Ataleoftwocities1PPT教学课件

1、u The Authoru Background Informationu Plot Summaryu Analysisu HighlightsContents第1页/共22页 Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the worlds most well-known fictional characters and is generally regarded as the greatest nov

2、elist of the Victorian period.The author第2页/共22页The author第3页/共22页 The first period（before 1841） Features: Gentle social criticism Fantastic optimism Novela picaresca(流浪汉式小说) Exaggeration Three periods of his creation 第4页/共22页 The second period of his creation（18421858） Features: criticize bourgeois

3、(资本家) and their morality more completely unified plot and structure humor and satire Three periods of his creation 第5页/共22页 The later period （18581870） Features: humor and satire social criticism gentle reformism and strong humanitarian exploration of mans inner conflicts symbolism Three periods of

4、his creation 第6页/共22页Main characters in the novelLucie is Dr. Manettes daughter. When she was very young, Dr. Manette was locked away in the Bastille(巴士底狱) Lucie Manette第7页/共22页Main characters in the novelCharles DarnayDarnay met Lucie when Lucie went back to England with her father, and they finall

5、y fell in love with each other. Unfortunately, he was a nephew of the Marquis, who put Dr. Manette into prison. 第8页/共22页Main characters in the novelSydney CartonCarton was a self-indulgent and self-pitying but brilliant lawyer. He had helped Darnay a lot in his case. Carton also fell in love with Lu

6、cie. 第9页/共22页Background Information The story takes place in the society before and during the French Revolution. The two cities are London and Paris. Before the French Revolution, the lower classes in France were extorted and kept in extreme poverty by the upper class. The absolute monarchy(封建君主专制)

7、 were deeply hated by the poor people, and then the great revolution aiming to destroy the upper classes finally broke out.第10页/共22页Plot SummaryIn 1775, Mr. Jarvis Lorry, an employee of Tellsons Bank, is travelling from England to France to bring Dr. Manette to London on his return trip. Before cros

8、sing into France, he meets 17-year-old Miss Lucie Manette, and reveals to her that her father is not dead, as she had been told; instead, he was a prisoner in the Bastille for 18 years. Dr. Manette was imprisoned because he witnessed the Evremonde brothers crimes against a peasant family, and he rej

9、ected to be bribed to keep quiet. 第11页/共22页Plot SummaryOne their way back to London, they met Charles Darnay, who is actually the nephew of the Marquis of Evremonde. He changed his name because he didnt like to be a member of the Evremonde family. He was a man of good nature and kind heart.第12页/共22页

10、Plot Summary Five years later, Darnay is on trial for treason（叛国罪） at the Old Bailey, because two spies claim, falsely, that Darnay gave information about British troops in North America to the French. Darnay is acquitted（释放）, however, when a witness who claims he would be able to recognize Darnay a

11、nywhere is unable to tell Darnay apart from a lawyer present in court, Sydney Carton, who looks almost identical to him.第13页/共22页Plot Summary Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton both fall in love with Dr. Manettes daughter, Lucie. But Lucie gets marry to Darnay. Before their wedding, Darnay reveals his

12、 real name and who his family is to Dr. Manette. Though Dr. Manette hates Darnays family, he permits the marriage for his daughters happiness. Carton confesses his love to Lucie as well. Knowing she will not love him in return, Carton promises to “embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to

13、you”.第14页/共22页Plot Summary In the summer of 1792, Darnay acquires a letter from Gabelle, a tax collector for the late Marquis. Gabelle has been imprisoned and begs the new Marquis to come to his aid. Darnay, who feels guilty about relinquishing his title, leaves for Paris to help Gabelle. But once h

14、e arrived at Paris, he was arrested, because he was a member of the Evremonde. The revolutionaries want to kill every member of that family. A year and three months later, Darnay is sentenced to be executed by guillotine(断头台).第15页/共22页Plot Summary Then Carton decides to pretend to be Darnay and to b

15、e executed in his place. He does this out of love for Lucie, recalling his earlier promise to her. At last, Darnay escaped from France to England with Dr. Manette, Mr. Lorry, Lucie and their little daughter. 第16页/共22页Language Dickens uses literal translations of French idioms for characters who cant

16、 speak English, such as What the devil do you do in that galley there?! and Where is my wife? -Here you see me. The Penguin Classics edition of the novel notes that Not all readers have regarded the experiment as a success.Analysis第17页/共22页Analysis Humor This article may require copy editing for gra

17、mmar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. You can assist by editing it. (May 2012)Dickens is renowned for his humor, but A Tale of Two Cities is one of his least comical books. Dickens also uses as humor in the book to show different points of view. The book is full of tragic situations, leaving lit

18、tle room for intended humor provided by Dickens.第18页/共22页Highlights It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the sprin