servant, the loud and red-haired Miss Pross, rushes in and shouts at Mr. Lorry for upsetting Lucie. Mr. Lorry asks her to travel with them to France.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 11

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.BOOK 1, CHAPTER 5 BOOK 1, CHAPTER 6Outside a wine shop in the This scene is an extended The shoemaker is dressed in Dr. Manette suffered so greatly inpoor Parisian suburb of Saint metaphor for how people tatters. When Defarge asks prison that his identity wasAntoine, a cask of wine transform into a frenzied mob. It him his name, he replies \"One virtually erased. He knowsaccidentally falls and breaks in foreshadows the blood to be Hundred and Five, North himself only by the room numberthe street. Everyone in the spilled in the Revolution. The Tower.\" Mr. Lorry then asks the in the Bastille, the prison inarea scrambles to drink the writing on the wall alludes to the shoemaker if he recognizes which he was held.runoff: cupping their hands, Biblical story (in Daniel) of anyone. The shoemaker seems 6 as if he does for a moment, butslurping it out of gutters, Belshazzar's feast where alicking it off the fragments of disembodied hand prophesied his face quickly clouds over.the broken cask. It turns into a the fall of his empire. Lucie approaches, with tears in Lucie's golden hair remindsgame with dancing and singing 1 3 her eyes. The shoemaker asks Manette of his wife's golden hair.in the streets. The wine has who she is. Noticing her These hairs, from before andstained the ground, stained blonde hair, he removes a after Manette's incarceration,people's skin and clothes. necklace he wears and reveals form a kind of bridge over hisSomeone jokingly uses the a scrap of paper containing years in prison. These are thespilled wine to scrawl the word some golden threads of \"golden threads\" with which\"Blood\" on a wall. hair—stray hairs from his wife, Lucie weaves a better fate for herThe jubilation fades and the Hunger and want are the which he has kept all these family. Cradling Manette, Lucie isstreet returns to its sad, dirty, conditions that fuel theimpoverished condition. The revolutionary fire. years as a spiritual escape like a mother and Manette herpeople are sick and aged,beaten down by hunger. 1 from his imprisonment. child—a metaphor for Manette's Overcome by emotion, new life ahead.Monsieur Defarge, the owner The code name \"Jacques\" does Manette struggles to 3 56of the wine shop, enters his double service: because it is a recognize his daughter. Luciestore. From her position common name, it both hidesbehind the counter, his wife, identity and also implies that this rocks Manette's head on herMadame Defarge, silently revolution is of the people. Luciealerts him to the presence of and Lorry's presence in Defarge's chest like a child. She promisesMr. Lorry and Lucie. Defarge wine shop indicates that Defargeignores them, instead is Manette's former servant. him that his agony has ended,lamenting the condition of thepeople with three men, all of 123 and gives thanks to God.whom go by the name\"Jacques\" (a code name used Mr. Lorry and Defarge arrange Dr. Manette's desire to keep hisby revolutionaries in France). for their immediate departure. tools close at hand indicates that Before he leaves, Manette his emotional trauma still lies asks to bring along his close to the surface. Dr. shoemaking tools. With Manette's statement, \"I can't Defarge escorting them, the say,\" indicates that he doesn't yet group is able to get past the totally believe in the possibility barricades in the street and that he could escape hisOnce the \"Jacques\" have left, Because his mind was reach a carriage. Mr. Lorry traumatic past.Mr. Lorry speaks with unoccupied in prison, Dr. asks Dr. Manette if he wants to 1 3 56 be recalled to life. Dr. ManetteMonsieur Defarge. Defarge Manette compensated by replies, \"I can't say.\"leads Mr. Lorry and Lucie up to making shoes to occupy hishis attic. The room is dark and hands. Now, even though he iskept locked for the sake of the free, he can't escape the prison ofinhabitant, Monsieur Defarge his own mind, so he continues toexplains. Lucie leans on Mr. make shoes.Lorry for support. Defarge 2 6opens the door and they see awhite-haired man in the cornerstooped over a bench andmaking shoes.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 12

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.BOOK 2, CHAPTER 1 Charles, who stands accused The compassion in Lucie's face of being a French spy, is indicates that she does not wantThe year is 1780. The narrator The bank is a symbol of England defended by two lawyers: Mr. to condemn Charles, even Stryver and the insolent and though she is a witness for thedescribes Tellson's Bank in and France. Like the tradition- bored-looking Mr. Carton. prosecution. This foreshadows When Darnay glances at a Charles's final trial in Paris, whenLondon as an old, cramped encrusted bank, each of these young woman and her father Dr. Manette, contrary to his sitting nearby (Lucie and Dr. intentions, dooms Charles.building with ancient clerks. countries has problems with the Manette), word flashes through the crowd that these 36The bank has business institutions they've inherited, two are witnesses against Darnay. Nonetheless, Lucie'sinterests connecting England such as the monarchy. face radiates a compassion that awes the spectators.and France. Encrusted by 1 3tradition and unwilling tochange, the bank seems muchlike England itself.In his cramped apartment in a Jerry's dislike of praying and BOOK 2, CHAPTER 3poor London neighborhood, insistence that it interferes withJerry Cruncher yells at his his business, implies that his The Attorney General The prosecuting attorneywife for \"praying against\" him, work as an \"honest tradesmen\"which he insists is interfering makes him feel guilty. prosecuting the case demands foreshadows the laterwith his work as an \"honesttradesman.\" 5 that the jury sentence Charles prosecutors in France who willJerry and his son then go to The stains of guilt on Jerry's to death. He calls a witness, bend the truth to seek anwork—they sit outside conscience are represented byTellson's waiting for odd jobs the mud and rust from his the \"unimpeachable patriot\" execution. Ironically, Charles isfrom the bank. On this day, nocturnal work, which is as of yetword emerges from the bank still unrevealed. John Barsad, whose testimony accused of spying while Johnthat a porter is needed. Jerryhurries inside. Jerry's young 5 implicates Charles as a spy. Barsad and Roger Cly (who areson, left alone outside,wonders why his father's However, on cross- later revealed to be actualboots are muddy and hisfingers stained by rust. examination Stryver reveals English spies) are presented as Barsad to be a gambler and \"unimpeachable\" witnesses. brawler and a generally 12 untrustworthy witness. Stryver similarly is able to raise questions about theBOOK 2, CHAPTER 2 motivations of another witness, Roger Cly, Charles'sOne day, Jerry Cruncher is The sadistic appetites of this former servant.sent to await Mr. Lorry's English crowd are similar to Mr. Lorry, Lucie, and Dr. Another irony: as will be revealedorders at the Old Bailey those of the French mob in Book Manette are each called to later, Charles's \"suspicious\"Courthouse, where a 1, chapter 5. The title of the testify: they had all met activities are actually hishandsome young gentleman chapter, \"A Sight,\" indicates that Charles aboard ship on their humanitarian efforts to help hisnamed Charles Darnay stands these people come to the trial for way back from Paris five years impoverished tenants in France.accused of treason. Jerry the fun of it, hoping not for earlier. Lucie explains how He is putting himself in danger toenters the court and pushes justice but for the spectacle of Charles helped her care for help others. His comment aboutthrough the crowd gathered to violence. her father, swaying the jury in George Washington (who wassee the trial. The spectators 1 6 Charles's favor. But she then leading the American Revolutionstare at Darnay, and one accidentally turns the court at the time) indicates that he hasonlooker excitedly predicts against Darnay. How? First she revolutionary sympathies.that the accused will be admits that Charles was 12 4 traveling with otherconvicted and then brutallydrawn-and-quartered. Frenchmen and carrying lists. Second she mentions Charles's joking comment that George Washington's place in history might one day match that of England's King George III.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 13

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.Later, while Mr. Stryver is Besides serving an important role A drunk Sydney Carton Carton's lack of manners andunsuccessfully cross- in the plot, the uncanny emerges from the shadows. shabby looks show that heexamining a witness who has resemblance between Carton His shabby clothes and doesn't care much about life. Hisbeen called to identify Charles, and Charles links them and sets impertinent manners offend bitter comments about theCarton hands Stryver a note. them up as doubles to be Mr. Lorry, who departs. compassion Charles receivesAfter reading from the note, compared and contrasted. Carton and Charles go out to from Lucie show that CartonStryver forces the court to 23 dinner at a tavern, where craves Lucie's pity. His words alsonotice the striking Carton slyly asks Charles suggest that Carton only savedresemblance between Charles whether being tried for his life Charles because he wanted toand Carton, shattering the is worth the sympathy and help Lucie. Carton curses Charleswitness's credibility. compassion he now gets from because their resemblance forcesThe jury goes to deliberate. Carton's boredom identifies him Lucie. Annoyed, Charles Carton to consider his own life,Carton continues to look as uninterested in the world andbored, stirring only to order empty. Only Lucie seems to comments on Carton's which was ruined by some pasthelp when he notices Lucie interest him.start to faint. Finally, the jury drinking. In response, Carton experience.returns from its deliberations 6with a verdict of not guilty. says, \"I am a disappointed 3 drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me.\" After Charles leaves, Carton curses his ownBOOK 2, CHAPTER 4 reflection in a mirror and thenAfter the trial, Charles kisses Though Lucie's love and curses Charles, who remindsLucie's hands in gratitude and compassion, her \"golden thread,\" him of what he might havethanks Stryver for his help. Dr. have returned Dr. Manette's to been.Manette is now a life, his grip on sanity is still BOOK 2, CHAPTER 5distinguished citizen of tenuous, only as strong as a The narrator describes Mr. As his name implies, StryverLondon. He can still become thread of hair. Stryver as an ambitious man \"strives\" to get ahead in thegloomy, but this occurs only 36 starting to climb the world. He is uninterested inoccasionally because Lucie professional ladder. Due to his sacrifice because he is only outserves as a \"golden thread\" problem distilling information, for himself.linking him to his life before he partnered with Sydneyand after his imprisonment. Carton, who now secretly 4Stryver, Dr. Manette, and Lucie does all the work for Stryver todepart in a carriage. win his cases. If Stryver is a lion in court, Carton is a cunning jackal behind the scenes. After leaving the tavern where Carton willingly makes himself a he dined with Charles, Carton slave to Stryver's legal work. He joins Stryver in his apartment. is sacrificing his potential for no To stay awake, he wraps a wet reason, which is a kind of suicide. towel around his head and 4 works through a pile of legal documents. Stryver watches.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 14

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.Afterwards, Stryver and This exchange reveals an Lucie and Manette return. Charles's story foreshadowsCarton drink and talk. Stryver important part of Carton's Charles arrives to visit what will be discovered in Dr.comments on Carton's character and history. He is moments later. Charles tells Manette's old cell: his carvedmoodiness and lack of always working for others, never them of his recent trip to the initials and a letter telling hisdirection, which have been seeking the credit, as Stryver Tower of London, where a story. Dr. Manette almost faintsevident since their days at would. Carton's denials about his workman recently realized because he can't face his pastuniversity. Carton responds interest in Lucie don't even that what he had thought were and senses the letter's danger,that he lacks Stryver's convince Stryver. someone's initials carved into a whether consciously or not.ambition, and must live in \"rust 34 wall (\"D.I.G.\") were actually 3 6and repose.\" Stryver changes instructions: beneath the floor,the subject to Lucie's beauty. they found the ashes of aCarton mocks her as a letter. Dr. Manette nearly\"golden-haired doll,\" but faints at this story.Stryver senses Carton's true Sydney Carton also visits. The storm and footstepsfeelings might be different. Sitting out on the veranda as a symbolize the oncoming FrenchAfter leaving Stryver, Carton Carton's vision is of a celestial storm approaches, Lucie tells Revolution. Carton's comment isstumbles home through the city in heaven. But in his currentgrey dawn, imagining for a state of empty self-pity, he can him that she sometimes prophetic: in the end, hemoment a city of hope, full of only glimpse it for a moment.love and grace. But it passes imagines that the echoes of welcomes the Revolution into hisand he cries into his pillow, 5resigned to his miserable life. the footsteps from the life and sacrifices himself to the pedestrians below belong to Revolution to save Lucie. people who will soon come 1 34 into their lives. Carton says itBOOK 2, CHAPTER 6 must be a great crowd to make such a sound, and says that heFour months pass. Mr. Lorry The beautiful house symbolizes will welcome these people intovisits Dr. Manette and Lucie at the Manettes' return to life, but his life.their home. Lucie has the presence of the workbench BOOK 2, CHAPTER 7decorated the house indicates that Manette is not yetbeautifully, but Mr. Lorry completely free of his past. The scene cuts to Paris and the The hot chocolate exemplifiesnotices that Manette's shoe- 1 3 56 inner sanctum of the nobility's self-indulgent andmaking workbench is still in Monseigneur, a powerful foolish focus on personalthe house. French lord. He drinks some comforts. They are so out ofDr. Manette and Lucie are out, Miss Pross's comments introduce hot chocolate with four richly touch with the hard realities ofthough. Mr. Lorry speaks with her brother, while Lorry's dressed servants to help him. the common people in FranceMiss Pross, who comments on skepticism establishes that Monseigneur is surrounded by that the narrator compares theirand dismisses all the suitors Solomon is not all that he luxury, by state officials who disconnection to a disease.who constantly call on Lucie. seems—he's really a spy. Dr. know nothing of state business 1 but everything about dressingShe adds that her brother, Manette's silence about his well. Every aristocrat thereSolomon Pross, is the only imprisonment and insistence on seems disfigured by theman good enough for Lucie. keeping his shoe-making \"leprosy of unreality.\"Lorry remains silent, though he workbench show that he has notknows Solomon is a cheat and resolved his traumatic past: he's One sinister lord with a The Marquis cares only aboutscoundrel. Mr. Lorry then asks still hiding from it. pinched nose, the Marquis power. Feeling snubbed by theif Dr. Manette ever uses his 1 2 3 6 Evrémonde, leaves in a huff Monseigneur, he makes himselfworkbench or speaks about his that the Monseigneur did not feel powerful again by taking itimprisonment. Miss Pross treat him a bit more warmly. out on the commoners, whom heresponds that Dr. Manette He takes out his anger by clearly cares nothing about.does not think about his having his carriage speed 1 through the streets, scatteringtraumatic years ofimprisonment. the commoners in the way.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 15

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.The carriage runs over and The boy's death is a metaphor BOOK 2, CHAPTER 9kills a little boy. As a tall man for the brutality of tyranny. The At his luxurious castle, the The object of Charles's sacredwails over his dead son, the man throwing the coin back Marquis Evrémonde waits for quest is Lucie. Charles' \"trouble\"Marquis scolds the people for shows how tyranny inspires the arrival of his nephew, in winning her love is hisnot taking care of their revolution, creating a situation Charles Evrémonde (a.k.a. aristocratic background. Noticechildren and tosses the man a where both sides want to destroy Charles Darnay) from London. also the contrast between Luciegold coin. As his carriage pulls the other. For his actions against Charles explains he has been and the aristocracy: she has theaway, the coin sails back in: the commoners, the Marquis gets questing for a \"sacred object,\" power to restore life, while theMonsieur Defarge threw it his name knitted into Defarge's but that he's run into trouble. French nobility rule through theback. Furious, the Marquis register of death. The Marquis dismisses him, power of taking life away.screams that he will 1 2 3 but complains that the power 12 6\"exterminate [the commoners] of the French aristocracy hasfrom the earth.\" He drives waned. They used to hold theaway while Madame Defarge right of life and death, andlooks on, knitting. ruled by fear and repression.BOOK 2, CHAPTER 8 Charles responds that the The \"new philosophy\" of theReturning through the village The stowaway represents how Evrémondes have lost their Enlightenment, which inspiredhe rules and has taxed nearly the Marquis is bringing his own family honor by injuring both the American and Frenchto death, Marquis Evrémonde troubles home to roost. The anyone who stood between Revolutions, held that all peoplestops to question a mender of trouble is spreading from the them and pleasure. He adds are born equal, that no one has aroads who the Marquis had cities through the country. that when his mother died, she natural right to rule. Yet rathernoticed staring at his passing 1 2 commanded him to have than facing his past, Charles triescarriage. The man explains that mercy on the people. He to run from it by renouncing hishe saw someone hanging on renounces his family name and family and living and working inbeneath the carriage who then property, which he says is England.ran off into the fields. cursed, and explains that he 1 34 will work for a living inThe Marquis drives on, passing The Marquis fails to realize that England. The Marquis scoffs ata shoddy graveyard. A woman he does have the power to feed his nephew's \"new philosophy,\"approaches the carriage and the people. But it would require tells him to accept his \"naturalpetitions the Marquis for help sympathizing with them or even destiny,\" and goes to bed.for her husband who has sacrificing some of his prosperityrecently died of hunger, like so and power. The Marquis's lack of As the morning dawns, the The stone faces represent the oldmany others. The Marquis pity contrasts with Lucie's expressions on the castle's institution of the nobility,dismissively asks the women if compassion. Unlike the Marquis, stone faces seem to have shocked at the unthinkable: ashe expects him to be able to she has the power to restore changed to shock. Bells ring challenge to their power. Yet therestore the dead man to life or someone to life. and villagers gather to share murder also shows that despiteto feed everyone? The woman 1 345 urgent news: the Marquis has their ideals, the revolutionariesresponds that all she wants is a been found dead with a knife in are as bloodthirsty and revenge-simple grave marker for her his chest and a note signed driven as the nobles.husband, so he won't be \"Jacques.\" 13forgotten. The Marquis drivesaway.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 16

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.BOOK 2, CHAPTER 10 Because Carton had Stryver wants Lucie for all theA year passes. Charles now Charles has sacrificed his wealth previously (though insincerely) wrong reasons: she'll be a trophymakes a passable living in and aristocratic heritage to try to insulted Lucie, Stryver breaks wife who will help himLondon as a French teacher. win Lucie's love. Since only the news to him carefully: he professionally. This contrastsCharles visits Dr. Manette. Lucie's love keeps Dr. Manette plans to marry her. Stryver with the feelings of profound loveDuring the visit, Charles tells sane, any threat to their bond thinks she's a \"charming that both Charles and CartonDr. Manette of his deep love makes him worry. Charles creature\" and will improve his feel for Lucie. Stryver thinks thatfor Lucie. Dr. Manette at first understands this and promises home and professional Carton can find redemption onseems frightened by the news, that his relationship to Lucie standing; besides, she would an earthly path, like gettingbut relaxes when Charles won't interfere with Lucie's be lucky to marry a man of married for money.promises that he intends not relationship with Manette. such rising distinction. Carton 5 drinks harder and says almostto separate them, but to sharethe Manettes' home and bind 45 nothing. Stryver worries aboutLucie closer to her father. Dr. Carton and tells him to getManette suspects that Stryver married, to settle down withand Carton are also interested some wealthy woman.in Lucie, but promises to vouch BOOK 2, CHAPTER 12for Charles's love for Lucie On his way to Lucie Manette's Stryver thinks the world revolvesshould Lucie ever ask. house to propose, Mr. Stryver around him, that everyone mustCharles thanks Dr. Manette Dr. Manette must have a hunch passes Tellson's Bank and believe in the virtue of pursuingfor his confidence in him, and that Charles is an Evrémonde. By decides to drop in on Mr. earthly rewards, at which hewants to return the favor by stopping Charles from revealing Lorry. When Stryver tells him excels. But Mr. Lorry has a sensesharing a secret of his own: his the truth, he continues to try to of his plans, Mr. Lorry stiffens that Lucie has different goals andreal name. But Manette repress his pain. But he is not and advises him not to a more profound destiny.suddenly stops him. He asks entirely successful, as his return proceed. Stryver is stunned 45 and insulted. Mr. Lorry clarifiesCharles to tell him on the to shoemaking shows.morning of his wedding, not 12 6 that he knows Lucie's likelybefore. That night, Lucie answer. But Stryver cannotreturns and finds her father believe that any girl couldagain making shoes. refuse him.BOOK 2, CHAPTER 11 Mr. Lorry asks Stryver to wait Stryver convinces himself heThat same night, as Sydney Stryver is not an evil character, while he visits the Manettes to never wanted Lucie. But hisCarton plows through heaps but he is selfish. All his actions see about Stryver's chances. insult about Lucie is so far offof legal papers, Mr. Stryver are focused on getting ahead. He Stryver agrees and returns that it shows his foolishness. Aannounces that he intends to would never consider sacrificing home to think it over. When selfish materialist like Stryver willget married. He chastises any of his hard-earned success Mr. Lorry arrives with the never deserve or receive theCarton for acting strangely for any reason. expected bad news, Stryver rewards of love and restored lifearound people, especially the has already decided to drop it. that Lucie can provide.Manettes. Stryver explains 4 He explains that Lucie shares 45 the \"vanities and giddiness ofhow he works to get along with empty-headed girls\" and thatpeople, which gets him ahead he's better off without her.in the world.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 17

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.BOOK 2, CHAPTER 13 Jerry follows the mob, which The mobs' anger at the spy RogerAlthough his awkward social Carton's earlier insults of Lucie roughs up the drivers and Cly escalates into a general zestskills obscure it, Sydney were just a show. From his visits,Carton loves to visit the it is clear that he loves and takes over the procession. for mayhem, foreshadowing theManette house. After Mr. admires her for her compassionStryver informs him that he's and goodness. They drive into the country French revolutionaries who losegiven up his plans to propose,Carton visits Lucie for a and bury Roger Cly with mock sight of their ideals in their thirstprivate conversation. ceremony. Then they start for blood. carousing, busting up local 1 pubs until the police intervene. Back at home, Jerry once again Mrs. Cruncher knows Jerry'sLucie is astonished when Carton's past is a mystery. Not complain's about his wife's secret, which is why she prays:Carton breaks into tears over unlike Dr. Manette, Carton has praying. His son, Young Jerry, she feels guilty about Jerry'shis wasted life during the visit. been imprisoned in his own asks his father about where he secret occupation.She asks if she can help him, if depression since some trauma in goes at night. Jerry tells his 2 son that he goes fishing, asshe can persuade him to live a his youth. Even he does not Mrs. Cruncher knows.better life. Carton says no, that anticipate the great deeds he is That night, Young Jerry sneaks Jerry is a grave robber! Jerry,his life was over long ago. But capable of, but Lucie does. who \"fishes\" for dead bodies,Lucie responds that she 45 out after his father, whosebelieves he has it in him to live \"fishing gear\" includes a represents a perversion of Jesus,a much worthier life, and that crowbar and ropes. He follows who was described as a fisher ofshe can help him. his father to the grave of men. .Carton tells Lucie he loves her, Prophetic words. Carton's soul Roger Cly, and watches his 2 5 father start digging, then runsthat she is \"the last dream of dreams of Lucie's pity, of being in terror, with visions of Cly's[his] soul.\" But that even if she forgiven and welcomed by her coffin chasing after him.loved him back, he would boundless compassion. Carton The next morning, frustrated Cly's missing body will play anprobably just make her sees this compassion as the most important part in the plot in latermiserable. Carton asks only important thing in the world, and that Cly's body had beenone thing: for Lucie to confirm with the strength he derives from missing, Jerry Cruncher chapters. A \"resurrection man\"that there is still something in Lucie's faith, he would do furiously rebukes his wife for (grave robber) perverts the ideahim to pity, some shred of anything to protect it. her praying and intervening in of resurrection. Rather thanhumanity to sympathize with. 345 the work of an \"honest bringing the dead back to life,She does and Carton tells tradesman.\" Later, Young Jerry resurrection men sell stolen bodyLucie he would do anything, asks his father what a parts to doctors.even give his own life, for her \"resurrection man\" is and says 2 5 he would like to be one whenand the family she loves.BOOK 2, CHAPTER 14 he grows up. Jerry is worried, but also a little proud.Outside of Tellson's Bank, The English crowd threateningJerry Cruncher sees an the spies foreshadows the Frenchapproaching funeral mob that, in later chapters, willprocession. An angry crowd actually lynch its enemies inharasses the drivers of the public.hearse with shouts of \"Spies!\"Cruncher learns the hearse 12carries the body of Roger Cly,a convicted spy against theEnglish.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 18

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.BOOK 2, CHAPTER 15 BOOK 2, CHAPTER 16One day, Monsieur Defarge In presenting a petition, the When the Defarges return For all his revolutionary zeal,enters his shop with the commoners are working within home that evening, they Monsieur Defarge also has somemender of roads and takes the established political receive information that an sympathetic human attributes.him to the attic with the three structure: accepting the nobles Englishman named John Madame Defarge, on the other\"Jacques.\" The mender of as rulers and making an appeal Barsad has been sent to spy on hand, is tireless and merciless.roads tells his story: he had to their mercy. But the nobles them. Madame Defarge Her comment suggests just whatwatched a man clinging to the squander their chance to show promises to add his name to the Revolution will be like when itunderside of Marquis mercy, and hang the murderer as her knitting. Defarge admits to comes: not a controlled politicalEvrémonde's carriage, and a warning. The effect is the his wife that he's tired and action with rational goals definedabout a year later saw soldiers opposite: the dead man's shadow doubts the Revolution will by political ideals, but a vengefulescort the same man, who was represents the commoner's come during their lives. riot.accused of killing the Marquis, desire for revenge and revolution. Madame Defarge counters 123 that the Revolution is like anto prison. A petition to save By showing no mercy the noblesthe man's life was presented to give up any chance of receiving earthquake: it builds slowly,the King and Queen, but to no any mercy. but when it comes it releasesavail. The man was hung on a 1 34 6 catastrophic damage. She saysgallows above the village she is content to wait, and willfountain. The mender of roads act when necessary.explains how the corpse cast a John Barsad enters the shop John Barsad the spy has already the next day. In conversation been spied upon. Suspicion andlong and frightening shadow. with the Defarges, Barsad surveillance are in full swing. comments on the plight of theDefarge sends the mender of Just as the Marquis would people, trying to get the 123 Defarges to reveal theirroads outside and consults exterminate the people, those revolutionary sympathies. Wise to his scheme, thewith the Jacques. Jacques people would exterminate him. In Defarges reveal nothing.Three, hungry for blood, other words, the revolutionariesagrees with Defarge that the are just as blood-minded as theMarquis's castle and the entire corrupt and brutal aristocracyEvrémonde race should be they seek to overthrow.exterminated. Another 1 Barsad changes tactics. Because Charles and Lucie bringJacques points to Madame Knowing that Defarge was together opposite sides of theDefarge's knitting, which lists once Dr. Manette's servant, he French political divide—nobilityin its stitching the names of mentions that Lucie is now and daughter of a revolutionaryeveryone the revolutionaries married to Charles hero—their marriage provokesmean to kill. Darnay—who is in reality the anger on both sides.Several days later, Monsieur The mender of roads exemplifies nephew of the Marquis 12 6 Evrémonde. After watchingand Madame Defarge take the the fickle mob, who cravemender of roads to Versailles spectacle above all else. One the impact of this news, Barsadto see a procession of the King minute he's working for the leaves.and Queen. The mender of Revolution, the next he's Defarge is in disbelief. He feels To Defarge, human connectionsroads, overwhelmed with overcome with joy at seeing the a deep anxiety when Madame still mean something. Toexcitement, shouts \"Long live king. The Defarges exploit people Defarge adds Charles's name Madame Defarge, all aristocratsthe King!\" Defarge thanks the like him. to her knitting. must die, no matter what.man for helping to keep the 1 123aristocrats unaware of thepeople's rage.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 19

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.BOOK 2, CHAPTER 17 After the wedding, Charles The discovery that Lucie hasLucie spends the last night Dr. Manette clings to Lucie for his and Lucie leave for their married an Evrémonde pushesbefore her wedding to Charles emotional security. But he does honeymoon in Wales. The plan Manette back into his old shoe-with her father. She asks Dr. the noble thing and risks his is for Dr. Manette to join the making mania. These events linkManette if he believes that her mental health in order to ensure newlyweds after nine days. But the Evrémondes to Manette'smarriage will bring them her happiness. after Lucie leaves, Mr. Lorry years in prison, though just whatcloser. Dr. Manette assures notices that Dr. Manette role the Evrémondes played inher that he wants to see her 34 seems absent-minded. By that Manette's imprisonment remainsfulfilled, and couldn't live with evening, Manette is lost and unclear.himself otherwise. incoherent, making shoes 2 6 again in his room. Mr. LorryFor the first time, Dr. Manette Manette's thoughts about living and Miss Pross keep antalks to Lucie about his on in his daughter's memory anxious watch over him, andimprisonment in the Bastille. after death hint at Carton's decide not to tell Lucie inHe tells her that while there, reward for his sacrifice at the end hopes that Dr. Manette willhe passed the time by of the novel: a legacy carried on improve. He doesn't improveimagining how his unborn by Lucie's future family. for nine days.daughter would grow up. 56 BOOK 2, CHAPTER 19Would she know nothingabout him, or think about her On the tenth day, Mr. Lorry Ever a model of discretion, Mr.lost father and weave his wakes to find Dr. Manette Lorry avoids mentioningmemory into the family of her reading as if nothing has anything that happened directly.own? happened. Discovering that Dr. Manette is still hiding fromLate that night, Lucie sneaks Manette's peaceful face is Dr. Manette has no memory of his past, even when discussing it.downstairs to check on her \"imprisoned\" in a worn body,sleeping father. Dr. Manette's hinting that he won't be able to the past nine days, Mr. Lorry 2face is deeply worn from his escape his past quite so easily. carefully tries to figure outtrials, but he is peacefullyasleep. 6 what caused the relapse by asking Dr. Manette's opinion about the medical case of a \"friend\" who's daughter Mr.BOOK 2, CHAPTER 18 Lorry cares about.On the day of the wedding, Charles has just revealed his Nonetheless, Manette quicklyCharles Darnay and Dr. secret to Dr. Manette: he is an seems to suspect what's goingManette speak privately. Evrémonde. Somehow this on.When they emerge, Mr. Lorry means something to Manette. Mr. Lorry very discreetly Dr. Manette represses hisnotices that Manette looks 23 describes Dr. Manette's traumas, which remain hiddendeathly pale, though he had situation, never using until they violently erupt. This islooked perfectly normal before Manette's name. He asks what a metaphor for the Frenchthe meeting. might have caused the relapse Revolution itself—the nobles and how he might help to suppressed the commoners until prevent another one. Dr. a revolt erupted. Dr. Manette Manette replies that it would now knows the truth about be far too painful for the Charles's past, but doesn't \"patient\" to tell anyone his entirely remember his own. secrets, but surmises that 12 6 something must have recently reminded the patient of his past trauma. He then assures Mr. Lorry that the worst should be over, and that only something extraordinary could upset the patient's mind again.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 20

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.Mr. Lorry then explains that Dr. Manette needs these tools At dinner that night, Charles Unlike Charles, Lucie has a deep comments to Lucie, Manette, sympathy and compassion forthis \"friend\" has a hobby, like a child needs a security Mr. Lorry, and Miss Pross Carton's pitiful soul. Even though about Carton's careless and she hardly understands his\"blacksmith work,\" that may be blanket. His inability to face reckless behavior. Later that behavior, Lucie has faith. Her night in their room, Lucie prediction about Cartonassociated with the trauma. He losing the tools, or even to be suggests that Charles was too foreshadows the incredible judgmental toward Carton. sacrifice that Carton will makewonders if the blacksmith present when they are taken She asks Charles to have faith for the Manette family. in Carton, who she believestools should be removed. away, is another example of has a wounded heart but is 34 nevertheless capable of doingLooking worried, Dr. Manette Manette's persistent avoidance tremendous good. Charles blesses Lucie for heranswers that if manual labor of his traumatic past, whether compassion and promises to have more sympathy forhelped the man get through conscious or not. But he is still Carton.the trauma, he should be willing to sacrifice the tools.allowed to keep the tools. 34 6Eventually Dr. Manette agreesthat the tools should beremoved, but only if thesetools are removed while thepatient is elsewhere at thetime.That night, after Manette has Notice how the burying of Dr. BOOK 2, CHAPTER 21left to join Lucie and Charles, Manette's work bench parallels Years pass. Lucie weaves her As the political situation starts toMr. Lorry and Miss Pross and contrasts with Jerry's digging \"golden thread\" of positive unravel in France, Lucie weavesremove the shoemaker's tools up of dead bodies. influence through the family. her domestic community moreand destroy the bench. Feeling 2 4 6 She often sits by the parlor tightly together in London. Heras guilty as murderers, they window and ponders the daughter, like her, has anburn or bury everything. echoing footsteps rising from innocent belief that Carton is aBOOK 2, CHAPTER 20 the street below. She gives good man.The first person to visit Lucie The novel foreshadows that birth to a daughter, Lucie, who 3 particularly likes Sydneyand Charles after they return Carton, as the first to meet the Carton. Her second child, afrom their honeymoon is married couple, will be especially son, dies in childhood.Sydney Carton. Carton important to Charles and Lucie'sapologizes for his drunkenness life as a family. For his part, In the year 1789, distressing Charles sacrificed his property toduring past encounters, and Charles is just being polite, \"echoes\" arrive from France. try to escape his family's past.asks for Charles' friendship. humoring Carton out of his sense Mr. Lorry confides in Charles Aristocrats who hung on to theirCarton declares himself a of obligation to him. that the Paris office of Tellson's wealth have now lost it.worthless man, but says he has 5 Bank has been flooded with 1 4a favor to ask: would Charles anxious aristocrats trying tomind if he occasionally visited save their property.his house? Of course not, The scene cuts to Defarge's The dirty angry revolutionariesCharles replies. wine shop, now the center of a show that the Revolution will be revolutionary maelstrom. The more about revenge than streets are thronged with Enlightenment ideals. dingy, angry people, armed 1 with guns, knives, or any weapon they can get their hands on.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 21

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.Defarge leads this army to the The taking of the Bastille was Afterwards, the commoners The scenes of the commoners atBastille. Madame Defarge one of the major early events of return home, eat their \"scanty home highlights that the viciousrallies the women, swearing the French Revolution. It's suppers,\" play with their kids, mob is made up of ordinarythey can kill as well as the men. anniversary is still celebrated as and make love. Back at the people. Madame Defarge'sAfter fierce fighting, the the French Independence Day. shop, Defarge tells his wife comment shows her insatiableBastille surrenders and the Note Madame Defarge's that he is happy the Revolution appetite for revenge.people swarm inside to free bloodthirstiness. Manette's has finally come. \"Almost,\" 1 Madame Defarge replies.the prisoners. Defarge and initials on the wall recallJacques Three demand that an Charles's story about the Tower BOOK 2, CHAPTER 23older officer show them \"One of London.hundred and five, North 12 6 While at work in the ruined \"Jacques\" keeps cropping upTower.\" There, they find Dr. countryside of France, the everywhere, suggesting how theAlexandre Manette's initials mender of roads encounters a revolutionary cause is taken up\"A.M.\" and search the room. shaggy but powerful man. again and again by new people.Returning to the Bastille The exchange of the seven Addressing each other as 12 \"Jacques,\" they confirm thatcourtyard, the crowd swarms prisoners with seven guards something will happenthe old officer and stabs him to suggests that power may have \"tonight.\"death. Madame Defarge takes switched sides, but that nothingher long knife and slices off his has really changed. Madame In the dark courtyard of the The stone faces symbolize thehead. Seven prisoners are Defarge's beheading of the guard castle of Marquis Evrémonde, ancient French nobility, whichfreed. Seven prison guards are foreshadows the guillotine. four torch-bearing figures gets decimated by thekilled and their heads are stuck 1 34 6 appear. Soon, fire rages Revolution. The burning castle ison pikes. through the castle—its stone a symbol of the failingBOOK 2, CHAPTER 22 faces look tormented and are aristocracy and the commoners' lost in flame. The inferno revenge.Madame Defarge, now the If Madame Defarge represents becomes a pillar of fire surging 1 high into the sky.leader of the female Fate, her assistant reveals exactlyrevolutionaries, sits in the wine 0what kind of Fate is in store: A man from the castle rushes Now the nobility is asking the into the village screaming for people for help, when for so longshop with her second-in- angry and violent vengeance in help to put out the fire and they refused to listen to the salvage the valuables in the people's appeals for aid.command, a stocky woman response to years of tyranny and castle. The crowd of villagers refuses to budge. 1whose violent acts have oppression.earned her the name The 123Vengeance. No spies darecome into this neighborhood Later, the villagers surround Though Gabelle is not an the house of Monsieur aristocrat himself, he works foranymore. Gabelle, the government the government. His association \"functionary\" in charge of the with the aristocrats is enough forMonsieur Defarge returns The story of the murdered area. He is forced to hide on the revolutionaries to distrust his roof, but is able to come and want to harm him.with news that an old aristocrat alludes to the famous down in the morning. The narrator explains that other 1aristocrat, who once said that story of Queen Marie Antoinette functionaries in other areas aren't so lucky, and that firesstarving people should just eat who, when told that the starving are burning all over France.grass, tried to fake his own people had no bread, replied \"Letdeath but has now been them eat cake.\" The statementcaught. Anger swells—a exemplifies cruel snobbery, butrevolutionary mob rushes the response is out of proportionfrom the neighborhood to the to the offense.courts building. The mob 1overwhelms the officials,captures the old aristocrat,then drags, beats, and stuffshis mouth with straw. Finally,they hang him from alamppost.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 22

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.BOOK 2, CHAPTER 24 Charles realizes that he must Charles wrongly thinks one manIt's now 1792. In the three Though both London and Paris go to Paris. His sense of justice can influence history, or sway theyears that have passed, there teetered on the edge of revolt at obliges him to help Gabelle. mob. In fact, the reference to thehave been battles and the beginning of the novel, only He also thinks he can do magnetic \"loadstone\" suggestsbloodshed. The French nobility France has fallen into revolution. something to stop the that even the choice to return ishas scattered. Many French Revolution's terrible violence not really Charles's own, that hisaristocrats have become 1 and urge the people toward past has fated him to go back.emigrants, fleeing France for mercy. The narrator describes 1 34 Charles as being drawn toLondon where they gather at Paris as to a Loadstone Rock (aTellson's Bank for news. naturally magnetic rock).Inside the bank, Charles is Charles may have democratic Charles gives Mr. Lorry a reply Charles thinks he can do this ontrying to talk Mr. Lorry out of sympathies, but Tellson's Bank is to send to Gabelle: his own, not realizing that he willhis latest mission: going to the invested in old money and aims Evrémonde will come. Charles also magnetically pull Lucie andParis branch of the bank to to preserve it. This makes Mr. packs secretly, writes a letter Dr. Manette back to Paris as well.protect whatever bank Lorry's political and moral each to Lucie and Dr. Manette, and without telling themdocuments he can. The aged positions in the book ambiguous. 234Mr. Lorry is apparently the 1 2 leaves for France the followingyoungest clerk at the bank, and night.he plans to take JerryCruncher for protection. He BOOK 3, CHAPTER 1will leave that night. Charles arrives in France and Themes of imprisonment and finds things very different fate merge as Charles isJust then, Mr. Lorry is given a Although the nobles are wrong from when he left. At each gradually locked into his journey village and checkpoint, he is to Paris. The narrator's additionletter addressed to the about him, Charles has not subjected to the sneering of of the words \"or death\" to the revolutionaries dedicated to motto of the Revolution shows\"Marquis St. Evrémonde.\" Not demonstrated to France what what the narrator calls the its ideals have been perverted. new republic of \"Liberty,knowing such a person, he asks kind of man he is. Because he ran Equality, Fraternity, or Death.\" Charles feels each gate closethe assembled French nobles. from his past rather than behind him like a prison door.They declare the man a confronting it, the nobles and thecoward who betrayed his commoners despise him. 13 6noble family. Though insulted, 1Charles does not respond.Instead, he tells Mr. Lorry thathe is an acquaintance of the Three soldiers accompany As he gets closer to Paris, CharlesMarquis and will deliver the Charles to Paris as his \"escort.\" goes from free man to escortedletter. Upon arriving in Paris, they suspect to prisoner, though heThe letter is from Gabelle. He Gabelle was trying to help the deliver Charles—whom they has done nothing. Defargewas arrested, brought to Paris, commoners on Charles's behalf. now call their \"prisoner\"—to refuses to help Charles, but heand charged with treason for But the revolutionaries no longer Monsieur Defarge. Charles shows some sympathy. Thehelping an emigrant, Charles care about the truth. They just demands to know under what revolutionaries invoke theEvrémonde. Gabelle writes want to kill aristocrats. Charles charges he is held, and is told guillotine as if it's a saint:that the peasants neither now gets an opportunity to that new laws against bloodthirsty violence hasknow nor care that he in fact restore Gabelle to life. emigrants have been passed. replaced religious compassion.was trying to help them, 1 3456 Defarge quietly asks him why 1 3 6working on Charles's orders. he ever returned to France inHe begs Charles to come save this, the age of \"La Guillotine.\"his life. Charles asks Defarge to help him. Defarge refuses.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 23

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.Defarge conducts Charles to Defarge helped free Dr. Manette Mr. Lorry whispers to Dr. It is not enough for thethe prison of La Force with a from his secret imprisonment, Manette that the mob has revolutionaries to imprison theirnote for the jailor saying \"In but now Defarge secretly jails gone to kill the prisoners at La enemies. They must kill them.secret.\" The jail is full to Manette's son-in-law. The Force. Horrified, Manette runs Manette, though, uses thebursting with aristocrats who Revolution has become a out to the mob. Manette and political power he gained fromwelcome Charles with tyranny. Charles paces to deal the remaining revolutionaries his sacrifice to save Charles.incredible politeness and with the isolation of rush to La Force as the mob 1 4 cries out, \"Help for the Bastillesympathize with his fate. imprisonment, just as Dr.Charles is jailed in a solitary Manette turned to making shoes. prisoner's kindred in Lacell in a tower. He realizes he 1 2 3 6 Force!\"has been virtually left for dead. BOOK 3, CHAPTER 3Charles paces off thedimensions of the room again Feeling it necessary to Mr. Lorry keeps his two worlds asand again: \"five paces by four separate Tellson's Bank from separate as possible, but isand a half.\" his own personal business, Mr. deeply committed to both. It isBOOK 3, CHAPTER 2 Lorry finds an apartment for unclear if Defarge has tampered Lucie and her family, and with this letter, but certainly atMr. Lorry arrives at the Paris The house's transformation leaves Jerry Cruncher with this moment he is acting as abranch of Tellson's Bank. It sits symbolizes the Revolution: them to act as guard. On the secret agent for the Revolution.next to the former house of a formerly representing the way back to Tellson's Mr. Lorry 1 2 6 is stopped by Monsieurgrand French noble that has excesses of the nobility, now thebeen converted into an armory house represents the revenge Defarge, who brings news thatfor the revolutionaries. In the that excess inspired. Charles is safe, a note for Luciecourtyard there's a large 1 from Dr. Manette, andgrindstone. instructions for Lorry to letMr. Lorry is stunned when In his return to Paris, Dr. Manette Defarge in to see Lucie.Lucie and Dr. Manette rush in. represents redemption through On their way to the apartment, That Madame Defarge is knittingThey left London immediately suffering. He's been restored to Mr. Lorry and Defarge are shows that she's planning to addafter reading Charles's letters. his former life, and suffering has joined by Madame Defarge, Lucie's name to her list ofDr. Manette's fame as a earned him political power who is knitting, and The victims. \"Safety\" and \"security\"Bastille prisoner has granted within the Revolution. Vengeance. Defarge tells are words the power-hungry usehim access and information, 35 Lorry that, in order to be able to mask their real intentions.and he has learned that to protect Lucie, Madame 123Charles has been imprisoned Defarge must see andat La Force. remember Lucie's face.Noises outside draw them to The revolutionaries are describedthe window. Half-naked men as uncivilized savages, engagedcovered in blood are turning in some terrible ritual. Note thethe grindstone to sharpen wine-blood connection and theswords. Frenzied, blood- intoxication of violence.smeared women pour wineinto the men's mouths. The 1mob runs howling into thestreets with their weapons.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 24

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.In the apartment, Lucie reads This crucial meeting between the A year goes by. The Revolution After the Republic was declaredthe note from Charles: he is two key female charactersfine, and under Dr. Manette's reveals a lot about each: Lucie gains in force. The King and in France in 1792, the \"Reign ofprotection. She gratefully has compassion even for thiskisses one of Madame terrible woman and asks for her Queen of France are Terror\" began: a period of spying,Defarge's hands, but Madame pity; Madame Defarge shows sheDefarge coldly withdraws to is no \"sister-woman\" but is a cold beheaded. As the fear, and escalating numbers ofher knitting. Lucie pleads for messenger of death. MadameMadame Defarge to help Defarge is meant to be a revolutionaries grow stronger, executions.Charles, to use her influence frightening perversion ofas a \"sister-woman.\" Madame femininity, while Lucie, with her their courts zealously 1 2responds that she has seen so goodness and compassion, is the prosecute people, guilty or not.many women suffering for model of it.imprisoned husbands that Suspicion reigns. CivilLucie's predicament doesn't 13mean much. After they leave, freedoms disappear.Lucie tells Mr. Lorry thatMadame Defarge seems to The guillotine becomes an The guillotine, a tool to make itthrow a shadow over all her institution, and guillotines can easier to execute people byhopes. now be found in the streets all beheading, has become a over Paris. The narrator says sacrilegious idol in place of that in Paris the guillotine has Christ. This signals that come to replace the Cross as compassion, in France, is dead. an idol for worship. 1 BOOK 3, CHAPTER 5 Through it all, Lucie tries to Lucie fits the classic VictorianBOOK 3, CHAPTER 4 keep a normal English stereotype of female strengthAfter four days, Dr. Manette Although Charles's trial in household to relieve her mind. through domesticity (\"the angelreturns. He tells Lorry that England was unfair, the French1100 defenseless prisoners Tribunal is depicted as even more Dr. Manette reassures her in the house\") and selflesshave been murdered, monstrous, a total sham ofconvicted by a self-appointed justice. Dr. Manette seems to that he can save Charles. He dedication to her husband. JustTribunal. The Tribunal also have brought Charles back to life.nearly condemned Charles to suggests that she walk near as Dr. Manette will unwittinglydeath, but Dr. Manette was 1 56able to sway the crowd and the prison at a place where doom Charles later, he doomsCharles was returned to hiscell. Charles might see her from the Lucie with his advice here. window of his cell in order to 2 56 boost Charles's spirits. Lucie does just that, everyday, rain, shine, or snow. As Lucie stands at her spot on The mender of roads hasDr. Manette has been The novel implies that through the street each day, a wood- transformed into a man drunk oninvigorated by his newfound suffering comes redemption, and sawyer—formerly a mender of the violence of the Revolution.authority. He believes his that faith can empower people to roads—who works nearby His sawing represents thesuffering has become strength break the pull of fate of history. always says hello. As he cuts potential executions of Charles,and power, capable of breaking Yet even Dr. Manette's political his wood, the wood-sawyer Lucie, and their daughter.Charles out of prison. Having power is not enough to free jokes that he is guillotining a 1 2 little family. Though the wood-earned the respect of the Charles. sawyer unnerves her, Lucie isrevolutionaries, he has beenmade the inspecting physician 456 always polite and friendly toof a number of prisons, him.including La Force. In this new One snowy day, as Lucie Another intense depiction ofrole, he can protect Charles. stands outside the prison, she revolutionaries as crazed savagesHowever, as time passes, he sees a crowd of people dancing who worship the violence of thecannot seem to get Charles to a popular revolutionary Revolution.freed. song. Lucie is horrified by their 1 savage movements and screams.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 25

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.Moments later, Dr. Manette For Lucie, her kiss is a gesture of When she sees Charles, Lucie Dr. Manette's political influenceappears. He tells Lucie that love toward her husband. For faints with joy. In their seems to be enough to saveCharles's trial will be held Madame Defarge, it's a crime of apartment, she thanks God, Charles after all.tomorrow, and promises her commiserating with an enemy of then her father, who declares,that all will work out well. the state. But Defarge is not yet \"I have saved him.\" 5Lucie kisses her hand in ready to make her play againstfarewell to Charles as she Dr. Manette. BOOK 3, CHAPTER 7departs, just as MadameDefarge comes around the 123 6 The next day, Manette remains Lucie's worries counter Dr.corner. Manette and MadameDefarge salute each other. confident and proud at having Manette's confidence in his saved Charles, but Lucie political power. As Lucie continues to fear for her suspects, everyone in FranceBOOK 3, CHAPTER 6 husband's safety because so succumbs to the Reign of Terror. many other innocent people Miss Pross embodies theA rowdy, bloodthirsty crowd This is a court not of justice but have been imprisoned and inherent English distrust of thegathers for the trial of \"Charles of unchecked political passions. killed. For safety's sake, they French.Evrémonde, called Darnay.\" Charles's sentence is, in fact, a keep no outside servants, 12 6 using only Jerry and MissDefarge and Madame travesty of justice—the lawDefarge sit in the front row. shouldn't even apply to him. The Pross. Miss Pross vehementlyMadame Defarge is knitting crowd does not care about and regularly voices heraway. Charles is sentenced to justice, though. It just wants the distaste for the French.death as an emigrant, despite spectacle of his execution. That afternoon, as Miss Pross In the revolutionary Republic, and Jerry are out on errands, laws can change in an instant asthe fact that the law was 1 3 6 Lucie hears footsteps on the the new people in power begin topassed after his imprisonment. stairs outside the apartment. abuse it. The footsteps in the hall Then there is a knock at the echo the footsteps Lucie used toThe crowd screams to cut off door. Four armed hear in England. revolutionaries enter andhis head. declare that Charles Evrémonde is again theIn his testimony, Charles Charles finally explains who he is prisoner of the Republic. 13 6explains that he actually isn't to the French people. Byan emigrant: he gave up his swearing that he is still a Dr. Manette tries to intervene, The Revolution demands thataristocratic title and property, Frenchman, Charles offersthen worked as a French tutor himself as a positive, non-violent but the soldiers tell him that he the revolutionaries be willing toand married a French woman: role model for change.Lucie Manette. He says that must make sacrifices if the sacrifice the lives of others, evenhe returned to France to save 14the life of a citizen of theRepublic: Gabelle. Revolution demands it. Still, family members, without out of respect for Manette, the question. Manette's politicalGabelle, who had been Gabelle was left for dead. men explain that evidence for power can't stand up to the pullforgotten in prison before the Imprisonment is like the grave.trial, takes the witness stand Dr. Manette once again tries to the charge comes from three of fate and history or to theand confirms Charles's story. use political tactics to freeThen Dr. Manette testifies, Charles. people: Monsieur and Revolution's all-consuming desirepraising Charles's characterand republican ideals. 16 Madame Defarge, and one for blood. other, whom they refuse to 1 34 name.The jury votes to acquit Charles goes from death row to aCharles. The boisterous crowd public parade, floating on thenow celebrates Charles as a fickle allegiance of the mob.patriot and carries him 1 56through the streets incelebration.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 26

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.BOOK 3, CHAPTER 8 Barsad grins: Cly is dead, he Jerry's secret job as aWhile they're out on their As an unthinking English patriot, says. He then takes out a \"resurrection man\" saves theerrands, Miss Pross screams Miss Pross has never questioned certificate of burial and says he day! But note that it takes beingwhen she recognizes her her brother's integrity, but as this buried Cly himself. To caught in a lie to get Barsad tobrother, Solomon Pross, chapter will show, he's a everyone's surprise, Jerry help Charles. There is no honordisguised as a French traitorous opportunist in an ugly angrily objects that Barsad had among spies. And Barsad has norepublican. Solomon tells her political world. placed \"shameful impositions concept of sacrificing himself to ato be quiet, or else she'll get upon tradesmen,\" and then higher cause.him killed. Jerry, meanwhile, 2 reveals that Cly's body wasn't 12 5 in his coffin. Barsad realizesalso thinks he recognizes this he's caught and agrees to help.man, but can't quite remember Carton takes him into anhis name. adjoining room to talk.Sydney Carton, appearing out Dickens's novels are often filled BOOK 3, CHAPTER 9of nowhere, tells Jerry the with extreme coincidences, suchname he is trying to as Carton and Barsad's sudden After a while, Barsad leaves Carton's exchange with Lorryremember: John Barsad. appearances. Though one can and Carton explains to Mr. suggests that Carton plans toHaving arrived in Paris a day guess that Carton came to Paris Lorry that if Charles is sacrifice himself and expects toearlier, Carton explains, out of concern for Lucie. convicted, Barsad will smuggle die. As always, he works for otherCarton chanced upon and 2 Carton into Charles's cell. people without taking credit, butrecognized Barsad from Refusing to explain anything this time he works for a greaterCharles Darnay's English trial. more, Carton asks that Lucie cause. Mr. Lorry's sense ofCarton also learned that be told nothing about the plan. returning to the beginning takesBarsad was serving as a He then asks if Mr. Lorry is on a religious tone with Carton:French government spy satisfied with his long life. Mr. he will be reborn in heaven.working in the prisons. Lorry replies that, nearing the 1 2 456 end, he feels closer again to hisCarton and Jerry escort John Because Carton has nothing to life's beginning. Carton says heBarsad to Tellson's Bank, lose, he can play the dangerous knows the feeling. Mr. Lorrywhere Mr. Lorry also game of counter-intelligence. gains a new respect forrecognizes him. Carton says he Carton wants to save Charles in Carton.has a plan to help Charles. He part for Charles's sake, but to athen blackmails Barsad, larger extent because of his Carton visits a pharmacy and The prayer Carton remembersthreatening to reveal him as a feelings for Lucie. Recall his buys a mysterious packet of comes from the story of Jesusspy of the French government promise to Lucie at the end of drugs that the chemist warns and Lazarus, whom Jesusand as a former English spy, Book 2, Chapter 13. are very potent. All night, resurrects in the Bible (Johnboth of which would enrage 12 Carton wanders the streets of 11:25). The line says that Jesusthe revolutionaries. Carton Paris. As he walks, he will resurrect and give eternal lifethen reveals that he has seen remembers a prayer the priest not only to Lazarus, but toBarsad associating with spoke at his father's funeral: \"I anyone who believes in him.another known English spy: am the resurrection and the 45 life, saith the Lord: he thatRoger Cly. believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.\" As he continues to walk, he Carton is showing compassion to encounters a young girl, whom others, and receiving blessings he helps across the street. She (the kiss) in return. kisses him, and once more 4 Carton remembers the prayer.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 27

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.Carton arrives at the Like the wood-sawyer, Jacques The men took the doctor to The Evrémondes don't recognizecourthouse the next morning Three enjoys political executions. see two patients: one, a the individual rights of peasants,for Charles's trial, where As in Charles's first trial, Manette beautiful young woman the sovereignty of marriage, orJacques Three is the head of is again forced by fate and deliriously calling out for her the sacredness of femalethe jury. As the trial begins, the history to serve as a witness for family, and the other, a peasant sexuality, which was a huge dealprosecutor announces who the prosecution. boy with a stab wound in his in Dickens's time. They are thebrought the charges: Defarge, 1 3 chest. As Manette treated the worst example of aristocraticMadame Defarge, and Dr. boy, the boy told him that the tyranny, and, as such, theyAlexandre Manette. young woman was his sister. embody many of the reasons theThe court erupts in chaos. Manette's hidden letter recalls After she married, the two commoners revolted.Manette objects that he never Charles's story about the Tower aristocrats decided they 1 2 wanted her for themselves. Sodenounced Charles. The judge of London. It represents all the they forced her husband tosilences him. Defarge then trauma and revenge that Dr. endure impossibly hard worktakes the stand and explains Manette has repressed, until he died. Then they tookhow, during the storming of consciously or unconsciously. her away and raped her.the Bastille, he searchedManette's old cell and found a 123 6 The peasant boy and young The curse seals the fate of theletter hidden in the chimney. woman's father died upon Evrémonde brothers. WhileThe judge asks that it be read hearing the news. The boy Charles did not know this story,aloud. then sent his younger sister to he sensed his family's dark pastBOOK 3, CHAPTER 10 a distant, secret place, and, when he renounced it in Book 2, seeking revenge, snuck into Chapter 9. Dr. Manette refusedDefarge explains that Dr. The letter tells the story of the Evrémondes' castle. He to be bought off by theManette wrote the letter Manette's imprisonment. The confronted one of the Evrémondes, despite the dangerwhile in the Bastille to explain twin Evrémonde brothers Evrémondes, who stabbed of such an action. He sacrificedhow he ended up in prison. He epitomize the selfishness and him. The boy soon died, but his freedom to preserve histhen reads the letter. Walking cruelty of aristocratic power. before he did he cursed the integrity.home one night in 1757, Dr. They take what they want, when Evrémondes by marking the 1 34 air with a cross of his ownManette was taken into a they want, by whatever meanscarriage by two men, identical necessary. blood. The young woman diedtwins. From their coat of arms, 1 2 within a week. The nobles thenhe learned that they were offered Dr. Manette someEvrémondes: Charles's father gold in return for his silence,(who was then the Marquis) but he declined and returnedand his uncle (who became the home, disgusted with all heMarquis after Charles's father had seen.died, and was murdered in The next day, the wife of the That surviving sister, as futureBook 2, Chapter 9). Marquis (and Charles's events in the novel will show, is mother) visited Dr. Manette. Madame Defarge. Ironically, Hearing what had happened, Charles has pledged himself to she hoped to find and help the help this girl, while she blindly surviving sister of the abused seeks revenge and does peasant family. She told her everything in her power to kill little boy Charles that he must him. someday repay this injured 1 3 girl. Unfortunately, Manette didn't know where the girl was.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 28

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.Dr. Manette soon sent a letter Manette tried to condemn the Lucie's daughter begs Carton As his farewell implies, Carton's to help. Carton embraces her goal is to give Lucie and herto the authorities detailing the Evrémondes officially and and, before he leaves, kisses family a happy life. He is willing the unconscious Lucie and to sacrifice himself for that.crimes of the Evrémonde failed—just as he does now, whispers, \"A life you love.\" 45brothers. But the Marquis having tried to use his politicalintercepted and burned influence to save Charles. BothManette's letter. He then sent governments are corrupt. HisManette in secret to the curse seals Charles's fate. BOOK 3, CHAPTER 12Bastille. Manette ends his 1 2 3 6 Sydney Carton decides to Carton wants to make sure thatletter from prison with a curse make sure he is seen around it is known that there is someone Paris. He eventually wanders who looks just like Darnayon the Evrémondes. into a wine shop—Defarge's walking free on the streets of wine shop. Defarge and Paris.Incensed at the actions of the Just days before the crowd Madame Defarge marvel atEvrémondes, the jury cheered Charles as a patriot. his physical resemblance to 12sentences Charles to death. Charles, but have no idea whoThe crowd goes wild. 13 he is.BOOK 3, CHAPTER 11As the crowd celebrates Lucie has some kind of serene Carton eavesdrops on a The bloodthirsty juries of theCharles's conviction in the connection to the next world. If conversation between Revolution need only thestreets, John Barsad, who is their love isn't possible in the Defarge, Madame Defarge, slightest suspicion to convictescorting Charles back to his world, it will be renewed in The Vengeance, and Jacques someone. Jacques Three'scell, lets Lucie her embrace her heaven. Note how well Three, in which Madame promise indicates that there is nohusband for the last time. positioned Barsad is to smuggle Defarge plots to exterminate justice, and that the trials areCharles says farewell and asks Carton into Charles's cell. the Evrémonde line—including shams. Monsieur Defarge's pityher to kiss their daughter. 5 Lucie and Lucie's daughter. for Manette makes MadameLucie tells him she feels that She says that she and the Defarge's utter mercilessnessthey will not be long separated wood-sawyer will testify stand out even more starkly.and will meet in heaven.Devastated, Dr. Manette tries Like Dr. Manette, Charles also against Lucie for sympathizing 1 2 3 with a prisoner. Jacques Threeto apologize to Charles. But had a horrific secret past, of promises a conviction.Charles stops him, and instead which he was unaware, come Monsieur Defarge, however,thanks him, acknowledging all back to haunt him. He cannot hesitates, and suggests thatthat Dr. Manette must have escape the curse on his family. poor Dr. Manette has sufferedsuffered to offer his owndaughter back into the 1 34 enough.Evrémonde family he Madame Defarge responds by Madame Defarge exceeds thejustifiably hates. revealing her history with the forces of nature. She is a theLucie faints. Carton carries Carton is just distracting Dr. Evrémondes: she is the missing terrifying product of tyrannousher to a carriage and escorts Manette; he knows that politicsher home. There, he instructs are no longer of any use. sister of the peasant family cruelty. She symbolizes all of theDr. Manette to use any Something stronger is necessaryremaining influence to try to to break the grip of fate, history, whom the Evrémonde people abused by the aristocrats,save Charles. Dr. Manette and the Revolution.hurries away. However, once brothers abused and killed. and her vengeance is thehe's gone, Carton and Mr. 1Lorry confess they have no She vows to carry out her embodiment of the Revolution.hope. brother's dying curse. She 1 3 barks at Defarge that he can tell wind and fire where to stop, \"but don't tell me.\" Jacques Three and The Vengeance are thrilled.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 29

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.Carton hurries home. Soon, A key tipping point: the curse Soon the guards arrive and The young girl reveals howDr. Manette returns too, against Charles cannot bebegging for his shoemaker's stopped, and Dr. Manette's take Carton, whom they think corrupt and merciless thebench. Shocked, Carton and insanity is now permanent. AfterMr. Lorry realize that Dr. failing to save Charles, Manette is Charles Evrémonde, out to republic's tribunals are. HerManette has lost his mind. reverts to his own fate as aCarton instructs Mr. Lorry to traumatized prisoner. Carton join the other condemned innocence also lets her recognizegather everyone's passports, takes control of things, setting upincluding Carton's, and leave his final plan. prisoners. A young woman, Carton for who he is: a figure ofthe next day before MadameDefarge's accusations make it who was wrongly accused and Christ, giving his life to saveimpossible for them to leaveFrance. Then Carton says convicted, asks him if she can others. Holding Carton's handfarewell, blesses Lucie, andleaves. hold his hand. Suddenly, the suggests how the girl's faith will women realizes that he is not sustain her. 13 6 Evrémonde. \"Are you dying for 2 4 6 him?\" she asks. \"And his wife and child,\" Carton replies. Carton promises to hold the woman's hand until the end. At the Paris barricade, guards Just as Mr. Lorry smuggled theBOOK 3, CHAPTER 13 check the papers of the infant Lucie out of Paris, he nowIn the prison, 52 people, Neither Charles nor Dr. Manette passengers in a carriage: Mr. transports these mostly helplessincluding Charles, await were aware of their real legacies. Lorry, Dr. Manette, Lucie, and passengers to safety.execution that day. Charles The don't control their own \"Sydney Carton,\" who is 123 unconscious. They wave thewrites a final letter to Lucie, in destinies. Charles has carriage through.which he says that he did not underestimated Carton before.know about her father's The fact that Carton is under no BOOK 3, CHAPTER 14history and that he believes Dr. obligation to make his sacrifice At the shop of the wood- Lucie kissed her hand to theManette was unaware of his only increases its symbolic sawyer, Madame Defarge prison as a gesture of loyalty anddamning letter. Charles writes power. holds a secret conference with compassion. But themuch the same to Dr. Manette. 1 34 6 Jacques Three and The revolutionaries see it as an act ofHe also writes to Mr. Lorry, Vengeance. Madame says that treason. The revolutionaries havebut never thinks to write to she no longer trusts Monsieur given up all human feeling andCarton. Defarge, and that they must mercy, as is shockingly apparentSuddenly John Barsad opens In Book 2, Chapter 4 Carton exterminate the Evrémondes in Jacques Three's sick fantasythe cell door and lets in envied Charles. Now he becomesCarton. Carton tells Charles Charles by literally sacrificing his themselves. Jacques Three about murdering an innocent girl.to start changing clothes with identity to save Charles's life. Thehim. Then Carton dictates a \"someone\" in the letter is Lucie. swears that his jury will 1 2letter for Charles to write, in condemn Lucie, and fantasizeswhich he asks \"someone\" to 2 456remember him and is grateful about the blond hair and blueto have the chance to provehimself. eyes of Lucie's beheaded child at the guillotine. The wood- sawyer and Madame Defarge promise to testify against Lucie.As Charles writes, Carton Charles has been helpless to stop Madame Defarge strides Madame Defarge combines the through the streets like a figures of Fate and Death. She iswaves the packet of drugs history, and is not just passive, tigress, a woman without pity, terrifying and inhuman. She armed with a knife and loaded represents death as opposed tounder his nose. Charles passes but actually unconscious, during pistol. She heads to Lucie's resurrection, murder as opposed apartment, hoping to to sacrifice.out. Carton finishes swapping his escape. strengthen her case by catching Lucie insulting the 1 345their clothes and Barsad 2 4 Revolution in her grief.carries Charles, now disguisedas Sydney Carton, back to Mr.Lorry.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 30

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.At the apartment, Jerry Jerry gives up his work as a The young woman is As Christ comforted his fellowCruncher and Miss Pross get \"resurrection man\" because that scheduled to be beheaded by prisoners on the cross, Cartonready to leave in their own job belongs to Christ. With death the guillotine just before also comforts the girl, urging hercarriage. Jerry swears that he (Madame Defarge) on the move, Carton. She thanks Carton for to look past the suffering ofwill give up grave robbing, and Jerry turns to religion to save helping her stay composed, politics toward a heavenly future.states that his opinions about him. and says he must have been With such faith, the condemnedpraying have changed. He adds 5 sent to her from Heaven. have no fear. Carton's prayerthat he hopes Mrs. Cruncher is Carton tells her to focus only suggests that they will livepraying right then. on him and to have no fear. forever. His serene face impliesJerry leaves to make Lucie kissed Madame Defarge's When her time comes, they the certainty of his salvation andarrangements. Soon after, hands and asked for mercy. That kiss, and she calmly goes to the resurrection, brought aboutMadame Defarge arrives at failed. Now, the faithful English guillotine. Carton is next. He through faith.the apartment and demands servant Miss Pross wrestles with says \"I am the resurrection and 1 345 the life.\" Carton ascends thethat Miss Pross let her see a faithless French former servant platform, his face lookingLucie. Miss Pross refuses to turned revolutionary. Madame serene and prophetic, and thebudge from Lucie's bedroom Defarge's accidental suicide guillotine crashes down on hisdoor. Madame Defarge tries to shows how the revolutionaries head.shove her aside, but Miss sow the seeds of their ownPross grabs her. During the destruction. In fact, as the Reign The narrator describes In Carton's vision, theensuing struggle, Madame of Terror progressed, many Carton's final thoughts. He revolutionaries who showed noDefarge grabs for her pistol. French revolutionaries died recognizes that Barsad, The mercy will not receive any, justBut as she grabs the weapon it under their own guillotines. Vengeance, and all the \"new like the aristocracy before them.accidentally goes off, killing 1 3 oppressors\" will die by the The novel makes the case forher. Miss Pross flees the guillotine they now celebrate. mercy, in particular Christianapartment in terror. She meets Yet he is also sure that Paris mercy, as a vital force toup with Jerry and discovers will rise up from its ashes, counteract the tendency of thethat she has permanently lost struggling to be free. He sees a powerful toward tyranny, andher hearing. vision of Lucie with a new son, suggests that France willBOOK 3, CHAPTER 15 named after him, who will live eventually find this balance. For a successful and prosperous his selfless sacrifice, which aloneThree carts rumble through This alludes to Christ's journey to life. He also sees Dr. Manette could break the grip of fate andthe Paris streets carrying the the crucifixion, during which restored to health, and Mr. history, Carton is resurrected notcondemned prisoners to the Christ was also harassed and Lorry leaving all his just in heaven but also throughguillotine. Some onlookers, insulted by spectators. considerable wealth to the Lucie's son, who lives out Lucie'sused to the spectacle, are 1 6 Manette's and then passing hope that Carton would live abored. Others gather to see tranquilly away. And Carton better life.Charles Evrémonde and insult knows he is blessed and 1 345 treasured by all these people.him.The Vengeance is in the Madame Defarge is separated The novel ends with Carton'scrowd. She has been saving a from her knitting: the grip of fatefront-row seat for Madame has been broken. final thoughts, \"It is a far, farDefarge and holding herknitting. She bitterly regrets 13 better thing that I do, than Ithat her friend will miss thefestivities. have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.\" HOW TO CITE It's easy to cite LitCharts for use in academic papers and reports. MLA CITATION Fyfe, Paul. \"A Tale of Two Cities.\" LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 22 Jul 2013. Web. 24 Aug 2016.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 31

LitCharts The best way to study, teach, and learn about books.CHICAGO MANUAL CITATIONFyfe, Paul. \"A Tale of Two Cities.\" LitCharts LLC, July 22, 2013.Retrieved August 24, 2016. http://www.litcharts.com/lit/a-tale-of-two-cities.©2016 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com | Follow us: @litcharts | v.004 Page 32