A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - Book Report/Review Example

The Consequence of mob's Violence in ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ This paper would discuss and evaluate the consequence of mob's violence in both the cities i.e. Paris and London as mentioned in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. If we evaluate and critically analyze mob behavior as have been found and observed in the novel it transpires that because of Dickens’s previous experience, accurate historical information and great detail, A Tale of Two Cities is reliable and useful in portraying the guillotine and her victims. The greatest asset of A Tale of Two Cities is it's portrayal of the violence during the Reign of Terror. Dickens tends to exaggerate its horror. Though he quotes no figures he gives the impression of a frenzied massacre lasting for years. Despite this, the portrayal of the Terror is still useful because of several historic events that are described realistically. (Bloom, 155-60) The Bastille was captured when the mob Parisian revolutionaries surged forward and defeated its garrison. This opened the floodgate of mob violence that would inundate the country. Although the description is not completely historically accurate it gives a valuable image on the attack. Again and again Dickens insists upon the meaningless horrors of revolution-the mass-butcheries, the injustice, the ever-present terror of spies, the frightful bloodlust of the mob. He broods over their frenzies with a curious imaginative intensity. "There could not be fewer than five hundred people, and they were dancing like five thousand demons... keeping a ferocious time...then swooped creaming off.” The September massacres are also mentioned. Dickens is correct in that they lasted four days and around eleven hundred were slain. "Eleven hundred defenseless prisoners of both sexes and ages had been killed by the populace; that four days had been darkened by the deed of this horror...an attack upon the prisons, that all political prisoners had been in danger, some had been murdered". The political strife emerging from the lack of a proper government is also included. The mob wanted blood and many innocent people were killed. Without a proper law and order system justice was dealt by the mob and over forty thousand people died in the ensuing chaos. This unjust slaughter was present throughout the Revolution and the novel too. This emphasis on the violent revolutionary scenes is a useful addition to the study of the Terror as it is described in immaculate detail even though it is somewhat exaggerated. Some events may not have happened but it is much better for understanding the atmosphere then getting completely accurate accounts. The fascination and interest Charles Dickens had in the mob-mentality of mankind can be illuminated through his use of the extended metaphor of the rising sea. His intrigue with this phenomenon is depicted through his numerous references to the dangers and powers invested in these groups. This image of the rising sea stems from the echoing footsteps which are both relative to the theme of revolution and terror. The echoes, which resembled the possibility of a future revolution, have grown so substantially that they have morphed into a dangerous sea. With the rate at which the mob was growing, concession seems all but inevitable. The personified sea “engulfing new victims” (Johnson 979) continues to rage on with no decrease in force or rage. In an observation made by Norrie Epstein, “The most vivid character of all is the swarming mob. Dickens had always been fascinated by the psychology of the crowd in which the individual sheds his identity and inhibitions and merges with a larger entity” (Dickens, 222). With the occurrence of mass murders by the guillotine, Dickens clearly shows how people’s morals can be overshadowed by their peers. It is conceivable that Dickens based his metaphorical rising sea on the studied and research conducted by well known psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Freud proposed that the mind was divided into three sections, the id, the ego and the superego to maintain and balance a person’s impulses. Concurrently, author Jane Smiley believes that “the novel urges a pro-Freudian analysis of human nature- the harshness and unreality of the superego is finally overthrown by the id, unleashing a vast, destructive, natural force (the mobs often represented by images of fire and flood)” (Dickens, 160). Her reference to the flood or rising sea is associated with fury, which further exemplifies the destructiveness and determination of the mobs. The image of the sea or of water can be paralleled to the hostility that is within these revolutionaries. Just as a container has a maximum capacity for holding water, a person has a maximum capacity for withholding their emotion. The emotional peak has been reached and the revolution is now in full force. In comparison to the echoing footsteps the rising sea not only foreshadows the terrible events to come in the revolution, but it also gives the reader an idea of how encompassing this mob has become. “So, like a tempest, like an earthquake, the Terror raises engulfing new victims” (Johnson 979). The negative connotations that are consistently associated with the revolution and the rising sea emphasize Dickens’ views on the dangers of mob mentality throughout the novel. “Dickens detested and feared the revolution, not only because it threatened the social order but also because in chaos the individuality of the self ceases to matter” (Epstein 223). The golden thread represents perhaps the strongest emotional connection between two characters in the novel. Lucie is the supreme embodiment of goodness and when directed towards her father, she is his only hope for salvation. When doctor Manette was imprisoned It: symbolizes this supreme isolation” (Johnson 974) which seemed impermeable. However, with the emergence of Lucie, his beloved daughter, salvation no longer seemed unattainable. When the two characters encountered each other for the first time in eighteen years, Dr. Manette was unaware of what the outcome of this situation would be. Initially he was skeptical that his beautiful young daughter was actually in his presence. When they first met, Dr. Manette was in possession of a tiny box. “He opened it…and it contained a very little quantity of hair: no more than one or two long golden hairs; which he has in some old say wound off upon his finger” (Dickens 45). Although the quantity of hair present was not substantial, the sense of unity and emotional attachment was undeniable. The golden threads of hair are clearly symbolic of a string that ties the Manette family together. This power she obtains is not directly represented by a bold or striking physical appearance; rather it is actually quite the contrary. As Edgar Johnson noted, “Lucie is given hardly any individualized traits at all…a short, slight, pretty figure, a quantity of golden hair, blue eyes” (Edgar, 973). Although she lacks bold physical features, her purity and consistency are the foundation on which her family’s strength rests. As evidenced in the resurrection of her father, readers are reminded that her love and devotion are in fact the two key elements in her father’s salvation. Without the golden thread to tie them together it is possible that the Manette family would not have been able to survive the deleterious Revolution. (Collins, 40-57) Not only does the golden thread represent a deep emotional bond, but it also indicates a sense of order and tranquility. When Charles Darnay and Lucie were engaged, a very disturbing secret was revealed to Dr. Manette. He was informed of Charles’ ties to the aristocratic family in France that was responsible for his imprisonment. Not only is this news shocking and upsetting, but it triggers a relapse and the doctor is unable to cope with the emotional strain of this new information. (Gross, 19-22) With the aid of Mr. Lorry, Dr. Manette is kindly reminded that his sanity must be restored for the sake of his daughter. For Lucie’s own mental well0being it is essential that he recovers as rapidly as possible. Dr. Manette must regain emotional strength for his beautiful golden haired daughter. Once again, Lucie is the primary reason that a sense of normalcy must be restored. Without Lucie’s presence it is as if the lines between chaos and tranquility are blurred. Lucie offers a new perspective on matters and unknowingly provides a sense of happiness for all the members in her family. Like that of a golden thread, Lucie’s strong, unwavering devotion to her family ties all the loose ends together to produce a beautiful, strong, and cohesive unit. Indeed Charles Dickens’ use of extended metaphors enhances the underlying themes in the novel A Tale of Two Cities. The employment of these metaphors to emphasize the themes was so effective because of the evident direct association between the themes and Dickens’ interest in their origin. According to Edgar Johnson, in the preface to the novel Dickens noted, “I have so far verified what is done and suffered in these pages, as that I have certainly done and suffered it all myself” (Edgar, 972). Dickens numerous and various experiences throughout his lifetime aided in his vivid descriptions of his characters as well as the intricacy of the plot. It is believed that experience is often the most valuable and credible source on which to write about and Dickens certainly exemplifies this assertion. For instance, the mob mentality was depicted as a negative force which is a clear indicator that Dickens did not have positive views regarding mobs. While England seems to be safe, France becomes more and more dangerous as the story proceeds. This is seen in the acts of violence committed by the revolutionary mobs. When the Bastille is stormed, the mob kills the governor and Madame Defarge decapitates him. The mob is also excited to witness executions as a form of recreation. Dickens makes the characters living in France during the novel seem blood thirsty. The future of those in France is death. (Smiley, 47-50) Madame Defarge dies by accidentally shooting herself in a struggle with Miss Pross, Lucie's maid. Carton makes a list of French characters associated with the Revolution and decides that they will probably face the guillotine. It seems that the characters that have been honest and loyal will end up in England, and the villains, both French and English, will finally suffer on the guillotine in France. Another point that Dickens makes is that if Darnay creates a family, his son will carry on his name and will be born free of the aristocracy which almost destroyed his father. The children will live as free English citizens without association with France and its violence. In this way, A Tale of Two Cities becomes a novel not about the French Revolution, but about the reaffirmation of England as a safe haven and English citizenship as something to be proud of. Miss Pross even said, "the short and the long of it is, that I am a subject of His Most Gracious Majesty King George the Third...God save the King!" (Dickens, 276) Works Cited Collins, Irene. "Charles Dickens and the French Revolution." Literature and History 1.1 (1990): 40-57. Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. The Oxford Illustrated Dickens. 1949. Gross, John. "A Tale of Two Cities." Dickens and the Twentieth Century. Ed. John Oxford: Oxford UP, 1987. 19-22 Bloom, Harold, ed. Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. Modern Critical Interpretations. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 155-60 Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Dickens; Being a Good-Natured Guide to the Art and Adventures of the Man Who Invented Scrooge. New York: Viking Penguin, 1998. Johnson, Edgar. Charles Dickens; His Tragedy and Triumph. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc., 1952. Smiley, Jane. Charles Dickens. New York: Viking, 2002. 43-47 Read More