Jacen Kurciviez Essay... Im aware Im not supposed to post it here but not every kid has access to a printer

[Jason Kay]

Jacen Kurciviez
December 29th, 2011
Connors-D

Must He Repeat Himself?


The vast language of an author is utilized in their novels to help
further extend character and plot development. In Charles Dickens’s
novel, A Tale of Two Cities, specific words used and repeated
throughout help foreshadow the ending of the story as well. Also,
language parallels and comparisons are used to add to the context of
the book. The way that Dickens depicts female characters and
associates them with sinister acts also adds to the full quality of
the novel. The way that Charles Dickens repeats specific words in his
story gives strength to characters, develops the character itself
along with the plot, and adds a hidden biblical message to add to the
full quality of the novel.
Charles Dickens uses female connotations throughout the book to
strengthen the female character as a whole. For example, the
guillotine in the book, otherwise known as “La Force” is a tool used
in the revolution to decapitate the enemies of the lower class. In
other words, La Force was used to kill the aristocracy of the French
Revolution. Killing the higher power was such a huge part of the
revolution and was also very gruesome as well. La Force fully
represents female power because “La” uses a female connotation in
French language and “Force” represents literally the force used in the
revolution. (Girl-Force) This female power is somewhat ironic
considering that usually guys are associated with cruel and more
physical acts. Also, Madame Defarge is the one that seeks revenge the
most in the book and her assistant “Vengeance” (Name is self
explanitory),whom is also female, is yet another one of the brute
savages in the book. Hence, the repeated reverse-role of the females
adds to the context of the book with the slight use of irony.
Dicken’s symbolic use of blood throughout the story adds to the lower
classes intentions and adds a biblical essence to the story. In
chapter 5, Book 1 it says “A Large cask of wine had been dropped and
broken in the street...All the people within reach had suspended their
business, or their idleness, to run to the spot and drink the
wine...Those who had been greedy with the staves of the cask, had
acquired a tigerish smear about the mouth; and one tall joker so
besmirched, his head more out of a long squalid bag of a nightcap than
in it, scrawled upon a wall with his fingers dipped in muddy wine-
BLOOD.” (Dickens 22-24) This scene is such a compelling one in the
novel because of how it depicts what the middle class will do for some
sort of drink. The way Dickens describes the scene depicts the people
as zombies craving blood in the way they drink it and the way they
scavenge for it. This blood and wine affiliation also brings the sense
of Jesus Christ into the story. The way that all the people drink the
blood of Christ adds a religious tone to the novel with the message
that “Despite dark times, Jesus is inside every soul.” The parallel
between blood and wine adds more than one meaning to the text
resulting in enhancing the quality of the novel.
Furthermore, the theme of “Rebirth and Resurrection” reoccur in A
Tale of Two Cities to add to the context of the novel. As Sydney
Carton is sacrificing himself for the love of Darnay and Lucie
Manette, Carton says before he is sacrificed “I am the Resurrection
and the Life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me
shall never die.” (Dickens 292) This quote fully exploits the idea of
Rebirth and Resurrection. The fact that Carton sacrifices himself for
the “sins of others” (Darnay’s relatives) allows him to take on the
role of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead which,
even though this scene is at the end of the novel, gives the reader an
inference that perhaps Carton’s soul or actions will be remembered by
others for the time to come. (Or maybe Darnay and Lucie name their
child after him?) Also, this quote supports the rebirth of Darnay and
Lucie’s new relationship in another country that will allow them to
live together in harmony. The way that this theme interacts with the
novel and is brought up so many times throughout the story correlates
optimistic ideas with pessimistic ones to bring a sense of hope to the
novel.
In conclusion, A Tale of Two Cities’ language adds to the novels
context, quality, and further drives plot development. The female role
in the novel creates a reverse environment for the book as well as
strengthening them. Also, the secret biblical affiliations in the book
create a much more compelling story in a way for a religious reader to
avidly enjoy the novel. The theme of the novel creates hope for the
reader/a basic idea on what might happen after the story is over which
gives an optimistic feeling to it all. If these great elements of
literature were not applied to A Tale of Two Cities then it would most
definitely not be the great book it is now.