“A Tale of Two Cities”
is a historical novel. Discuss.
Or
“A Tale of Two Cities”
is related to a most influential incident of history, but it is not
complete historical book. Comment.
Answer:
“A tale of two cities” is a historical novel related to the period
before and all through the French Revolution. Previously, Dickens had
written one historical novel, Barnaby Rudge, which dealt with a period of
English history. When he wrote “A Tale of Two Cities” he was feeling
great interest in history. However,
“A Tale of Two Cities” is not a complete story of French Revolution.
As a historical novel, “A
Tale of Two Cities” has obvious limitations. It does not give
a complete picture of either the English or the French political world of
those critical years (1775-1793). In this novel, Dickens describe the beginning
of discontent in France, the rising dissatisfaction of people with the aristocrats
and the turmoil caused by the public fury and the cruelties committed by
the revolutionaries during the years of French Revolution. Dickens does not
describe the progress and culmination of French Revolution. He gives us
brief and scattered account of the main event. But, by this he tries to
convey to us all the horror of the French Revolution. He gives us no systematic
analysis of the causes of the French Revolution. At the same time, Dickens
takes no notice of the leading historical personalities of the French Revolution,
such as Mirabeau, Lafayette, Robespierre and Napoleon. He does not show the
struggle of the government for money in the time of depression, the
difficulties of parliament and philosophical thinking behind
the Revolution.
Dickens main concern was to show
that extreme injustice leads to violence. In the first part of the novel,
Dickens sympathizes with the poor and downtrodden, but in the end
these very people become villains and he rejects them. Dickens first
reference to the cause of the French Revolution comes in the Chapter called
“The Wine Shop”. Here he uses the symbol of the mill to convey the
grinding poverty through which the people of Saint Antoine are passing. Then
there are three chapters in which the callousness and the arrogance of a particular
noble are described.
Dickens main achievement
lies in mixing the personal lives of a group of private characters with
the events of French Revolution. These private individuals are Dr. Manette,
Lucie Manette, Darnay and Carton. Although, the major characters have no
ideological interest in the Revolution yet they are driven into the main
whirlpool of the Revolution and have to suffer. The death sentence of
Charles is the most unjust when we see that he is on the side
of the people. In his humanity, he even gives up the property of his
family. Furthermore, he was in France to save the life of a poor man who
was in danger. The others are drawn into the whirlpool for the sake of
Darnay. Sydney’s sacrifice is due to Lucie’s involvement.
Although. Dickens does
not give systematic theory about the Revolution yet there is his definite
view about it. In this respect, he also seems to have been influenced by
Carlyle. Dickens shows that past is the storehouse of moral lessons and a
terrible moral drama. He has a definite aim in writing this novel, as he
wants to show the effect of social order on the lives of the
individuals. The lives of both Dr. Manette and Sydney Carton are example
of it. Dr. Manette’s coming back to the steam of life illustrates the
course of new order. Sydney’s noble death proves the possibility of
rebirth through love. According to one critic, there is no other piece
of fiction in which domestic life of a few simple private people is in
such a manner interwoven with a terrible public event, so that one seems
to be the part of the other.
The fact is that Dickens
considers revolution as monster. The scenes of violence that are
described in “A Tale of Two Cities” are really horrible. The lesson that
Dickens wants to teach us through this novel is that violence leads to
violence and hatred is the result of hatred. He wanted that government should
not allow the people to become frustrated and angry that they are compelled
to revolt and become not only violent, but also ruthlessly violent.
If all the noblemen had behaved like Charles and all the
intellectuals had exposed the social evils like Dr. Manette, then there would
not have been any such violent revolution. Dickens never forgets that the
French Revolution was the result of unspeakable suffering, intolerable
oppression and heartless indifference. Society was diseased before the fever
broke out. And this conclusion about the French Revolution is stated in
the final chapter of his novel as:
“Crush the humanity out
of shape once more, under similar hammers, and it will twist itself
into the same tortured forms. Sow the same seed of rapacious
license and oppression again over again, and
it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind.”
