A Tale of Two

Cities
By Gul Bashra Askar 8-White

 Table of contents
Chapter 1
01 -Analysis of the opening

-Comparison between England and
France

-Literary analysis

03 Chapter 4,5 and 6
Combined summaries

-Description of Mr.Jarvis Lorry.

-Important terms
 -Description of Miss Manette

-Mr and Mrs. Defarge

-Importance of the word business
Chapter 2 and 3
02
being repeated

-Dr.Manette

-Glossary

Combined summary

-Situation of England

-Starting of chapter 3

-Description of Jerry Cruncher

-Theme

-Glossary

oments
Remember the m
 C h a pter
s
This i The
1; “
d”
Perio

01
Book the First-Chapter 1
-Analysis of the opening

-Comparison between England and France

-Literary analysis

-Important terms

 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 winter of despair, we had everything before us, we
had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we
were all going direct the other way

— Charles Dickens
 Important - Important - Important
This is one of the most famous sentence of Charles Dickens. Many people also refer to it in their articles or while
describing a scenario or issue.
● Charles Dickens starts by the comparison between the aristocrats and the commoners. It was definitely the
best of times for the aristocrats who were enjoying all the ease and luxury and who did not have any burden
to pay taxes.
● On the other hand, it was the worst of times for the commoners who lived under a tyrannical rule of unjust
rulers. The commoners were unable to afford their daily bread and butter.
● The age of wisdom can be pointed towards the enlightenment movement or the enlightenment group, or
even simply the revolutionaries who were trying to awaken the people.
● While the age of foolishness can be pointed towards the nobles and the rulers, who thought that they will
enjoy this ease and luxury eternally.
● The opulent lived incautious and luxurious lives not thinking once about the conditions of the
commoners.
● It was the epoch of incredulity for the monarchs that there will be no end to anything (end in a sense that
they will continue enjoying everything). while for the epoch of incredulity for the commoners will be in a
sense that they did not think that the situation will get better. The epoch of belief can also be for the rulers,
as how they believed in the fact that they will rule forever.
 Important - Important - Important

● The commoners were surrounded by darkness (injustice, unease, inhumane treatments,

hunger etc.) from all the four sides, and the monarchs were covered by light (ease, luxury,
incautious life, health, food etc.) by all four sides. For the commoners it was a season of
darkness and for the monarchs it was a season of light.

● The spring of hope never ended for the monarchs and the winter of despair never left for the
commoners.

● When the author says that “we were all going direct to heaven”, it can be directed towards the
clergy and how they thought they will go to heaven no matter how evil their actions were.

● When the author says “we were all going direct the other way”, it points out to the
commoners who were punished for not kneeling down to the rain to honour a dirty monk
procession.
 What is Chapter 1 all
about?
➔ Chapter 1; The Period, is a comparison between
the situation of France and England in 1775.

➔ This chapter just sets the starting tone for the
entire novel and also gives an idea about what is
going to happen.

➔ What is common in both England and France is
the basic concept of duality. Both countries are
simultaneously experiencing very similar and
very different situations. 

 Comparison
France England
➔ King with a large jaw- King Louis XVI
 ➔ King with a large jaw - King George III.

➔ Queen with a fair face- Marie ➔ Queen with a plain face- Queen Sophia
Antoinette 
 Charlotte

➔ Inflation is out of control.
 ➔ Poor law and order situation.

➔ Intolerable injustices.
 ➔ Supernatural and spiritualities gain
➔ A young man did not kneel to the rain more attention.

to honour a dirty procession of the ➔ Cock Lane ghost.

monks. His tongue torn out with ➔ On Mrs. Southcott 25th birthday, a
pincers. His body was burnt alive.
 British private claimed he could read the
➔ The author also foreshadows a bit future and said that the westminster
about the future (i.e, the guillotine, hall will be destroyed. 

the carts, Farmer, Death etc.)

 Themes
The two prominent themes unlocked in this chapter are:

● Duality

From the starting till the end, two opposites have been compared in
this chapter.

● Unjust social system/ injustices of the rulers

This chapter uncovers the horrific and terrible conditions that the
French people have to go through, under an unjust monarchy.







 Literary Analysis

Paradox, antithesis and duality are used throughout the chapter as two
different things are being compared. These 3 literary devices are also used
in the starting paragraph of the chapter. 

Duality is also one of the most important theme of the entire novel. In
duality, two opposites are being compared. 

 Important terms
1. Woodman : Woodman is fate personified.

2. Movable framework: Guillotine, that played a terrible role in history. 

3. Rude carts: Carts carrying the people to the guillotine. 

4. Farmer: Represents death.



➔ The trees growing would once decide the fate of the people, i.e they will be
transformed into guillotines.

➔ It’s likely too that on the crude farms near Paris sat rough, filthy carts, which pigs
snuffed around and poultry roosted in, that Death had decided would be used
during the Revolution to cart people to the guillotine. Though Fate and Death work
constantly, they also work quietly, so no one heard them as they went sneaking
around. Instead, if a person even suggested that bad times were on the way, he
would be accused of being an atheist and a traitor.

 Chapter 2
and 3

Chapter 2 and 3
02 Combined summary

-Situation of England

-Starting of chapter 3

-Description of Jerry Cruncher.

-Tone of both the chapters

-Theme

-Glossary



 Combined Summary
Previously in Chapter 1, the author gives an idea about the unfavourable conditions of France and
England. Chapter 2 focuses on of the major theme of the novel; Resurrection. One night, a mail
coach, (carrying three passengers that were wrapped from the top to the bottom and nobody knew
what the other looked like) was going from London to Dover. The horses were struggling to ascend
the hill and the coachman swore that they were not fit for this journey. There was mist everywhere.
The passengers themselves did not share any sort of information as England had poor law and
order and anybody could be a robber or related to some sort of criminal group.



As they all stopped for rest, the coachman heard some voices of a horse galloping in their direction.
He cocked the gun (blunderbuss) and was ready to fire. The man on the other horse was Jerry
Cruncher, the messenger and porter at Tellson’s bank. He had brought a message for Mr. Lorry,
one of the 3 passengers and who works at Tellson’s bank.The letter said to wait for Miss Manette
at Dover, and Mr. Lorry’s answer to that was “RECALLED TO LIFE”. When Mr. Lorry was going
back into the coach, the other 2 passengers hid their belongings in their boots and pretended to be
asleep. Jerry Cruncher was also left bewildered by Mr. Lorry’s answer, he became extremely
puzzled that he kept taking his hat off to scratch his head.

 Combined Summary
Jerry Cruncher reminds himself that this (i.e the answer RECALLED TO LIFE) does not suit him,
and thinks Mr. Lorry might have been drunk. 



In the coach, Mr. Lorry kept on thinking about the bank and seldomly thought he was actually
in the coach. The thought of digging someone out of a grave kept on bugging him. He envisions
the face of Dr.Manette in his mind (i.e, how would he look after 18 years and how would he
be).Mr. Lorry asks Dr. Manette repeatedly that if he cares to live and he gets the answer that
he (i.e, Dr Manette) can’t tell. Soon, the night fades away and the day enters, with light and
shine.

 Evolu
tio n
Situation of England
➔ As mentioned before as well, England is undergoing a poor government with robberies occurring
every day.

➔ Everyone feels unsafe in England. 

➔ Nobody trusts one another.

➔ Everybody is a mystery to another.

➔ People has to hide their valuable items and be prepared with bullets and guns.



…his fellow-passengers, who had expeditiously secreted their watches and purses in their boots, and were now
making a general pretence of being asleep’’.


This sentence also shows the reaction of the other passengers after Mr.Lorry was called out.



With this hurried adjuration, he cocked his blunderbuss, and stood on the offensive.

This shows how they were already prepared with the essentials for any unwanted situation.

 Isn
Starting of Chapter 3 dee ’t it
p?

A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and
mystery to every other.

Every human is a mystery to another human. We won’t be able to look at the mysteries of life and
catch every glimpse of it.Everyone will die at the end. There are many secrets that people carry
but once people die, they are no longer secrets, they are left as mysteries.


Jerry’s description in Chapter 3

Jerry Cruncher has spikey stiff black hair, that even a leap frog won’t like to jump from it since it
was very spiky. Jerry also has a blunt, broad and wide nose.

 Theme

Resurrection is the most prominent theme in Chapter 2 and 3. Resurrection means

bringing back to life. Mr. Lorry constantly imagines a conversation with the never
heard of, Dr. Manette, in his mind and asks him questions about coming back to life. In
the further chapters, Dr. Manette will be seen after 18 years in the house of an old
servant in Saint Antoine, Paris.

 Glossary

● Something of the awfulness"Something of the impressiveness. "Awfulness"here means "inspiring

awe"rather than "terrible."

● coach and six a coach drawn by six horses.

● alehouse a a place where ale is sold and served; tavern.

● cocked-hat a three-cornered hat with a turned-up brim.

● the mail "short for "mail coach,"a coach that carried mail and passengers.

● arm-chest a chest containing weapons.

● cutlass a short, curving sword, originally used by sailors.

● jack-boots heavy, sturdy military boots that extend above the knees.

● "The rider's horse was blown"The horse was out of breath.

● flint and steel Flint is a fine-grained, very hard rock that produces sparks when struck against a piece of
steel. Before the invention of matches, people used flint and steel to start fires.




 u r B est
O y
e t hodolog
M

03
Chapter 4,5 and 6
-Combined summaries

-Description of Mr.Jarvis Lorry.

-Description of Miss Manette

–Mr and Mrs.Defarge

-Spilling of wine

-Importance of the word business being repeated

-Dr Manette and changes to him after being imprisoned

 Combined Summaries
Mr. Lorry arrives at Royal George Hotel in the late morning. He gets freshed and waits for the daughter of his
old friend, Doctor Alexandre Manette, to arrive. His daughter’s name is Lucie Manette. Lucie comes to talk to
Mr. Lorry about her father’s property (she considers her father dead). Mr. Lorry starts the conversation by
narrating her a story of one of his customer and keeps on repeating the word ‘business’. 18 years ago, Dr.
Manette was imprisoned in the state prison, Bastille. He was imprisoned before his daughter’s birth. Soon
after Lucie was born, her poor and unhappy mother passed away leaving Lucie in the hands of Mr.Lorry and
Miss Pross, who were her caretakers.



Lucie Manette realizes that the story is of none but her father, a French doctor married to an English woman
with a beautiful blue-eyed daughter with golden hair. Lucie after knowing that her father is still alive, goes
into a state of bewilderment and shock, gripping to his hand, Mr. Lorry calls out for help. A large red-haired
woman (Miss Pross) enters and yells for the inn servants to bring smelling salts and peppers.



In Chapter 5, the setting is in the town of Paris, Saint Antoine. A cask of wine had been broken and wine had
been spilled. This stopped the normal casual routine of the people and attracted everybody to the sight where
the river of wine was. People gathered around with plight and joy, drinking wine themselves as well as feeding
their infants. Some brought old clay mugs to dip it in the wine and then drink from it. For a long interval, food
and taste was unknown. The children became old due to hunger. Hunger was everywhere.

 Combined Summaries
Meanwhile, the wine-shop owner, Monsieur Defarge was furious. Gaspard (the joker) takes the wine and
writes blood with it on the wall. Mr. Defarge smears mud over it and cleans his hands on the joker’s clothes.



Inside the shop, Monsieur Defarge and Mrs. Defarge have a conversation with 3 men known as the Jacques.
Monsieur Defarge sends the men upstairs, to a chamber on the fifth floor. Meanwhile, Mr. Lorry and Lucie
have entered the shop and, after a brief discussion with Monsieur Defarge, they follow him upstairs to the fifth
floor chamber, where the three Jacques are peering inside through holes in the wall. Monsieur Defarge unlocks
the door, and he, Mr. Lorry, and Lucie enter the room. Inside the darkened room, they see a white-haired man
sitting on a bench making shoes.



When Dr.Manette was being taken to prison, some strand of his wife’s hair got stuck in his button, he kept
those hairs safe with him. Dr.Manette had changed a lot after staying in the prison. He now responds slowly,
and is busy making shoes. The things he cares a lot for are the unfinished shoes and his toolbox. Dr.Manette
spent most of his time making shoes. Due to a long period in the prison, Dr.Manette has even forgotten his
own name. The name that he was known in the prison was “One Hundred and Five, North Tower”. As
Dr.Manette sees his daughter for the first time, he remembers the strands of hair that he kept with himself. At
first (when he sees Lucie’s hairs), he thinks it might be his wife but soon realises that Lucie was too young and
could not be his wife. Dr.Manette has changed a lot and has not seen light for a long time, he prefers to be in
the dark. Mr. Defarge was also furious after seeing the condition of his old master. Lucie Manette decides to
take Dr.Manette back to London and start a new life.

 Description of Mr. Jarvis Lorry
Mr. Lorry is described as a gentleman of about sixty. The physical appearance of Mr.
Lorry can be seen in Chapter 4. He looked very methodical and orderly, i.e he looked neat
and tidy, and kept his hand on each knee. He seems to be a man of good grooming.
Dickens further describes his clothes that are of a fading brown colour. He also wore thin
brown tight stockings, as the author suggest that he was a little vain of his legs and
showed them off.

He had a good leg, and was a little vain of it, for his brown stockings fitted sleek and close, and were of a fine
texture; his shoes and buckles, too, though plain, were trim
He wore a smooth golden wig, because it was really smooth, it looked much like glass than of
hair. 

He wore an odd little sleek crisp flaxen wig, setting very close to his head: which wig, it is to be presumed, was made
of hair, but which looked far more as though it were spun from filaments of silk or glass.
The author then coming to his facial expressions say that he had a calm face with bright eyes under his
wig, and it might have been really hard for his bright eyes to train to take on the dull expression of
Tellson’s bank. He had wrinkles and some of them indicated signs of anxiety.

He had a healthy colour in his cheeks, and his face, though lined, bore few traces of anxiety.
 The
Process
Description of Lucie Manette
Lucie Manette was a young lady of not more than seventeen years old, wearing her
riding cloak and holding her straw traveling hat by its ribbon. She had blue dazzling
eyes and golden hair, as well as a smooth forehead that would only wrinkle up in an
expression that looked like a mixture of confusion, wonder, fear and keen awareness.

As Mr. Lorry sees Lucie, he remembers the child whom he held in his arms on the
journey across a Channel separating England and France.

The author deeply focuses on Lucie’s forehead and her expressions when Mr. Lorry is
narrating a story of one of her customers to her. 



a young lady of not more than seventeen, in a riding-cloak, and still holding her straw travelling-hat by its ribbon
in her hand. As his eyes rested on a short, slight, pretty figure, a quantity of golden hair, a pair of blue eyes that
met his own with an inquiring look, and a forehead with a singular capacity (remembering how young and
smooth it was), of rifting and knitting itself into an expression that was not quite one of perplexity, or wonder, or
alarm, or merely of a bright fixed attention, though it included all the four expressions—as his eyes rested on these
things, a sudden vivid likeness passed before him, of a child whom he had held in his arms on the passage across
that very Channel, one cold time, when the hail drifted heavily and the sea ran high.
 Mr. and Mrs. Defarge
Mr. Defarge
Mr. Defarge, a man of thirty years old, is the owner of the wine-shop. He looks like if he belongs
to army or military (but he actually does not). He was angry at what had happened, but did not
seem to be very angry. He wore no coat, but carried one slung over his shoulder. Mr. Defarge
had a slightly dark complexion with curly dark brown hair. The author says that his eyes were
space far apart. He was pleasant-looking too but on the other side he was a very determined
man as well. Once he wants to do something, nothing can stop him.



This wine-shop keeper was a bull-necked, martial-looking man of thirty, and he should have been of a hot
temperament, for, although it was a bitter day, he wore no coat, but carried one slung over his shoulder. His
shirt-sleeves were rolled up, too, and his brown arms were bare to the elbows. Neither did he wear anything more
on his head than his own crisply-curling short dark hair. He was a dark man altogether, with good eyes and a good
bold breadth between them. Good-humoured looking on the whole, but implacable-looking, too; evidently a man of
a strong resolution and a set purpose; a man not desirable to be met, rushing down a narrow pass with a gulf on
either side, for nothing would turn the man.
Mrs. Defarge

Mrs. Defarge is the wife of Mr. Defarge and has the same age of her husband. She had an
astute observation but rarely looked at anything. She was stout and a well-mannered
woman and there was something about her that she rarely made mistakes. Her hand was
heavily ringed (i.e, she was wearing a lot of rings). She had a calm face with
strong-features and had great self-control. She was very sensitive to the cold, and
wrapped herself in a brightly-coloured shawl, but that did not hide her large earrings that
she wore. Mrs. Defarge was busy knitting. The author constantly repeats “coughed
another grain of cough”, that means she coughed slightly, or just as we do to clear our
throat. When the author says, “and saw nothing”, that does not mean that she does not
see anything, she is a stout and observant women, she pretends she saw nothing but
actually has seen everything.



Madame Defarge, his wife, sat in the shop behind the counter as he came in. Madame Defarge was a stout
woman of about his own age, with a watchful eye that seldom seemed to look at anything, a large hand
heavily ringed, a steady face, strong features, and great composure of manner. There was a character about
Madame Defarge, from which one might have predicated that she did not often make mistakes against
herself in any of the reckonings over which she presided. Madame Defarge being sensitive to cold, was
wrapped in fur, and had a quantity of bright shawl twined about her head, though not to the concealment
of her large earrings.
 ¿?
Spilling of wine
A large cask of wine had been broken, and wine spilled everywhere. The author says that “people
within the reach had suspended their business”, i.e, they left their usual routine and went to
where the river of wine was. There was plight and joy everywhere. People didn’t taste anything
for a log time and this spilling of wine was a blessing for all of them. Some made mud
embankments to collect the wine, and others also brought their old clay mugs to dip in the wine
and drink for it. The wine was also fed to the infants, through handkerchiefs. The author says
“there was little roughness and much playfulness”, that indicates not to their fight on the wine
but to their joy and happiness. The wine has stained many faces, many feets, many hands and the
ground of the narrow street of Saint Antoine. The spilling of wine foreshadows the French
Revolution and how at that time blood will be spilled instead of wine. Dickens also hints to the
future but side by side also hints at how hunger, anger and want will transform caring, descent
humans into unthinking and bloodthirsty animals.He describes some of the wine drinkers as having "a
tigerish smear about the mouth,"and the residents of Saint Antoine have a "hunted air"and harbor a
"wild-beast thought of the possibility of turning at bay."The image of the tiger will appear again later in
the book, as will the vision of an oppressed people losing their humanity in their anger and quest for
revenge.

 Thes
e are
Business Conc
the
epts!

Mr. Lorry insists that he is no more than a man of simple business. He

keeps on repeating word “business”. Mr. Lorry seems to be a man with no
feelings but deep inside he is just hiding his feelings. He is deeply troubled
by the condition of Dr.Manette, his concern is apparent in his dreams
about digging out Dr.Manette. He discloses the story of Alexandre
Manette to his daughter, Lucie Manette in a gentle manner, and initially
presents it of a story of an anonymous customer, to give her some time to
adjust to the shocking news. Mr. lorry is also emotional to see Dr. Manette
after 18 long years. He keeps on reminding himself that is just mere
business and like this he also gives courage to Lucie Manette, that this is
business, this is normal.

 M
aMp
Dr.Manette asp!s

!

When Dr.Manette was being taken to prison, some strand of his wife’s hair got stuck in his
button, he kept those hairs safe with him. Dr.Manette had changed a lot after staying in
the prison. He now responds slowly, and is busy making shows. The things he cares a lot
for are the unfinished shoes and his toolbox. Dr.Manette spent most of his time making
shoes. Due to a long period in the prison, Dr.Manette has even forgotten his own name.
The name that he was known in the prison was “One Hundred and Five, North Tower”. As
Dr.Manette sees his daughter for the first time, he remembers the strands of hair that he
kept with himself. At first (when he sees Lucie’s hairs), he thinks it might be his wife but
soon realises that Lucie was too young and could not be his wife. Dr.Manette has changed
a lot and has not seen light for a long time, he prefers to be in the dark. Mr. Defarge was
also furious after seeing the condition of his old master. Lucie Manette decides to take
Dr.Manette back to London and start a new life.

 Glossary
Chapter 4
forenoon morning; the part of the day before noon.


drawer a bartender; tapster.


packet a boat that travels a regular route, as along a coast or river, carrying passengers, mail, and freight.


Calais a seaport in northern France, on the Strait of Dover; located across the English Channel from Dover.


claret a dry, red wine, especially red Bordeaux.


linen things made of linen; in this case, shirts.


piscatory flavor a fishy flavor.


horsehair a stiff fabric made from the hair of the mane or tail of a horse.


Channel the English Channel.


pier glass a tall mirror set on a pier, or wall section, between two windows.


Beauvais a town in France north of Paris.


pecuniary of or involving money.


compatriot a fellow countryman.


"the privilege of filling up blank forms"members of the French aristocracy could issue warrants for the indefinite imprisonment of
their enemies without a trial.


Grenadier wooden measure a tall, cylindrical measuring cup.


smelling salts an aromatic mixture of carbonate of ammonium and some fragrant scent used as an inhalant in relieving faintness,
headaches, and the like.


Chapter 5

lee-dyed soaked with the dregs of the wine.


Jacques the use of the name Jacques to signify French peasants began in the peasant revolts in 1358. To maintain anonymity and to
show solidarity, rebels called each other by the same name. The network of rebels using the Jacques appellation is referred to as the
Jacquerie.

Notre-Dame "Our Lady": a famous, early Gothic cathedral in Paris; the full name is Notre-Dame de Paris.


the window of dormer shape a window set vertically in a sloping roof.


Chapter 6

One hundred and five, North Tower Doctor Manette's designation in the Bastille.


provender food.


pallet bed a small bed or pad filled as with straw and used directly on the floor


the box the driver's seat of a coach.


adieu French for "farewell."




 Resources
● A Tale of Two Cities

● Class notes

● Spark Notes

● No fear translation

● Cliff Notes

 Thanks
Do you have any questions?

bashragul88@gmail.com



Or simply ask on Google Classroom


CREDITS: This presentation template was created

by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, and
infographics & images by Freepik