Dickens..... Finally over!

I have finally finished A Tale of Two Cites!! What you see below is a literary analysis that I wrote on it.

Honors English

3/14/09

Literary Analysis

A Tale of Two Cities: A Literary Analysis

 

The novel, A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, has many themes in it. One theme will be expounded in this paper. This theme is that sacrifice is vital to reach happiness. The following passage suggests that sacrifices on a personal level are necessary to achieve happiness on a national level.

 

            "Citizen Doctor," said the first, with his former reluctance, "ask no more. If the Republic demands sacrifices from you, without doubt you as a good patriot will be happy to make them. The Republic goes before all. The People is supreme. Evremonde, we are pressed."

- A Tale of Two Cites, Book the third, Chapter 7, page 297

 

            In this passage, a Republic soldier is talking to Doctor Manette. Doctor Manette has just managed to free his son-in-law from unjust claims. It is later that day that four Republic soldiers come to put him back in custody. Doctor Manette questions them asking why they are taking him away. They respond with the above passage. In this passage they say that in order for the Republic to survive that sacrifices are needed from citizens; that Doctor Manette, being a good citizen, should be happy to make a sacrifice for the Republic. This illustrates that sacrifices are needed for happiness.

 

            In this passage, it describes the Republic as being omnipotent. First of all, they call Doctor Manette “Citizen Doctor.” By calling him Citizen they are trying emphasize that Doctor Manette is part of the Republic and should be supporting it. Not only supporting it, they say, but he should be supporting it happily. Then it says, “The people is supreme.” By using the singular form in the word ‘is’, they are saying that the people are one and that they should act as one. In order for the people to all be one and serve the republic, they must all give sacrifices.

 

            In the passage, they say that the Republic goes before all. In saying this they are hinting that they would give up their lives for it. One could even call this giving human sacrifice. The Aztecs did human sacrifices also. The Aztecs were an evil group. By relating the Aztecs to the French Republicans, (whether it was purposeful or not) Dickens is trying to get across that the Republicans were evil. By saying that they were evil, we can come to the conclusion that not all the sacrifices were for the better. All of these forced sacrifices led the republic to eventual collapse.

 

            This passage is significant to the theme because it is what the entire revolution was about. Without sacrifices none of the book would have happened. First of all, the republic would not have been able to survive without sacrifices. It needed the sacrifices of Ernest and Thérèse Defarge, the Jacquerie, or the normal everyday people. The book also needed the sacrifices of the main characters. It especially needed the sacrifices of Sydney Carton.

 

            In conclusion, a major theme in A Tale of Two Cites is that sacrifice is needed for a superior outcome. The passage supports the theme with the idea that sacrifices on the personal level are needed for national welfare.  It sends this idea through voice, description, and placing. I sure hope that my country never asks this much sacrifice from me!