Charles Darnay

  Charles Dickens portrays Charles Darnay as a brave, smart, and loving man in A Tale of Two Cities. The novel reads "The accused, who was (and who knew he was) being mentally hanged, beheaded, and quartered, by everybody there, neither flinched from the situation, nor assumed any theatrical air in it" (Dickens 47.) This description comes while Charles is in court after being accused of treason. The fact that he doesn't even show any emotion in something so life altering shows that this man has some guts in him. Your average person would be sweating buckets, but Darnay is brave enough to face what ever comes his way and to stand there being ridiculed by just about everyone else, and not even bat an eye. Dickens writes "...Mr. Charles Darnay was established in English as a higher teacher of the French language who was conversant with French literature" (Dickens 99.) Any human who is mentally capable to teach lesser knowing people a considerable amount of knowledge in a certain area must have some good brain power. Also, knowing multiple languages is not a simple task itself, so I applaud him for that. "Dear Doctor Manette, I love your daughter fondly, dearly, disinterestedly, and devotedly" (Dickens 101.) Charles loves Lucie so much that he uses such elegant language when inquiring her father for her hand in marriage. To say these flattering words about anyone illustrates your caring and loving trait inside of you. I truly believe that Charles Darnay is the great human that the book so far depicts him to be.

Light and Dark

  Charles Dickens uses both light and dark to set the tone of optimism for the father and daughter relationship between Lucie and Dr. Manette. A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens writes "'You can bear a little more light?' (Dickens 30)" This quote is directed towards Dr. Manette, the long time prisoner. Following the inquiry, his daughter, who he hasn't seen before, walks in. This brings in light, both figuratively and literally, which represents hope in the broken man's life. The author goes on to write "...on her fair young face, that it looked as though it had passed like a moving light, from him to her (Dickens 32.)" What this is saying is that she is brightening his life so much, you can just sense it. Lucie brings whole new meaning to the man who has been in the dark for the past eighteen years, and is bringing him back into the light. The novel states "The darkness deepened as they both lay quiet, until a light gleamed through the chinks in the wall (Dickens 36.)" Light is barely seeping through the cracks in the wall, but it's finding its way to the doctor. Dr. Manette was seemingly going to be in the dark for the rest of his life, but somehow, Lucie made her way to find her father, even when all hope was gone for his life. Dickens effectively uses light and dark to set optimism between Lucie and Dr. Manette.

The Wine Shop

Chapter 5 of the novel A Tale of Two Cities written by Charles Dickens may seem like your run of the mill chapter, but what it really does is foreshadow war. The book partially takes place in France right before the French Revolution breaks out. Dickens writes "The wine was red wine, and had stained the ground of the narrow street... (Dickens 21)" The red wine spills and splatters everywhere staining the street. This foreshadows the blood that will soon fill the area with red."It had stained many hands, too, and many faces, and many naked feet, and many wooden shoes (Dickens 21.)" The sight of people with red on their skin and clothing may look innocent, but in the future, the wine will be replaced by blood because of the brutal battles that will be fought in the area. He goes on to write "...and one tall joker so besmirched... scrawled upon a wall with his fingers dipped in muddy wine-lees - BLOOD (Dickens 22.) That quote explains itself well. The red wine on his fingers represents the blood soon to come. The Wine Shop spill foreshadows what's to come in the future, and it's not bright.