A Tale of Two Cities Notes

• Luicie was very similar to his wife, the blond actress (ellen turner)
• ATTC was very similar to his play, The Frozen Deep
• 1857- Frozen Deep was published
• 1858- began Public Readings for profit, which established a new relationship with his readers
• divorced, separated from publishers, and established a new journal having majority of ownership
• London, England and Paris, France. Major 2 cities. “extensive and peculiar way of the city” or described as “magic lantern”
• London- everything is there, but everything is disconnected
• Prison city, dust heeps. He described London. And he liked France when he visited.
• Bastille, theres a white bridge that has white brick that used to build a prison “Blood of a forgotten prisoners”
• “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.. We had everything before us, and we had nothing before us.’ Year 1775-1794. Written 1859.
• Victorians haunted by the French Revolution. Doesn’t like revolutions nor mob rule.
• The novel was made as a warning to Victorian Rule, warning about mob rule and revolutions. It showed that the pre-revolution France, was very similar to the contemporary England and times. Possible books meaning?
• Historical narrative- says that it is the best story he had ever written
• Storming of the Bastille- echoing footsteps
• “headlong, mad, and dangerous footsteps.” Bloody, and fighting.
• Men and woman alike stormed the Bastille
• Boom, smash, and rattle
• De Farge at the door of his wine shop
• Then he got swept out and into the tower
• Saved the prisoners. Some dead, and some found alive
• “prisoners long dead of a broken heart”
• riveting public theme, and inevitability of history
• secret of individuality
• Jarvis Darvey dreams of the “recall to life” of Mr.Manette, the recalled prisoner
• “far far better thing, and a far far rest than I have ever had”