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Charles Dickens’ A Tale Of Two Cities follows the lives of two protagonists, Sydney Carton, an ill-mannered English lawyer, and Charles Darnay, an honourable French aristocrat who lives in exile in London. Both men fall in love with the beautiful Lucie Manette. Lucie`s father, a doctor, was imprisoned for eighteen years in the Bastille prison in France and was just released at the time of the story.
The story is carried forward as both men attempt to secure Lucie’s affections. From the seemingly-peaceful streets of London, both men are drawn into the streets of a tumultuous, pre-revolutionary Paris, where they soon find themselves within the reaches of the feared Guillotine.
Set against the backdrop of the French revolution, Charles Dickens explores several important themes which are indicative of the political and social conditions of his time. For instance, Dickens frequently addresses the theme of resurrection through Carton’s death sentence. He uses his death as a symbol of the French Revolution, indicating even after having lost so many lives on the Guillotine, it will ultimately result in a better society.
Through the development of the story, Dickens examines the social and political ramifications of the French Revolution, particularly focusing on the atrocities committed by the aristocratic class on the peasant class. A Tale Of Two Cities will leave readers with an awareness of important issues such as class struggles, poverty, and even political injustice.
A Tale Of Two Cities was turned into several silent film adaptations during the early 1900s and two movie versions were released in 1935 and 1958. It was also made into television shows, radio programs, and musicals.ISBN - 9788171674077
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Pages : 416
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