The publication of A Tale of Two Cities in 1859 marked a seminal moment
in fictional literature history; to date, more than 200 million copies of
Charles Dickens’s epic novel have sold. Often included on high school required
reading lists, the fictionalized account of France in the years leading up to
the Revolution is easily one of the most beloved works in all of English literature.
Using the emerging popularity of the social networking site Twitter’s format,
here are ten tweets to summarize this timeless classic.
- @MmeDefarge “Fair amount of traffic at
@TheWineShop today. #Jacques” – The introduction of Madame Defarge marks
an important moment in the narrative, as her silent dedication to her
knitting belies the rage and desire for vengeance that seethes within her.
She alerts her husband to Lucie and Lorry’s presence, but chooses only to
converse with three customers who refer to one another by the
revolutionary code name “Jacques.”
- @LucieManette “I’ve
found my father, @DoctorManette!” – Lucie discovers that the
father she believed to be dead was actually alive after spending eighteen
years in the Bastille. Dedicating herself to his care, the relationship
between the father and daughter is one of the centerpieces of the novel.
- @ MonsieurTheMarquis “Quite a tiresome
journey today. The #peasants were particularly taxing.” – As a nod to
the embodiment of the French aristocracy and their cruelty, the Marquis
St. Evremonde seals his own fate by running over a child with his carriage
and killing him. Concerned only for the vehicle, he carelessly tosses a
coin to the child’s father as payment. The chapter chronicles his return
to the village over which he rules, which is rife with animal imagery
indicating his view of the peasants as little more than beasts.
Encountering a woman mourning an unmarked grave, he ignores her pleas for
a marker for her husband’s resting place. Symbolizing the arrogance of the
aristocracy, his behavior foreshadows the coming revolution.
- @ MisterStryver “My plan to propose at
@VauxhallGardens did not come to fruition. #MincingFool.” – Named
“Stryver” to symbolize his desire to ascend the ranks of society, the law
partner of Sydney Carton is defined by his arrogance and snobbery. The
implication that marriage to Lucie Manette would not serve him socially
leads Stryver to dismiss her completely in his blustering manner, calling
the affair a “vanity” of “empty-headed girls.”
- @ JerryCruncher “@RogerCly’s burial was
quite the spectacle. #Fishing tonight.” –
Supplementing his income from Tellson’s Bank of London with a bit of grave
robbing on the side, “resurrection man” Jerry Cruncher joins the mob
carrying the body of a convicted spy, Roger Cly, to his burial. Claiming a
fishing trip, Cruncher actually goes back to Cly’s burial site in order to
steal his body to sell to anatomists; his discovery that the coffin did
not contain a corpse proves to be very useful in Charles Darnay’s eventual
rescue.
- @ LucieManette “Though @LittleLucie
thrives I can’t help but feel a sense of #foreboding.”– Though
Lucie and Charles enjoy a peaceful life with the exception of the death of
their young son, she maintains her habit of listening to the echo of
footsteps on the street. As news arrives from France about the flood of
aristocrats trying to save their wealth, the rumblings of coming
revolution increase in volume.
- @ CharlesDarnay “French travel has
proven difficult. I’m often questioned; the #Parisians are restless.” – Embarking
upon a secret journey to save Gabelle, Darnay’s travels become more and
more difficult as he progresses. With each step, it becomes clearer that
he cannot turn back; as he approaches Paris, he’s a free man, then a
suspect under escort into the city, before becoming a prisoner despite
having committed no crime. As Monsieur Defarge refuses to assist him, the
truth that the Revolution has become perverted emerges.
- @ DoctorManette “I have saved him!
@CharlesDarnay” – After his testimony on behalf of his
son-in-law sways the fickle mob, Dr. Manette declares to his swooning
daughter, “I have saved him.” The political influence of Dr. Manette turns
Darnay into a hero in the eyes of a crowd that had moments before
sentenced him to death.
- @ SydneyCarton “@JerryCruncher made an
interesting remark about #StonesAndDirt today.” – In keeping
with his promise to Lucie to protect her and those that she loves, the deus
ex machina appearance of Sydney Carton allows for the creation of
a plan to rescue Darnay, who is once again the sacrificial lamb of the
Revolution. He relies on his fortuitous appearance and knowledge of
Barsad’s spy status and association with Roger Cly to help him in his
endeavor. Arrogantly relying on Cly’s death certificate, Barsaud is caught
when Jerry Cruncher reveals that Cly’s corpse was not in his coffin.
- @ SydneyCarton “It is a far, far better
thing that I do, than I have ever done. #Sacrifice” – The
last lines of the novel, and perhaps the most lasting, belong to Sydney
Carton as he goes to his death with dignity in the face of tyranny: “It is
a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far
better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
The prevailing love triangle posed by Sydney Carton, Lucie Manette, and
Charles Darnay was inspired by Charles Dickens’s turn in the Wilkie Collins
play The Frozen Deep; his character in that play also sacrificed
himself to save his rival for the good of the woman they both loved. This
theme, along with the more complex ones of violence and rebirth explored in the
novel, set against the backdrop of the bloody French Revolution, has proven to
be much more enduring than the play that inspired it.
Contacts and sources:
Kate Croston
http://www.internetservice.net/2012/10-tweets-that-summarize-the-book-a-tale-of-two-cities/
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