Tale of Two Cities Study Guide Charles Darnay

Tale of Two Cities Study Guide

Charles Darnay Is a French exile living in England Born Charles St. Evremonde Handsome and conscientious Recounces his French property out of digust for the crown • Marries Lucie Manette • Is imprisoned in France during the Revolution • •

Sydney Carton • Resembles Charles Darnay (doubles) • Brilliant lawyer who has a problem with drinking (jackal) • Loves Lucie • Sacrifices his life for Charles and Lucie

Dr. Alexander Manette • • Imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille Suffers bouts of amnesia Lucie’s father Had been the doctor for the Evremonde’s

Lucie Manette • 17 when novel opens • Beautiful and loved by Darnay, Stryver, and Carton • Marries Charles • True friend to Carton • Called “Lady Bird” by Miss Pross

Ernest Defarge • • Owns a wine shop in Paris Former servant of Dr. Manette Leader of the Revolution Jacques Four

Madame Therese Defarge • Surviving sister of the family abused by the Evremondes • Knits a registry of names to the killed • Female leader of the Revolution • Dies at the hands of Miss Pross • Married to Ernest Defarge

Jarvis Lorry • • • Kind, elderly bachelor Employee of Tellson’s Bank in London Devoted friend to Dr. Manette and Lucie Takes Lucie to Paris to rescue her father Helps Miss Pross destroy the doctor’s shoemaking tools

Miss Pross • • • Strong-willed maid for Lucie Reheaded English spinster Kills Madame Defarge Deaf after her struggle with M. Defarge Calls Lucie “Lady Bird”

Jerry Cruncher • • Hideously ugly Messenger for Tellson’s Bank (by day) Grave robber (by night) Forbids his wife to pray for him

John Barsad • Miss Pross’s long-lost brother (Soloman Pross) • Spies for both England France • Forced by Carton to aid in the plan to rescue Charles

Event Cause Darney is on trial Because Two spies gave evidence against him Darney is found innocent Because Of his likeness to Carton Dr. Manette turns pale in the garden Because Darney describes a letter written by a prisoner The Marquis’s trip to the country is interrupted Because His carriage runs over a child The mender of the roads stares at the carriage Because A man is clinging to the bottom of it Two places are set for dinner at the chateau Because Darney is coming to stay Another “stone face” is added to the chateau Because The Marquis had been murdered Lorry must dissuade Stryver from proposing Because He knows Luci will not marry him Darnay does not tell Dr. Manette his real name Because Dr. Manette will not let him Carton admires and loves Lucie Because She brings out his noble and better side

Questions 1. Dr. Manette is “recalled” to life from his imprisonment. 2. Lucie learns that her father has been in prison for 18 years, that he has been trained as a shoemaker, he thinks Luci is his wife. 3. His real name is Evremande and he does believes in the ideals of the Revolution. 4. He robs graves to sell corpses to medical researches. It reinforces theme of “resurrection. ”

Questions 5. She records the names of people marked for death during the revolution. 6. He wants the hidden letter because it will later be used as evidence at Darney’s trial. 7. Dr. Manette promises to let Luci marry Charles and Charles promises to reveal the truth after the wedding. 8. Dr. Manette keeps having flashbacks and they hope this will stop them.

Questions 9. They are the same height as the gallows on which Gaspar was killed. 10. The Revolution is the approaching storm. 11. She is a symbolic figure rather than a realistic one. She represents a class of Revolutionary women. 12. She want to kill Lucie and her daughter 14. She kills M. Dafarge and looses her hearing in one ear. 15. It symbolically shows that their loyalty had divine protection. 16. The seamstress 17. He loves Lucie and wants her to be happy.

Secret or Mystery Explanation The “other” accuser of Darney Dr. Manette’s long-lost letter Miss Pross long-lost brother Is really Barsad – the spy The coat on Lorry’s chair Is Carton’s coat The fate of Cly Fakes his own funeral to escape the angry mob What Jerry found in the graveyard A coffin filled with rocks What Caron buys at the chemist’s Two chemical for drugging Darnay Carton’s plan to save Darney Switch clothes and take his place What Defarge found during the attack on the Bastille Dr. Manette’s letter Why Dr. Manette suffered amnesia after the wedding He learned Charles true idenity Why Madame Defarge seeks She is the sister of the

Themes SACRIFICE Dr. Manette agrees to Lucie’s marriage Charles returns to France Lucie nurses her father back to health Miss Pross is ready to die to protect Lucie Jarvis Lorry’s unselfish support of Dr. Manette CARTON LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR LUCIE

Themes RESURRECTION Dr. Manette is “recalled to life” Darnay’s acquittal in England then in France Cruncher’s theft and sale of corpses CARTON’S FAITH BEFORE HIS EXECUTION

Themes REVOLUTION It is the inevitable result of oppression. The idealism in France is replaced by corruption (a complex and progressive phenomenon). Madame Defarge perverts the positive in her quest for revenge.

Themes DOUBLES Physical resemblances between Darnay and Carton Evremonde twins John Barsad is really Solomon Pross the mender of the road and the wood – sawyer are the same person USE OF MIRRORS

Themes FATE The inevitability of the French Revolution Destiny brings Charles back to France Madame Defarge’s knitting Numerous co-incidences that occur

Themes IMPRISONMENT It is depicted as dehumanizing – a “living death” Dr. Manette’s and his flashbacks

Point of View Def – the position from which the story is told Opening – 3 rd Person, Omnicient Ending – 1 st Person Switch – Book III, Chapter 13 (briefly in Book 1, Chapter 3) [The shift occurs at moments of intense emotion or suspense]

Setting • London and Paris in the late 18 th Century

Flashback Book I – Book III, Chapter 9 linear progression with regular alternations between the settings. Book III, Chapter 10 recounts the events of 1757 as Dr. Manette’s records in his diary

Foreshadowing • Predictions of revolutionary violence • Implications that Charles will have to return to France • Mysterious link between Dr. Manette and Charle’s family • CARTONS VISION OF THE FUTURE

Symbols • Lucie’s golden hair – the thread that ties all together • Stone faces – the inhumanity of the Marquis • Footsteps – passage of time and the approach of war into the life of the Manette’s • Grindstone – inevitability and violence • Water – cleansing and resurrection • Mirrors – flashbacks and doubles

Foreshadowing the Ending • Promised he would do anything for her • Buying the drugs • 1 st trial they looked alike

Madame Defarge The Fates have the subtle but awesome power of deciding a man's destiny. They assign a man to good or evil. Their most obvious choice is choosing how long a man lives. There are three Fates. Clotho, the spinner, who spins the thread of life. Lachesis, the measurer, who chooses the lot in life one will have and measures off how long it is to be. Atropos, she who cannot be turned, who at death with her shears cuts the thread of life.