Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
For all the violence, melodrama, and larger-than-life characters in A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens'
main theme is surprisingly sacred.
We'll look at this novel's testament to the possibility of resurrection—next.
The name of the first chapter in A Tale of Two Cities pretty much says it all. It's titled
Recalled to Life, and sums up Dickens' belief: that there is always the possibility for redemption
and transformation, both within individuals, and within society as a whole.
Perhaps the most notable personal transformation that occurs in this story is Sydney Carton's
metamorphosis from a lazy drunk into a man so heroic that he sacrifices his life to save
his friend. In fact, Dickens makes sure you get the resurrection message by turning Carton
into a Christ-like figure. Not only does Carton die for others, but he is also metaphorically
reborn in their hearts—and in the life of Charles and Lucie's baby boy, whom they name
after him.
On a societal level, Dickens uses the French Revolution to comment on the possibility of
cultural and political transformation. Even though Dickens spends the bulk of his novel
detailing the horrible acts, both of the aristocracy and the rebelling peasants, his tone is ultimately
hopeful. Eventually, he seems to be saying, France, too, will attain new life as a better,
freer society.