ATaleofTwoCities

1、A Tale of Two Cities Charles DickensPresenter： I History BackgroundII Characters & Plot SummaryIII Analysis Contents1 Charles Dickens2 French Revolution 3 Victorian PeriodI History Background1 Charles DickensFeb. 7, 1812-Jun. 9,1870British critical realist writer in the 19th century, generally consi

2、dered the greatest of the Victorian periodAt the age of 15, worked as a reporter. His fiction career began with short pieces reprinted as Sketches by “Boz” 主要的三类人The serialization of such works as Oliver Twist (1838) and The Old Curiosity Shop (1841) followed. After a trip to America, he wrote A Chr

3、istmas Carol (1843) in a few weeks.With Dombey and Son (1848), his novels began to express a heightened uneasiness about the evils of Victorian industrial society, which intensified in the semiautobiographical David Copperfield (1850), as well as in Bleak House (1853), Little Dorrit (1857), Great Ex

4、pectations (1861), and others.A Tale of Two Cities (1859) appeared in the period when he achieved great popularity for his public readings.2 French Revolution The French Revolution (1789 to 1799) was a period of radical social and political upheaval, marking the decline of powerful monarchies and th

5、e rise of democracy and nationalism. The Storming of the Bastille (14 July 1789)occurred in Paris. Bastille represented royal authority in the center of Paris. The prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming but was a symbol of the abuses of the monarchy: its fall was the flashpo

6、int of the French Revolution.3 Victorian Period The Victorian era of British history was from 20 June 1837 until her death, on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity and national self-confidence for Britain. Stagecoaches, canals, steam ships and most notably the railways all allo

7、wed goods, raw materials and people to be moved about, rapidly facilitating trade and industry.Queen VictoriaII 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) by the Marquis of Evremonde(一个封建贵族) for trying to rep

8、ort their crimes against a peasant family. For a long time, Lucie had thought that her father had died.Dr. ManetteLucie ManetteJarvis LorryMr. Jarvis Lorry is an employee of Tellsons Bank, and he is also an old friend of Dr. Manettes. He helps bring Lucie to see her father.Darnay met Lucie when Luci

9、e went back to England with her father, and they finally fell in love with each other. Unfortunately, he was a nephew of the Marquis, who put Dr. Manette into prison. But he was a kindhearted man; he resented how the lower classes were extorted and kept in extreme poverty by the upper class. DarnayS

10、ydney 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 Lucie. At the end of the novel, Darnay was supposed to be executed, but Carton chose to take Darnays place. Madame DefargeMonsieur Defarge was once Mon

11、sieur Manettes servant . And Madame Defarge was the surviving sister of the peasant family savaged by the Marquis. They had ever taken care of Dr. Manette after he got out of prison. But this couple hated the Marquis so much that they wanted to kill every one in the Marquis family, including Darnay,

12、 and Dr. Manettes granddaughter, who was aslo Darnay and Lucies daugher.Monsieur DefargeII Plot SummaryThe story takes places 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

13、in extreme poverty by the upper class. The great revolution aiming to destroy the upper classes finally broke out.Dr. Manette was imprisoned.p In 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 cross

14、ing into France, he meets 17-year-old Miss Lucie Manette, and reveals to her that her father is not dead.On 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 a member of the Evremonde family. Charle

15、s 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 real name and who his family is to Dr. Manette. Though Dr. Manette hates Darnays family, he permits the marriage for his daughters happiness. Carto

16、n 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 youpIn 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

17、Marquis to come to his aid. Darnay, who feels guilty about his title, leaves for Paris to help Gabelle. But once he 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 sent

18、enced to be executed by guillotine(断头台断头台).pThen Carton decides to pretend to be Darnay and to be executed in his place. He does this out of love for Lucie, recalling his earlier promise to her.pAt last, Darnay escaped from France to England with Dr. Manette, Mr. Lorry, Lucie and their little daught

19、er. 1 Language The uses literal translations of French idioms for characters who cant speak English. What the devil do you do in that galley there? and Where is my wife? -Here you see me. The book is full of tragic situations, leaving little room for intended humor provided by Dickens.III Analysis 2

20、 Theme : This novel profoundly reveal the sharpened social contradictions before the French Revolution and strongly attacked the cruel noble class and deeply sympathize with the sufferings of the people. The theme pointed that peoples patience is limited, and the cruel rule which was made by the ari

21、stocracy will make the people resist.Question： Mrs. Defarge was a good example: she had sworn that she must kill the last person in the Evremondes because of what her family had suffered from the evil Evremondes violence. She even wanted to kill Lucys daughter, just because she is also one of the Ev

22、remondes. Political Ideal: Criticism on uncontrolled and blind violence from revolutionary people The spirit of Humanism- love, sacrifice VS tyranny and corruptionPolitical ReformHighlights 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 spring of hope, it was the w