Charles Dickens The Tale Of Two Cities

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The Age of Revolutions was full of controversy that caused philosophical discussions of the relationship between the people and their governments. It was a time of heated debate and philosophical arguments happening everywhere from published pamphlets to street corners. Many of these opinions were shown through detailed writings of what governments should be life and how people should handle governments that restrict their rights. These writings influenced other English writers in later times with their bold ideas and unapologetic responses to the opposing view. Those inspired writers turned to their own thoughts and put their pens to paper. Writers, such as Charles Dickens, wrote full novels about large events in the age of revolutions. Charles …show more content…
In The Tale of Two Cities, Dickens shows French peasants wreaking havoc on an over spilled cast of wine. They are like animals, viciously hungry for not just wine but freedom from the monarchy and the poor life they were living. The left over wine stains the street with a resemblance of the future blood that would lay, but not just yet. This animalistic tendency was beginning to grow and England noticed. It dawned upon the populace that the people were not just doing small rebellious acts to gain notice, but their actions could begin a full fledge revolution. A revolution that could possibly threaten England. Charles Dickens tone changes towards the French Revolution, it becomes a thing that they must escape. It is time for Dr.Manette and his daughter to leave France in the dead of night so they come across no harm, as the peasant’s anger was boiling over and could burst at any moment. In 1970, this was exactly what was happening. Dickens perfectly captures this growing anger that at any moment could erupt. His idea of escaping the French mindset and putting distance between England and the rebellious country was most likely influenced by one of the most famous pamphlets of the revolution. Edmund Burke’s pamphlet, Reflections on the Revolution in France had a huge impact of the discussion of the moral aspects of the revolution. Burke’s intellectual attack against the French Revolutionaries showcases …show more content…
The debate of England’s safety against the French mindset was popularized by Edmund Burke, who had a lot of heated oppositions. Beginning with Book Two of Dicken’s novel, things cool down at this point. It can be seen as reflecting the opposition of Burke’s statements. Mary Wollstonecraft wrote a response to Burke in stating that monarchical societies stole power and rights away from people without truly deserving to do so. She supported anarchy in France and connected it to Britain’s own reform movement in how if people want things to change, they should be able to change it. Charles Dickens decided to make the break at this point and show how society in England was calm in response to the hypocriticsy that may have followed adding in anymore animalistic exaggerations. Since England was turning into two sides, one for the revolution and for a possible revolution in England then the ones who vehemedly opposed it. Writing about how peaceful England was compared to France at that time would be a transparent lie that would cause controversy in Charles Dicken’s own time
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