Dickens Interpretation Of The French Revolution - 786 Words

Essay Prompt: In A Tale of Two Cities, how does Dickens’ description of specific characters and their fate (2-3) illustrate his interpretation of the French Revolution? Evaluate this interpretation in light of other evidence drawn from course materials. Outline Intro: French Revolution: significance, etc. Tale of Two Cities: significance, shows British perspective, etc. First Paragraph: Marquis Was a nobleman in France Quotes from book to illustrate character (his past and present crimes against peasants) His fate: death, would’ve been killed during revolution anyways Second Paragraph: Madame Defarge Was a middle-class woman, revolutionary Quotes from book to illustrate character (knitting names, plotting revenge and why) Her fate:†¦show more content†¦. .’†(p. 137). The Marquis is a prime example of the French aristocracy that benefitted from the feudal system in France during this time. It’s no surprise that when the Marquis meets his grim end, it is at the hands of the father of the boy he ran over. A second character of questionable integrity in the story is Madame Defarge, the wife of Monsieur Defarge, who is an avid participant in the revolution. While Monsieur Defarge believes that the reformation is a noble cause and wants to see a change in the social and political system, Madame Defarge’s reasons for supporting the revolution are more personal. It is revealed later in the book that Madame Defarge was the younger sister of a peasant girl that the Marquis raped. This instilled a hatred of the aristocracy in her from a young age. It seems that Madame Defarge’s main motive is revenge, and eventually this is the cause of her death. When going to murder the Marquis’ nephew’s wife and daughter, she gets into a fight with the girl’s nanny and is accidentally killed. This book is historically significant because it used the perspective of the French Revolution to reflect on social inequality in Britain. As Dickens put it at the beginning of his novel â€Å"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.† While the clergy and nobles in France were getting richer and didn’t have to pay taxes, the poor were starving fromShow MoreRelatedDickenss Views of the French Revolution Essay680 Words   |  3 Pageslicense and oppression ever again, and it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind. (385) This quote from Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities illustrates Dickens bias for the revolting class during the French Revolution. In the book, however, Dickens does vilify the violence that is inherent in this Revolution. He also puts his own slant on the way the Revolution occurs and who lea ds it. This bias could be attributed to who he was and who his audience was. Because he is an EnglishmanRead MoreAll Things Run Their Course1744 Words   |  7 Pagesof the severed thread to death (- Greek Mythology). Charles Dickens manifests his belief in fate in the novel A Tale of Two Cities as an explanation for the inevitability of the French Revolution. The plot of A Tale of Two Cities revolves around the concept that the tension between social classes ineluctably causes the French Revolution. The first book Recalled to Life foreshadows the revolution and depicts the severe poverty of the french villagers. Dr. Manette, a Bastille prisoner of eighteen yearsRead MoreThe Influence Of Foreign Oppression1649 Words   |  7 Pagesof A Tale of Two Cities because the oppression of the French Revolution occurred because of discrepancy between the different social classes whereas the Chinese were oppressed out of necessity because of a warrior culture. In A Tale of Two Cities, the commoners are frowned upon by the rich in the entire novel and merely seen as wasted space. Towards the beginning of the book, â€Å"a large cask of wine had been dropped, in the street† (Dickens 31). â€Å"Some men kneeled down, made scoops of their two handsRead MoreRealism and the Humanities 1718 Words   |  7 Pagessaid that realism was â€Å"nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material† or â€Å"a faithful representation of reality† (â€Å"Realist Works as Landmarks in American History†). How Americans viewed the world at that time clouded their interpretation of ‘Realism’ and led them to a darker form of the same concept. That is not where the differences end, though, because there are many different forms. Realism is hard to define, especially when the words ‘classical’, ‘naturalism’, and ‘socialist’Read More Causes of the French Revolution Essay2786 Words   |  12 PagesGuillotine!† -- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities Reflect upon your lifetime. Was there ever a moment where you felt mistreated, or unequally represented? Maybe it’s that your boss listens to your other coworkers and not you. Or that you feel like the government is listening to corporative powers and not the people. Inequality fosters resentment. How would you feel if your voice wasn’t heard? The concept of inequality is not exclusive to the French Revolution. In fact, these variationsRead MoreVictor Hugo- Styles and Themes1990 Words   |  8 PagesVictor Hugo Many critics would go as far as to say that Victor Hugo was and remains the Charles Dickens of France. Hugo is most well known for the writing of the famous Broadway show and book Les Misà ©rables as well as what became the Disney Hit Hunchback of Notre Dame. A brilliant author, artist, and poet, Hugo is most recognized for his writing of government and revolution. But these themes that are common for many authors to write of have actually deemed Hugo quite unique, so much so that criticsRead MorePlanned Approach to Change11990 Words   |  48 Pagesstill very relevant to the needs of the modern world. LEWIN’S BACKGROUND Few social scientists can have received the level of praise and admiration that has been heaped upon Kurt Lewin (Ash, 1992; Bargal et al., 1992; Dent and Goldberg, 1999; Dickens and Watkins, 1999; Tobach, 1994). As Edgar Schein (1988, p. 239) enthusiastically commented: There is little question that the intellectual father of contemporary theories of applied behavioural science, action research and planned change is KurtRead MoreHow I Read Literature Like A Professor Notes3177 Words   |  13 Pagesdoes this resemble? o Why was this type of violence used over another? Chapter 12- Symbolism †¢ A general symbol can’t be reduced to one thing or meaning †¢ Readers see their own interpretations- must be able to support it!! †¢ The pilgrim’s process- allegory (one to one) devout Christian to reach heaven †¢ Animal Farm- revolutions fail †¢ â€Å"Passage to India†- caves- ancestors lived in caves- a connection to basics/ security and shelter †¢ Huck Finn.- the raft ride served as a platform for Huck to know JimRead MoreShortening of Words and Their Features9064 Words   |  37 Pages MINISTRY OF HIGHER AND SECONDARY SPECIAL EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN Uzbek State World Languages University Theory and practice of translation faculty Theory and practice of translation/interpretation department [pic] In Lexicology On the topic: Shortening of words and their features Done by: Kudratova L. Group 309 Checked by: Muminov O. M Tashkent 2013 CONTENTS I. Introduction. 1.1. Common characteristics of the course paper 2.1. General definitionRead MoreInterpretation of the Text13649 Words   |  55 Pagesnominal phrase) which names things but does not elaborate them. There may be not one, but several themes in a work of fiction. The general idea that the reader draws from the story as a whole is called the message, which is the product of a readers interpretation. It is a conceptual distillation of the story, the central idea or insight serving as a unifying element, creating cohesion among different parts of the story. In order to formulate the message one has to answer the question â€Å"What did you learn