In A Tale of Two Cities, to develop themes, Charles Dickens uses the color red, the evil Marquis, and Young Jerry’s experience. Dickens also uses the gallows, mobs, and funeral shrouds to create moods. Finally, Dickens develops characters with Mr. Manette, the Marquis, and Mr. Lorry. Charles Dickens, in A Tale of Two Cities, develops themes, moods, and characters using a variety of literary techniques. Charles Dickens uses various literary techniques to communicate themes in the novel. The motif describing red shows the theme “revenge and war are often inevitable.”
A few examples of the presence of red are the wine that was spilled, the fires throughout the revolution, and the constant mention of blood. The first presence of red was when “A large cask of wine had been dropped and broken, in the street… All the people within reach had suspended their business, or their idleness, to run to the spot and drink the wine.” (27). Later, “The chateau was left to itself to flame and burn. In the roaring and raging of the conflagration, a red-hot wind, driving straight from the infernal regions, seemed to be blowing the edifice away. With the rising and falling of the blaze, the stone faces showed as if they were in torment.” (223).
Even towards the end blood is mentioned during “The horrible massacre, days and nights long, which, within a few rounds of the clock, was to set a great mark of blood upon the blessed garnering time of harvest, was as far out of his knowledge as if it had been a hundred thousand years away.” (246). Red is commonly associated with anger and bravery connecting with the wine, fire, and blood. The wine shows this with the way people scampered and fought at each other to get wine from the puddle of wine. The fire shows this theme with the angry nature of fire. Finally, blood demonstrates this with the association with death. Blood is linked with death and so is war.
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Red will always exist as long as there is light, just like as long as humans exist, war and revenge will too. The plot event where the Marquis ran over an innocent child shows the theme “wealth and well-being often translates to greed and wrong-doing.” When the Marquis strolled his way into town, his horses and wagon ran right over the Defarge’s child. The Marquis evil is shown when he says “It is extraordinary,” said he, “that you people cannot take care of yourselves and your children… How do I know what injury you have done to my horses.” (107).
This demonstrates this theme since the Marquis is rich and completely able to help the horses or purchase new ones, he still cannot even think once about the child he just murdered. His greed overrules his empathy. When Dickens uses HHHHEERERRE to show when Young Jerry Cruncher finds his father digging up Roger Cly’s coffin shows the theme “children’s opinions are easily changed.” Young Jerry’s father, Jerry announced to his family that he is going fishing. Young Jerry, being a curious child asks to follow along. After being denied, he still follows his father. The imagery is shown when the narrator explains Young Jerry’s experience. The narrator explains that Jerry “saw his honoured parent about to wretch it open, he was so frightened,” (155).
This shows the theme since young Jerry saw his father for a second and became so frightened. Young Jerry’s honor for his father was shortly paused because of his fear. Children, like Young Jerry, are very impressionable. From the color red, to the Marquis, and Young Jerry’s experience, Charles Dickens uses various literary techniques to communicate themes in the novel. Charles Dickens uses various literary techniques to create distinctive moods in the novel.
The setting of the Gallows creates a mood of fear and sadness. “The iron gates were being closed with a jar and a rattle, and the dismal place was deserted until to-morrow morning’s interest of gallows, pillory, whipping-post, and branding-iron should re-people it.” (78). This setting and situation is scary and unimaginable. The thought that people were hoping to see people hanged, whipped, and branded is terrifying but sad. It’s sad that people have been so oppressed they take out their anger like this. The imagery with the big mob that foreshadows the revolution creates a mood of danger and confusion. The mob is described crazily, with “beer-drinking, pipe-smoking, song-roaring, and infinite caricaturing of woe… disorderly procession went its way, recruiting at every step, and all the shops shutting up before it.” (151).
Drunk people and craziness are associated with danger due to the unpredictability they both possess. This creates a mood of confusion because drunkenness is confusing in itself, but the constant moving and abruptness in this scene is confusing in itself. Sometimes confusion is the scariest emotion. The dialogue between Madame Defarge and the man after he discovers she is making funeral shrouds creates a mood of discomfort and sadness. The man, after noticing Madame was knitting, asked “‘What do you make, madame?’ ‘Many things.’ ‘ For instance-’ ‘For instance,’ returned Madame Defarge, composedly, ‘shrouds.’ The man moved a little further away, as soon as he could, and the mender of the roads fanned himself with his blue cap: feeling it mightily close and oppressive.” (167).
The man uncomfortably stepped backward and the mender of the roads fanned himself because he felt hot and uncomfortable. Also, the thought Madame Defarge is preparing for death in advance is sad and depressing. It’s sad how some people need to prepare for sadness ahead of time. Different emotions have helped Charles Dickens use various literary techniques to create distinctive moods in the novel. Charles Dickens uses various literary techniques to develop characters in the novel.
One example is how Dr. Manette has changed throughout the novel. At first, it’s obvious that he is a closed off and faint prisoner. Dr. Manette is asked how he is, but his voice is described as “pitiable and dreadful… it was the faintness of solitude and disuse.” (38). Then, after meeting his daughter, he slowly develops into a kind and loving father. Dr. Manette’s fatherliness is shown after Lucie asked if she is the daughter he was hoping for. He answers back with, ‘Lucie, I recall these old troubles in the reason that I have to-night for loving you better than words can tell, and thanking God for my great happiness. My thoughts, when they were wildest, never rose near the happiness that I have known with you, and that we have before us.’ (183). The faintness of a prisoner to a happy father is a huge development.
More than just characterization, Charles Dickens is showing that others play a huge role in one’s personal development. It’s comforting to know others can truly change and help people greatly. Another example is when Charles Dickens uses dialogue to show how the Marquis is evil. After someone had thrown a coin at the Marquis, he yells, ‘You dogs!’… ‘I would ride over any of you very willingly, and exterminate you from the earth. If I knew which rascal threw at the carriage, and if that brigand were sufficiently near it, he should be crushed under the wheels.’
This shows the Marquis bitterness and lack of empathy he has for anyone besides himself. He shows no regard for human life, and wishes them death, showing who he is as a person, characterizing him into an evil and bitter human being. Some people are so cruel for no reason. Finally, Sydney Carton develops from a lazy and umempathetic loser, but changes into a heroic and very meaningful character. In the beginning, Carton says, “‘All my life might have been’… ‘the man you see before yourself—flung away, wasted, drunken, poor creature of misuse as you know him to be—he would have been conscious this day and hour, in spite of his happiness, that he would bring you to misery, bring you to sorrow and repentance, blight you, disgrace you, pull you down with him.’” (145).
He is constantly talking down about himself and pitying himself. But, by the end, he is heroic in his actions. He says, right before being killed in the guillotine for Charles Darnay, “‘I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.’” (363). The heroic action shows development in Carton. He took his own life for another. Heros can come from anywhere, people just need to look. From the lazy, evil, and broken, Charles Dickens uses various literary techniques to develop characters in the novel.
Charles Dickens, in A Tale of Two Cities, develops themes, moods, and characters using a variety of literary techniques. To develop themes, Dickens used the color red, the evil Marquis, and Young Jerry’s experience. Dickens also uses the gallows, mobs, and funeral shrouds to create moods. Finally, Dickens develops characters using Mr. Manette, the Marquis, and Sydney Carton.
