A Tale of Two Cities 双城记 狄更斯.docx
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A Tale of Two Cities 双城记 狄更斯.docx
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ATaleofTwoCities双城记狄更斯
ATaleofTwoCities
CharlesDickens
Context
CharlesDickenswasborninPortsmouth,Englandin1812.Asthesecondofeightchildreninaverypoorfamily,helivedadifficultchildhood.Eventually,hisfatherwassenttodebtor’sprison,andDickenshimselfwenttoworkattheageoftwelvetohelppayoffthefamily’sdebt.ThistroublesometimescarredDickensdeeplyandprovidedhimwithsubstantialmaterialforsuchstoriesasGreatExpectations,OliverTwist,andDavidCopperfield.Steepedinsocialcriticism,Dickens’swritingprovidesakeen,sympatheticchronicleoftheplightoftheurbanpoorinnineteenth-centuryEngland.Duringhislifetime,Dickensenjoyedimmensepopularity,inpartbecauseofhisvividcharacterizations,andinpartbecausehepublishedhisnovelsininstallments,makingthemreadilyaffordabletoagreaternumberofpeople.
TheIndustrialRevolution,whichsweptthroughEuropeinthelateeighteenthcentury,originatedinEngland.TherapidmodernizationoftheEnglisheconomyinvolvedashiftfromruralhandicrafttolarge-scalefactorylabor.Technologicalinnovationsfacilitatedunprecedentedheightsofmanufactureandtrade,andEnglandleftbehinditslocalized,cottage-industryeconomytobecomeacentralized,hyper-capitalistjuggernautofmassproduction.Intandemwiththistransformationcameasignificantshiftinthenation’sdemographics.Englishcitiesswelledasagrowingandimpoverishedworkingclassflockedtotheminsearchofwork.Asthisinfluxofworkersintourbancenterscontinued,thebourgeoisietookadvantageofthesurplusoflaborbykeepingwageslow.Thepoorthusremainedpoor,andoftenlivedcrampedinsqualor.Inmanyofhisnovels,Dickenschronicleshisprotagonists’attemptstofighttheirwayoutofsuchpovertyanddespair.
ATaleofTwoCities,originallypublishedfromAprilthroughNovemberof1859,appearedinanewmagazinethatDickenshadcreatedcalledAlltheYearRound.Dickensstartedthisventureafterafalling-outwithhisregularpublishers.Indeed,thisperiodinDickens’slifesawmanychanges.WhilestarringinaplaybyWilkieCollinsentitledTheFrozenDeep,DickensfellinlovewithayoungactressnamedEllenTernan.Dickens’stwenty-three-yearmarriagetoCatherineHogarthhadbecomeasourceofunhappinessinrecentyears,and,by1858,HogarthhadmovedoutofDickens’shome.TheauthorarrangedtokeepTernaninaseparateresidence.
Dickens’sparticipationinCollins’splaylednotonlytoashiftinhispersonallife,butalsotoacareerdevelopment,foritwasthisplaythatfirstinspiredhimtowriteATaleofTwoCities.Intheplay,Dickensplayedthepartofamanwhosacrificeshisownlifesothathisrivalmayhavethewomantheybothlove;thelovetriangleintheplaybecamethebasisforthecomplexrelationsbetweenCharlesDarnay,LucieManette,andSydneyCartoninATaleofTwoCities.Moreover,Dickensappreciatedtheplayforitstreatmentofredemptionandrebirth,loveandviolence.HedecidedtotransposethesethemesontotheFrenchRevolution,aneventthatembodiedthesameissuesonahistoricallevel.Inordertomakehisnovelhistoricallyaccurate,DickensturnedtoThomasCarlyle’saccountoftherevolution.ContemporarieshadconsideredCarlyle’sversiontobethefirstandlastwordontheFrenchpeasants’fightforfreedom.
Dickenshadforayedintohistoricalfictiononlyoncebefore,withBarnabyRudge(1841),andtheprojectprovedadifficultundertaking.ThevastscopeandsomewhatgrimaspectsofhishistoricalsubjectforcedDickenslargelytoabandontheoutlandishandoftencomiccharactersthathadcometodefinehiswriting.AlthoughJerryCruncherandMissProssembodysometypicallyDickensianquirks—exaggeratedmannerisms,idiosyncraticspeech—theyplayonlyminorrolesinthenovel.Whilecriticscontinuetodebatetheliterarymeritsofthenovel,noonedeniesthelightthatthenovelshedsonDickens’sdevelopmentasanovelist.Moreexperimentalthanthenovelsthatprecedeit,ATaleofTwoCitiesshowsitsauthorintransition.Dickenswouldemergefromthistransitionasamatureartist,readytowriteGreatExpectations(1860–1861)andOurMutualFriend(1864–1865).
PlotOverview
Theyearis1775,andsocialillsplaguebothFranceandEngland.JerryCruncher,anodd-jobmanwhoworksforTellson’sBank,stopstheDovermail-coachwithanurgentmessageforJarvisLorry.ThemessageinstructsLorrytowaitatDoverforayoungwoman,andLorryrespondswiththecrypticwords,“RecalledtoLife.”AtDover,LorryismetbyLucieManette,ayoungorphanwhosefather,aonce-eminentdoctorwhomshesupposeddead,hasbeendiscoveredinFrance.LorryescortsLucietoParis,wheretheymeetDefarge,aformerservantofDoctorManette,whohaskeptManettesafeinagarret.DrivenmadbyeighteenyearsintheBastille,Manettespendsallofhistimemakingshoes,ahobbyhelearnedwhileinprison.LorryassuresLuciethatherloveanddevotioncanrecallherfathertolife,andindeedtheydo.
Theyearisnow1780.CharlesDarnaystandsaccusedoftreasonagainsttheEnglishcrown.AbombasticlawyernamedStryverpleadsDarnay’scase,butitisnotuntilhisdrunk,good-for-nothingcolleague,SydneyCarton,assistshimthatthecourtacquitsDarnay.Cartonclincheshisargumentbypointingoutthathehimselfbearsanuncannyresemblancetothedefendant,whichunderminestheprosecution’scaseforunmistakablyidentifyingDarnayasthespytheauthoritiesspotted.LucieandDoctorManettewatchedthecourtproceedings,andthatnight,CartonescortsDarnaytoatavernandaskshowitfeelstoreceivethesympathyofawomanlikeLucie.CartondespisesandresentsDarnaybecauseheremindshimofallthathehimselfhasgivenupandmighthavebeen.
InFrance,thecruelMarquisEvrémonderunsdownaplebianchildwithhiscarriage.Manifestinganattitudetypicalofthearistocracyinregardtothepooratthattime,theMarquisshowsnoregret,butinsteadcursesthepeasantryandhurrieshometohischateau,whereheawaitsthearrivalofhisnephew,Darnay,fromEngland.Arrivinglaterthatnight,DarnaycurseshisuncleandtheFrencharistocracyforitsabominabletreatmentofthepeople.HerenounceshisidentityasanEvrémondeandannounceshisintentiontoreturntoEngland.Thatnight,theMarquisismurdered;themurdererhasleftanotesignedwiththenicknameadoptedbyFrenchrevolutionaries:
“Jacques.”
Ayearpasses,andDarnayasksManetteforpermissiontomarryLucie.Hesaysthat,ifLucieaccepts,hewillrevealhistrueidentitytoManette.Carton,meanwhile,alsopledgeshislovetoLucie,admittingthat,thoughhislifeisworthless,shehashelpedhimdreamofabetter,morevaluableexistence.OnthestreetsofLondon,JerryCrunchergetssweptupinthefuneralprocessionforaspynamedRogerCly.Laterthatnight,hedemonstrateshistalentsasa“Resurrection-Man,”sneakingintothecemeterytostealandsellCly’sbody.InParis,meanwhile,anotherEnglishspyknownasJohnBarsaddropsintoDefarge’swineshop.Barsadhopestoturnupevidenceconcerningthemountingrevolution,whichisstillinitscovertstages.MadameDefargesitsintheshopknittingasecretregistryofthosewhomtherevolutionseekstoexecute.BackinLondon,Darnay,onthemorningofhiswedding,keepshispromisetoManette;herevealshistrueidentityand,thatnight,Manetterelapsesintohisoldprisonhabitofmakingshoes.Afterninedays,Manetteregainshispresenceofmind,andsoonjoinsthenewlywedsontheirhoneymoon.UponDarnay’sreturn,Cartonpayshimavisitandasksforhisfriendship.DarnayassuresCartonthatheisalwayswelcomeintheirhome.
Theyearisnow1789.ThepeasantsinParisstormtheBastilleandtheFrenchRevolutionbegins.Therevolutionariesmurderaristocratsinthestreets,andGabelle,amanchargedwiththemaintenanceoftheEvrémondeestate,isimprisoned.Threeyearslater,hewritestoDarnay,askingtoberescued.Despitethethreatofgreatdangertohisperson,DarnaydepartsimmediatelyforFrance.
AssoonasDarnayarrivesinParis,theFrenchrevolutionariesarresthimasanemigrant.LucieandManettemaketheirwaytoParisinhopesofsavinghim.Darnayremainsinprisonforayearandthreemonthsbeforereceivingatrial.Inordertohelpfreehim,Manetteuseshisconsiderableinfluencewiththerevolutionaries,whosympathizewithhimforhavingservedtimeintheBastille.Darnayreceivesanacquittal,butthatsamenightheisarrestedagain.Thecharges,thistime,comefromDefargeandhisvengefulwife.CartonarrivesinPariswithaplantorescueDarnayandobtainsthehelpofJohnBarsad,whoturnsouttobeSolomonPross,thelong-lostbrotherofMissPross,Lucie’sloyalservant.
AtDarnay’strial,DefargeproducesaletterthathediscoveredinManette’soldjailcellintheBastille.TheletterexplainsthecauseofManette’simprisonment.Yearsago,thebrothersEvrémonde(Darnay’sfatheranduncle)enlistedManette’smedicalassistance.Theyaskedhimtotendtoawoman,whomoneofthebrothershadraped,andherbrother,whomthesamebrotherhadstabbedfatally.FearingthatManettemightreporttheirmisdeeds,theEvrémondeshadhimarrested.Uponhearingthisstory,thejurycondemnsDarnayforthecrimesofhisancestorsandsentenceshimtodiewithintwenty-fourhours.Thatnight,attheDefarge’swineshop,CartonoverhearsMadameDefargeplottingtohaveLucieandherdaughter(alsoDarnay’sdaughter)executedaswell;MadameDefarge,itturnsout,isthesurvivingsiblingofthemanandwomankilledbytheEvrémondes.CartonarrangesfortheManettes’immediatedeparturefromFrance.HethenvisitsDarnayinpris
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