Charles Dickens' A Tale of a Two Cities

Throughout history there have been many cases of the power struggle between the lower class and the upper class. Many of these cases tend to take place in the form of a revolution in which the lower class completely replaces the upper class, usually through force A very famous revolution was the French Revolution that took place during the 18th and 19th century, In the novel ATale of Two Cities, written by Charles Dickens, Dickens details the revolution itself as well as the events that led up to the revolution.

Dickens uses many acts of violence in his novel to convey how brutal the events that took place during the French Revolution really were.

Throughout ATales of Two Cities Dickens makes it a point to emphasize the reasons as to why the revolution took place. One of these reasons is how the aristocracy in France treated the rest of the populace, especially with their inability to empathize with them. Dickens uses the character Marquis Evréinoiide to epitomize the aristocracy and their impartialness towards the lives of the commoners, Evrémonde takes place in one of the first acts of violence by running over a small child while he in riding in his speeding stage coach, Evrémonde expresses his complete lack of caring towards the murder by stating “It is extraordinary to me.

“ that you people cannot take care of yourselves or your children. ,,.

How do I know what injury you have done to my horses?” and, as if to add insult to injury, the Marquis tosses a gold coin at the father of the dead child as if he is paying for an item that he broke (Dickens 111).

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This event is meant to show that it is not an uncommon thing at all for a person of the aristocracy to literally get away the murder of the peasant class. The simmering anger of the peasant class and hints at revolution are not showcased subtly. Shortly after Marquis Evre’monde murders the child, he is murdered himself within his own home. There is a note attached to the knife that was stabbed through Evrémonde‘s heart that reads “Drive him fast to his tomb. This, from the Jacques” which allows the reader to realize that the revolution is more organized than first thought (Dickens 130).

At this point the peasant class has reached the point of utter contempt at everything that the aristocracy does to them. The Marquis’ murder is the first major foreshadow of the upcoming revolution. As the revolution begins it is the description of the peasant class that gives them the Characteristic of bloodthirsty. When the revolutionaries have finally prepared to fight, they bring out a grindstone so that they may sharpen their weapons and tools in preparation for more slaughter, If one were to look into the crowd of revolutionaries they would notice that “The eye could not detect one creature in the group from from the smear of blood. …men stripped to the waist, with the stain all over their limbs and bodies…” and realize that all the repressed anger of the lower class has finally exploded into a fit of murder and rage.

The peasants being described as animals, rather than humans, greatly emphasizes the animosity that the lower class feels towards the aristocracy and why they are acting so violently against them. In ATale of Two Cities the author ,Charles Dickens, includes many scenes of violence in his novel. Every one of these scenes is used emphasize a detail about the French revolution. The suffering of the peasant class is also a main focal point, Every drop of blood, either from the peasants or the aristocracy, that is spilled is used to build upon the reasons for why the French revolution occurred. All the scenes of violence sum up how violent and dramatic the events that took place during the revolution.