Themes
This situation/event develops the theme of duality.
The contrast between the rich and poor leading up to the revolution
The Marquis refers to the common people as rats, why is this?
He views himself as better, and the lower class as inferior. They are no more than vermin to him.
What does the treatment of Miss Pross to Lucie reveal about her?
She is protective and caring towards Lucie, taking on a motherly role.
Which early event shows the interplay of duty and personal care, establishing the theme of loyalty in London Society?
Jarvis Lorry personally escorts Lucie Manette to her father's home, balancing professional responsibility with genuine compassion, highlighting how duty and personal loyalty intersect.
Paris and London both have a thriving upper class, and yet the ______ are left suffering.
Common people, the lower working class.
Jerry Cruncher develops a theme of secrecy by doing this.
He hides his second job from his family.
What is the symbolic meaning behind the "blue flies" in the Bailey court house?
The people are compared to swarming flies who hover over dead or dying things, symbolizing death to come.
What is Lucies personality like? How does she treat others?
She is compassionate and empathetic. She strives to help all that she can.
Which event highlights the moral and ethical tension in English society, contrasting personal integrity with ambition?
The courtroom trial of Charlas Darnay in England, where he is acquitted despite suspicion and social pressures, emphasizing themes of justice, honor, and the fragile line between truth and social perception.
Tellsons' Bank is widely trusted because of this.
Its old age and the elderly, experienced bankers there.
What motive does Gaspard have to develop the theme of revenge by killing the Marquis? What happens to him?
Gaspard was vengeful after the death of his child due to the Marquis' carriage. He kills the Marquis, and was later hung for it.
What do shoes, or more specifically, the making of shoes symbolize to Dr. Manette?
They are an escape from the hardship of life and offer him comfort.
Stryver is compared to a lion. What is the meaning of this metaphor?
He is ambitious and a powerful attorney. Between him and Carton, he is the leader.
Which event reveals the Marquis's cruelty, that demonstrates the deep social divide?
The Marquis laughs in the face of a poor widow who begs only for a headstone for her late husband, showing his callousness and disregard for the suffering of the oppressed.
What significant conversation occurs in the Temple Bar between Darnay and Carton, and what is the outcome?
What scene in Book 2 shows how everyday Parisians endure the burden of poverty and scarcity under the rigid class system?
A crowd fratically scoops spilled wine from the street, a moment that reveals their desperation and the crushing inequality between the starving poor and the indulgent aristocracy.
Madame Defarges purpose for constantly knitting.
To keep track of the list of revolutionists.
Carton has this outlook on life.
He feels hopeless and like a waste. He has given up and is prepared to lead an unfufilling life.
How do the peasants reactions to Charles Darnay's visit to his family estate reveal the deep class divide in pre- Revolutionary France?
Their silent, submissive behavior despite heavy taxes and suffering highlights the oppressive social hierarchy that fueled revolutionary anger.
Which location shows how ordinary places can become centers for anger and plotting?
The wine-shop in Saint Antoine, where townspeople gather, talk, and plan, showing how common spaces can hold growing unrest and revolutionary ideas.
Which character's journey best reflects the novel's idea of spiritual rebirth through love and care?
Symbolizing a "second life", Dr. Manette, this former prisoner regains hope and purpose through Lucie's devotion, embodying the theme of ressurection.
The gorgons are symbols to represent the changing events, including:
The death of the Marquis
The hanging of Gaspard
Which character's obsessive attention to recording and observation illustrates the intersection of personal trauma and political purpose, making them both minor yet crucial to the unfolding revolution?
Madame Defarge's associates or minor revolutionary observers, whose actions, though behind the scenes, magnify the consequences of aristocratic cruelty.
How could you justify the killing of the Marquis?
His treatment towards the lower class invoked the anger of many- he was heartless and and would face the consequences of his own actions.
Which location shows where important personal decisions are made and people's futures start to change?
Dr. Manette's home in Soho, London, where Lucie and others visit him, and where decisions about Charles Darnay and family matters begin to shape everyone's future.