Publication A Clear Image Of Society

Charles Dickens presents a clear image of society in both London, England and Paris, France before and during the French Revolution. In chapter three, Dickens describes a paradox; everyone spends their lives in an attempt to love, appreciate, and connect with those around them, but they cannot genuinely do this because they will never understand people for who they are. For this reason, he defines the human condition as a curse. Not only does it encourage one to think about how they will never truly see others as they are, but with this idea grasps the correlation between death, individuality, and loneliness.

Death is spoken of a lot throughout the novel. In this eventful time in history, death could be used as a punishment or even a way of revenge.

“Death is Nature’s remedy for all things, and why not Legislation’s? Accordingly, the forger was put to Death; the utterer of a bad note was put to Death…”. People convicted of crimes in France were often executed, even the protagonist himself met his end, but Dickens uses death to describe the human condition as a broken link between people.

“My friend is dead, my neighbour is dead, my love, the darling of my soul, is dead,” . This quote describes the speaker’s feelings of disconnect between himself and others. He speaks of those closest to him as dead because he will never see all of who they are. Through his frustration, he communicates to the audience how purposeless it is to try and get to know all of someone.

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“No more can I turn the leaves of this dear book that I loved, and vainly hope in time to read it all,”. He realizes that he can no longer fool himself into thinking he will ever have a true bond with anyone. It is evident to the reader that he accepts this as a big part of the human condition.

Individuality is solely dependent on one’s perception of themself. How one perceives themself plays a large role in this because it establishes the reason for their words, thoughts, and actions. Lucie Manette is a young woman that perceives herself as gentle and compassionate. With that logic, in chapter six, it is only within reason for her to help nurse her father back to health. “She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery: and the sound of her voice, the light of her face, the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with him almost always”. Ultimately individuality is supposed to be a good thing, but Dickens goes out of his way to tie it negatively to the human condition. Because it can only be perceived from the inside-out, it’s impossible for someone to understand another’s individuality from the outside-in.

“It is the inexorable consolidation and perpetuation of the secret that was always in that individuality, and which I shall carry in mine to my life’s end,” . This quote suggests that individuality was a secret that he was never able to learn from the people he loves, so in turn he’d accepted that he is condemned to the same fate. In this case, the human condition can also be referred to as a cruel exchange; knowledge of one’s self for the ignorance to that knowledge in anyone else. Lastly, loneliness is one of the greatest contradictions ever known, because for instance, how can one possible be lonely where there are billions of others surrounding them?

“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other” (Dickens, 14). It is defined as state of mental and emotional isolation that cannot be solved by mere togetherness. This loneliness may not be a physical problem, but it is a matter of connection. “In any of the burial-places of this city through which I pass, is there a sleeper more inscrutable than its busy inhabitants are, in their innermost personality, to me, or than I am to them?” (Dickens, 15). Here again Dickens uses death as a reference to an eternal secret being kept, but unlike before, the speaker uses this example to portray an unbreakable bond between people, their loneliness, and the grave. This reflects his definition of the human condition because it demonstrates the emotional damage it does to one’s esteem and desire for connection.

Dickens’ image of society in both London, England and Paris, France before and during the French Revolution paints a picture of how everyone spends their lives in an attempt to love, appreciate, and connect with those around them. According to his explanation of the human condition, one can never genuinely connect to others because they won’t understand people for who they are. For this reason, the human condition is defined as a curse. Not only does this fact encourage one to think about how they cannot see others as they truly are, but it grasps the correlation between death, individuality, and loneliness.