A Tale of Two Cities

By Charles Dickens

1. Main Character

- Charles Darnay

- Sydney Carton

2. Main story of Tale of Two Cities

France and England are suffering from different social ills. That is the setting in which we meet Jerry
Cruncher, an employee in Tellson’s Bank, who sends an urgent message to Jarvis Lorry to meet a woman
in Dover. To Lorry responds back mysteriously with the words: Recalled to life. He indeed meets the
young woman at Dover. Her name is Lucie Manette, and she is the daughter of an eminent doctor with
glory days that have passed, who had just been found in France. Lorry joins Lucie on her journey to Paris
and escorts her to the meeting with Defarge, who was once a servant of her father. She finds out that
her father spends all the time making shoes, and that he went mad after spending almost two decades in
prison in Bastille. Lorry believes that Lucie if she finds it in herself to forgive him and love him, can bring
him back to life. What he believes turns out to be true.

A few years later, Charles Darnay is accused that he has committed treason against the English king. He is
represented by Stryver, who is known to be a great lawyer, but actually, his drunk colleague Carton who
is nowhere near as good as him is the one that saves him from the court by pointing out that even him
bears a resemblance to the spy the authorities believed exists. After he is set free, Carton hangs out with
Darnay, and we realize he resents him because he finds a resemblance to everything that he has once
wanted to be, but in the end, give up. In the meantime, in France, we meet Darnay’s uncle, the cruel
Marquis Evrémonde. The first impression we have of this men is him running down a plebian child while
he is moving with his carriage. His character manifests typicality for the aristocracy during the time he
lived in, and their attitude toward the lower class. The fact that he not only does not show remorse
towards his deed but that he also curses the poor, makes the readers dislike his character from the very
beginning. This situation and the picture we get of this man foreshadows the later argument he has with
his nephew: Darnay, once he arrives, states his intention to give up the identity as an Evremonde and to
return to England. The same night, the Marquis is killed by a murderer that signed himself as Jacques.

A year later, both Darnay and Carton are in love with Lucie and pledge their love to her. Lucie agrees to
marry Darnay and his promises her father that when they get married, he will reveal his identity.
Moreover, we saw a spy known as Roger Cly who is being buried. Cruncher joins the funeral procession,
and demonstrates his abilities as a thief of bodies, by sneaking into the cemetery and unburying the
body. In France in the meantime, another spy Barsard appears in front of Defarge talking about
uncovering a mounting revolution.

On the wedding morning, Darnay keeps the promise he gave to Lucie’s father, and the following evening,
Manette starts making shoes again. Nine days pass, and Manette regains his common sense, joining the
wedded couple on their honeymoon. After he returns from the honeymoon, Darnay is confronted by
Carton who asks for his friendship. A few years later, the reader is taken to the moment when the French
Revolution starts. Aristocrats are murdered on the streets by the revolutionaries, and a man named
Gabelle, who was in charge of maintaining the Evremonde estate, is taken to prison. Three years after his
imprisonment, he writes to Darnay asking for his help. Although the operation is highly dangerous to
him, Darnay decides to rescue him and departs for France. But, as soon as he sets his foot in Paris, he is
arrested by the revolutionaries as an immigrant. Lucie and her father follow him hoping that they could
somehow save him. However, he is kept in prison, until he receives a trial three months later.

3. Moral Value

-Don't treat people arbitrarily

-Overcome the problem in a good way don't use violence

-Give the best to someone even though they have to give up everything, including our lives.