Tale of two cities: essay

Individual essay: Resurrection

The Dickens`s novel “Tale of two cities” is situated in the revolutionary France and England of the XVIII century. It was a time of great changes as well as violence and death. Charles Dickens illustrates these events in a particular way. He personify the “resurrection” of France and England before the revolution with the “recalling to life” of certain characters of the book who give a twist in the story. What is more, he connects the theme of the resurrection with the death and sacrifice in an extraordinary way.

The idea of resurrection appears for the first time in an encrypted message that Jarvis Lorry, a businessman, gave to Jerry Cruncher. The Tellson`s Bank messenger stopped the Dover mail-coach in which Lorry was traveling and told him to wait at Dover for a young woman. Mr Lorry answered with the encrypted message “recalled to life”.

Another fact that represents a symbol of resurrection happened with certain dark business of Jerry Cruncher. In chapter three Dickens tells us that Jerry “... was on his way to dig someone out of grave” in the shadows of the night. He dug up dead bodies and sold them to scientists in order to increase his income.

The transformation of Doctor Manette exemplifies another example of “resurrection”. He mutated from being a mindless shoemaker who was prisoned for eighteen years into a man of clearness. His surrounding and his loving daughter caring influenced Doctor Manette positively so as he could covered from his long-suffering confinement.

An unexpected twist of Sydney Carton represents a different expression of resurrection. Carton was an indifferent and alcoholic attorney with no prospects in life; however, he was in love with Lucie. At the end of the story, his deep feelings for Lucie made him sacrifices  himself for Lucie´s happiness. Sydney changed places with the condemned to death Charles Darnay and then he met his decease at the guillotine giving, in some way, a meaning to his life.

Finally, the story shows us how peacefully impoverished peasants revealed after suffering several years of atrocities from the higher states. Besides the fact that peasants had to pay several taxes, the bourgeoisie took advantage of the surplus of labor by keeping wages low. The poor people remained poor and often they lived cramped in squalor so, in their attempt to fight their way out of such poverty and despair, they attacked the Bastille and the French Revolution began. All of this illustrates a clear case of resurrection of the disadvantaged lower states against the aristocrats.

To sum up, Resurrection was such an important theme for Dickens that he developed it along all the book and through several character. Nevertheless, the most important resurrection took place with the fall of the ancient regime of France with the resulting renewed France after the appearance of the Guillotine.