A tale of two cities

ATaleofTwoCitiesCharlesDickensTheAuthorBackgroundInformationPlotSummaryAnalysisHighlightsContentsCharlesJohnHuffamDickens(7February1812–9June1870)wasanEnglishwriterandsocialcritic.Hecreatedsomeoftheworld'smostwell-knownfictionalcharactersandisgenerallyregardedasthegreatestnovelistoftheVictorianperiod.TheauthorTheauthorThefirstperiod（before1841）Features:GentlesocialcriticismFantasticoptimismNovelapicaresca(流浪汉式小说)ExaggerationThreeperiodsofhiscreationThesecondperiodofhiscreation（1842—1858）Features:criticizebourgeois(资本家)andtheirmoralitymorecompletelyunifiedplotandstructurehumorandsatireThreeperiodsofhiscreationThelaterperiod（1858——1870）Features:humorandsatiresocialcriticismgentlereformismandstronghumanitarianexplorationofman'sinnerconflictssymbolismThreeperiodsofhiscreationMaincharactersinthenovelLucieisDr.Manette’sdaughter.Whenshewasveryyoung,Dr.ManettewaslockedawayintheBastille(巴士底狱)LucieManetteMaincharactersinthenovelCharlesDarnayDarnaymetLuciewhenLuciewentbacktoEnglandwithherfather,andtheyfinallyfellinlovewitheachother.Unfortunately,hewasanephewoftheMarquis,whoputDr.Manetteintoprison.MaincharactersinthenovelSydneyCartonCartonwasaself-indulgentandself-pityingbutbrilliantlawyer.HehadhelpedDarnayalotinhiscase.CartonalsofellinlovewithLucie.BackgroundInformationThestorytakesplaceinthesocietybeforeandduringtheFrenchRevolution.ThetwocitiesareLondonandParis.BeforetheFrenchRevolution,thelowerclassesinFrancewereextortedandkeptinextremepovertybytheupperclass.Theabsolutemonarchy(封建君主专制)weredeeplyhatedbythepoorpeople,andthenthegreatrevolutionaimingtodestroytheupperclassesfinallybrokeout.PlotSummaryIn1775,Mr.JarvisLorry,anemployeeofTellson'sBank,istravellingfromEnglandtoFrancetobringDr.ManettetoLondononhisreturntrip.BeforecrossingintoFrance,hemeets17-year-oldMissLucieManette,andrevealstoherthatherfatherisnotdead,asshehadbeentold;instead,hewasaprisonerintheBastillefor18years.Dr.ManettewasimprisonedbecausehewitnessedtheEvremondebrothers’crimesagainstapeasantfamily,andherejectedtobebribedtokeepquiet.PlotSummaryOnetheirwaybacktoLondon,theymetCharlesDarnay,whoisactuallythenephewoftheMarquisofEvremonde.Hechangedhisnamebecausehedidn’tliketobeamemberoftheEvremondefamily.Hewasamanofgoodnatureandkindheart.PlotSummaryFiveyearslater,Darnayisontrialfortreason（叛国罪）attheOldBailey,becausetwospiesclaim,falsely,thatDarnaygaveinformationaboutBritishtroopsinNorthAmericatotheFrench.Darnayisacquitted（释放）,however,whenawitnesswhoclaimshewouldbeabletorecognizeDarnayanywhereisunabletotellDarnayapartfromalawyerpresentincourt,SydneyCarton,wholooksalmostidenticaltohim.PlotSummaryCharlesDarnayandSydneyCartonbothfallinlovewithDr.Manette’sdaughter,Lucie.ButLuciegetsmarrytoDarnay.Beforetheirwedding,DarnayrevealshisrealnameandwhohisfamilyistoDr.Manette.ThoughDr.ManettehatesDarnay’sfamily,hepermitsthemarriageforhisdaughter’shappiness.CartonconfesseshislovetoLucieaswell.Knowingshewillnotlovehiminreturn,Cartonpromisesto“embraceanysacrificeforyouandforthosedeartoyou”.PlotSummaryInthesummerof1792,DarnayacquiresaletterfromGabelle,ataxcollectorforthelateMarquis.GabellehasbeenimprisonedandbegsthenewMarquistocometohisaid.Darnay,whofeelsguiltyaboutrelinquishinghistitle,leavesforParistohelpGabelle.ButoncehearrivedatParis,hewasarrested,becausehewasamemberoftheEvremonde.Therevolutionarieswanttokilleverymemberofthatfamily.Ayearandthreemonthslater,Darnayissentencedtobeexecutedbyguillotine(断头台).PlotSummaryThenCartondecidestopretendtobeDarnayandtobeexecutedinhisplace.HedoesthisoutofloveforLucie,recallinghisearlierpromisetoher.Atlast,DarnayescapedfromFrancetoEnglandwithDr.Manette,Mr.Lorry,Lucieandtheirlittledaughter.LanguageDickensusesliteraltranslationsofFrenchidiomsforcharacterswhocan'tspeakEnglish,suchasWhatthedevildoyoudointhatgalleythere?!!andWhereismywife?---Hereyouseeme.ThePenguinClassicseditionofthenovelnotesthatNotallreadershaveregardedtheexperimentasasuccess.AnalysisAnalysisHumorThisarticlemayrequirecopyeditingforgrammar,style,cohesion,tone,orspelling.Youcanassistbyeditingit.(May2012)Dickensisrenownedforhishumor,butATaleofTwoCitiesisoneofhisleastcomicalbooks.Dickensalsousesashumorinthebooktoshowdifferentpointsofview.Thebookisfulloftragicsituations,leavinglittleroomforintendedhumorprovidedbyDickens.HighlightsItwasthebestoftimes,itwastheworstoftimes,itwastheageofwisdom,itwastheageoffoolishness,itwastheepochofbelief,itwastheepochofincredulity,itwastheseasonofLight,itwastheseasonofDarkness,itwasthespringofhope,itwasthewinterofdespair,wehadeverythingbeforeus,wehadnothingbeforeus,wewereallgoingdirecttoHeaven,wewereallgoingdirecttheotherway--inshort,theperiodwassofarlikethepresentperiod,thatsomeofitsnoisiestauthoritiesinsistedonitsbeingreceived,forgoodorforevil,inthesuperlativedegreeofcomparisononly.那是最美好的时代，那是最糟糕的时代；那是智慧的年头，那是愚昧的年头；那是信仰的时期，那是怀疑的时期；那是光明的季节，那是黑暗的季节；那是希望的春天，那是失望的冬天；我们拥有一切，我们一无所有;我们全都在直奔天堂，我们全都在直奔相反的方向--简而言之，那时跟现在非常相象，某些最喧嚣的权威坚持要用形容词的最高级来形容它。说它好，是最高级的；说它不好，也是最高级的。