A Tale of Two Cities - Book Summary
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- Read our full summary at www.gradesaver...
A Tale of Two Cities is a novel written by Charles Dickens. Originally published in weekly installments in Dickens’ own literary journal, the novel is set during the violent French Revolution. A Tale of Two Cities follows the epic love triangle involving Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat; Sydney Carton, his lookalike; and the beautiful Lucie Manette.
Set in 1775, the novel opens with the very famous line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….” Jarvis Lorry, a bank clerk, is traveling from London to Dover to meet with Lucie Manette, the daughter of one of his old friends. Lucie’s father, the once-esteemed Dr. Manette, has long been imprisoned in the Bastille; she believes him to be dead. Upon Lorry’s arrival, he shocks Lucie by revealing that her father is, in fact, alive-or as he puts it in a letter to his colleague, “recalled to life.”
Lorry takes Lucie to France to reunite her with Dr. Manette, who is being housed in the wine shop of Defarge, Manette’s former servant. Driven mad by years of imprisonment, Dr. Manette spends his time working as a cobbler. Lorry encourages Lucie to shower her father with affection. She does, and over the course of five years, her father regains his sanity.
The story then jumps ahead to 1780 London, where Charles Darnay is being tried for providing English secrets to the French and the Americans during the American Revolution. Darnay’s lawyer, Mr. Stryver, has a disgraced colleague from whom he seeks advice. This alcoholic colleague, Sydney Carton, happens to look remarkably similar to the accused man, Darnay. When Sydney Carton appears in the courtroom, everything is thrown into chaos. Since Carton looks nearly identical to Darnay, the court cannot definitively identify Darnay as the spy; they are forced to acquit him.
Fatefully, Darnay, Carton, and Mr. Stryver all fall in love with Lucie Manette, who served as an unwilling witness for the prosecution. After a year of courtship, Lucie decides to marry Darnay. But Carton tells Lucie that, while he does not expect her to return his love, he would do anything for her or for anyone she cares about. On the morning of the couple’s wedding, Darnay reveals to Dr. Manette that he is a French nobleman who renounced his title. When the couple returns from their honeymoon, Darnay and Carton agree to be friends.
Darnay visits his uncle, Monseigneur Evrémonde, in France, who has that very day run over a peasant child with his carriage. Disgusted by his uncle’s lack of remorse, Darnay curses Evrémonde, a family name Darnay has renounced, and declares his intention to return to England the following day. The Monseigneur’s behavior exemplifies the French aristocracy’s pitiless attitude towards the common people; indeed, he is murdered in bed the next morning. A note signed “Jacques” is left behind by the peasant child’s father, Gaspard.
Back in Paris, an English spy named John Barsad drops into Defarge’s wine shop to gather evidence and determine whether Defarge is a revolutionary. While Defarge reveals practically nothing, his wife, Madame Defarge, secretly knits a list of people she and the other revolutionaries intend to kill.
Eight years later, in 1789, the French Revolution is underway. Peasants storm the Bastille and murder aristocrats in the streets. Monsieur Gabelle, the man in charge of the Evremonde estate, is imprisoned and urgently requests that Darnay return to Paris. When he does, Darnay is arrested as a nobleman and an emigrant. He is thrown into jail.
Doctor Manette, Lucie, and her daughter follow Darnay to Paris. The Doctor temporarily secures Darnay's release by using his power among the revolutionaries as a former Bastille prisoner. But Darnay is eventually denounced by the now powerful Defarges, who produce a document found in Manette’s former cell. It reveals that Manette was jailed by the Evrémondes for witnessing the rape of a peasant girl and the murder of her brother. As a result, Darnay is sentenced to death.
Carton, however, is determined to help Lucie. Arriving in Paris, Carton overhears the Defarges’ plan to kill Lucie and her child, and realizes that Madame Defarge is the surviving sister of the Evrémonde’s victims. Acting quickly, Carton arranges for the Manettes to leave Paris immediately.
Carton soon recognizes John Barsad as Solomon Pross, the long-lost brother of Miss Pross, Lucie Manette’s servant. He recruits Barsad, who works as a turnkey in the Conciergerie, to break into Darnay’s cell. Carton then drugs Darnay and takes his place, having Barsad carry Darnay to safety.
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Thanks for saving my grades💀
Sameee. I'm watching this a day before my exam ...
@@priyanshiperiwal6466good luck my friend me too
Same bro my half yearly exam@@priyanshiperiwal6466
Best of luck for all of us
Waiting this to do homework. 😂
So morral of the story? Sydney Carton was a real one.
Also Miss Pross
Who's here because of school 😊🤛
Me
Me
from Bangladesh.
College*
I just read the book but I was honestly so confused, thank you for this 😂
Tomorrow is my exam and the tales of two cities is the bonus reading thankyou 😊
Such a great summary! Love how you explained the book.
Whyyyyyy did Sydney carton die he was the best 🤌💔😭
Same I fall in love with him
my exam is after 2 hours ❤ thx bro
Thank you! Great summary, artwork, and narration.
My Literature teacher gave us assignment to write a book review T_T
Same
Sydney Carton.. A simp or the ultimate sacrifice, like Jesus?
Sydney carton was the one ❤
Bro saves our grade
Thanks for helping me to study this story😊 who is whith me?
Me 😊
My exams tmmrw. Thankyou for saving me.
People here 1 day before exam💀
👇
A few hours before an exam 💀💀💀
Wish they had this when I was in school
This is one of my favorite books!
So this inspired Gotham City?
Yes
Summarize The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian / The Good Earth
Just found out i got an exam in 3 hrs so i gotta understand this whole thing rq 😊😊😨😨 i hope this help
Ohhh
Why this is taught in school is besides me.
Thank you
Thank you!!!!
1:16 🤨
what unclear statement also states about ur dp absolutely nothing
I got analysis for this tmrw
What chapter is this to and from?
The whole story
The absolute bs
helpful vid. thank you
How
Ohhh
Even the graphic novel is hard to follow, thanks