Tale of Two Cities

By: Charles Dickens

Author: Charles DickensBorn: February, 7, 1812   Died: June 9 1870 : Wrote 14 other books including Christmas Carol and Oliver   Twist :Literary style: Charles Dickens focused on the hardships of the  middle class : He also focused on social commentary and made an aggressive move against poverty and actually made the clearing of London slums. This was done with his book Oliver twist, he also made it very clear of his disdain of social hierarchy with many of his books.

ProtagonistsSydney Carton•  In the beginning he is the

lazy alcoholic who sees his life as useless.

• He has the most character development. He turns from the drunk to the self sacrificing man that takes Darnays place at the guillotine.

• The change comes from his love of Lucie. Her actions and virtue make him want to change.  

Charles Darnay•  Renounces his blood line on

the basis of his honor, respect, and courage.

• However he is the a-typical hero and has little to no character development

Lucie Manette• She is one that is always loyal

(her father and Darnay)• Her actions make her the

character that is the virtuous, compassionate, and loving.

AntagonistsMadame Defarge

•  Revolutionist that has fixated on killing those that deserve the wrath of the revolution.

• Her character is created out of the oppression of the aristocracy.

• Turns on Lucie and Darnay for their blood and civil connections with the aristocracy that have oppressed the poor.

French Aristocracy(Evremondes)

•  French Aristocracy is the embodyment of oppression and cause of the French Revolution

• Their actions make Darnay renounce his blood line, on the account of his revulsion of their behavior towards the poor.

Favorite CharacterSydney Carton• He is lazy and has not taken full advantage of his life's

opportunity.• However he makes a drastic change because he wants to

make a positive change in the world.• He sacrifices his life in order to save his friends and keep

their lives together.• Makes the largest character development in the book.

Least Favorite Character

Madame Defarge• She allows the oppression of the French aristocracy to turn

her into the oppressive force that she opposes.• She hates the good and whole some characters of the book,

purely based their bloodline.• Also she uses the idea of acting on a good cause as a front

to exact revenge on who ever she thinks deserves the wrath of the revolution.

SettingThe Setting of the book is placed in two cities: England   : France     :Over the years of 1775 to 1789• Theses years are filled with death and chaos for both

England and France• England is about to engage in war with America• France experiences a revolt from the peasants from

excessive spending and oppression.• It is the transition time from the aristocracy of blood lines to

the aristocracy of the bourgeoisie 

Expostion• The book starts in 1775 on coach ride which Jarvis Lorry

and Lucie Manette are heading to Paris.• A messenger on horse back stops them and gives a cryptic

message "a recall to life" the message makes Lucie aware that her father is really alive and has been imprisoned in a French prison for 18 yrs.

• Lucie gets to the Derarge's and meets her father which wakens him from the weakened mental state the prison has put him in.

Rising Action• Lucie and Alexandre Manette are called to an English court

for the prosecution against Charles Darnay.• Darnay is acquitted because of Carton's likeness to Darnay

which ruins the prosecutions claim that he is unmistakably the one passing secrets to the French and America.

• Stryver, Darnay, and Carton all fall in love with Lucie, Stryver proposes but Lucie turns him down. Darnay proposes and Lucie marries him.

• Marquis St. Evermonde runs down a poor child with carriage this shows the growing resentment between the poor and aristocracy.

Climax• The French Revolution starts in 1789 with the storming of

the Bastille. Which starts the Defarge's campaign against the aristocracy which includes Darnay's family

• Darnay is captured by the revolutionists and is taken to prison but is freed by Dr. Manette's status as a Bastille prisoner and his testimony.

• Darnay is arrested again because of the Defarge and their own claims.

• Darnay is condemned to death by the guillotine for his connection with the Evermonde.

Falling Action• Carton comes back to France and learns of Darnay's

problem and decides to take action and save Darnay and his family.

• Carton visits Darnay in prison and takes his place in prison because of his likeness to him.

Resolution

• The Manatte's, Darnay, and Mr. Lorry leave France for a safer place to live.

• Carton feels at peace because he saved the women he loved and that she will live happily with Darnay.

• Carton becomes the sacrificial hero and but makes you see the violent product of oppression.

Themes

• Redemption and Resurrection

• Oppression

• Sacrifice

Social IssuePoverty its causes and why discrimination towards the

homeless and poverty stricken exists

Definitions of Poverty• Individual: poverty is brought about by the individuals inability to

sustain wealth due to lack of education, skills, or discrimination.

• Aggregate: The actions of society determine the level of poverty.        : The poverty of the world is chosen by the levels of demand,            supply, and economic situations of the world, and general                    attitude towards the poor.

• Individual vs. Aggregate            : The individual theory is based on the fact that everyone's                situation is their own problem.            : Aggregate places the blame of poverty on the tendencies of                the society in which the person lives.

(Syracuse University)

Causes of PovetySudden causes of povertyWarfare: war makes the GDP of a country drops considerable Iraq's GDP per capita went from 3500 to 761 during desert storm.Farming cycles: those that depend on subsistence farming are extremely prone to poverty(MSU)

Long term causesCentralized government: if government is not responsible to the people the more corruption and disproportion of wealth is produced.Social inequality: societies unwillingness to share or distribute wealth. Creates a very large wealth gap between the top and bottom. (MSU)

Equality of Opportunity Vs. Equality of Situation

Justification: Equality of opportunity gives the higher mercantile class the ability to just say its their fault and they should have done something about.Situations aren't the same: not everyone is born into the same position and the situation makes a difference.Not their fault: Mental illness and acute causes of poverty should be overlooked and we should attempt to help the poverty stricken.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quRh1r4dlgM

Poverty Thresholds in AmericaThe poverty threshold for a family of five is 26,338 in the United states.         Our representatives have placed the poverty level at about        5,000 dollars a person annually.This means that we have agreed as a country that living at 27,000, which was this families income, is acceptable but 26,338 is not. There needs to be a change in our systems to where it is based on state of living not the annual income.(U.S. Census Bureau)

Discrimination of the Poor

The government isn't the only one that has unfairly treated the homeless and poor, young men are joining in on the discrimination. In 2008 alone, 106 homeless people were subject to

violent attacks, 27 of them fatal.(NCH)More and more young men are committing violent actions against homeless people for the thrill of the act.    Half of the 2008 attacks were done on dares or    because they wanted to.(NCH),(Belew,Valerie)This is a problem with our society and the up coming generations.

 www.life.com/image/778352

Solutions• Most effective change would come from the people's

ideology and religion. If the higher classes in the world adhere to their teachings  then the gap would lessen considerably. Whether it be Mormon, Catholic, or Islam.

•  Have the government recognize that the existing level of poverty is not acceptable and prompt more action, but the action must be done with the choice of the citizen.

• The major change that needs to be done is the worlds view on the use of war. It destroys infrastructure and lowers production. War should be done as a defense of land not the countries companies.

BibliographyBelew, Valerie. "Discrimination Against the Poor:Still alive and well." (2008): 5.Bureau, US Census. "How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty." U.S. census Bureau housing and household economic statistics division (2009).Doyle, Amanda. "New Report Documents Violence Against Homeless People." Poverty & Policy (2009).Maxwell School, Syracuse Univeristy. "Case vs. Generic Theories of Poverty." GDRC (2000).MSU Women and International Development. "Acute Causes of Poverty." GDRC (2000).—. "Addressing the Underlying Causes of Poverty." GRDC (2000).Roemer, John. "Equality of Opportunity." Stanford Encyclopdia of Philosophy (2002).