a tale of two cities essay prompts

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• A Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens

• Literature Notes
• Essay Questions
• A Tale of Two Cities at a Glance
• Book Summary
• About A Tale of Two Cities
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Book 1: Chapter 1
• Book 1: Chapter 2
• Book 1: Chapter 3
• Book 1: Chapter 4
• Book 1: Chapter 5
• Book 1: Chapter 6
• Book 2: Chapter 1
• Book 2: Chapter 2
• Book 2: Chapter 3
• Book 2: Chapter 4
• Book 2: Chapter 5
• Book 2: Chapter 6
• Book 2: Chapter 7
• Book 2: Chapter 8
• Book 2: Chapter 9
• Book 2: Chapter 10
• Book 2: Chapter 11
• Book 2: Chapter 12
• Book 2: Chapter 13
• Book 2: Chapter 14
• Book 2: Chapter 15
• Book 2: Chapter 16
• Book 2: Chapter 17
• Book 2: Chapter 18
• Book 2: Chapter 19
• Book 2: Chapter 20
• Book 2: Chapter 21
• Book 2: Chapter 22
• Book 2: Chapter 23
• Book 2: Chapter 24
• Book 3: Chapter 1
• Book 3: Chapter 2
• Book 3: Chapter 3
• Book 3: Chapter 4
• Book 3: Chapter 5
• Book 3: Chapter 6
• Book 3: Chapter 7
• Book 3: Chapter 8
• Book 3: Chapter 9
• Book 3: Chapter 10
• Book 3: Chapter 11
• Book 3: Chapter 12
• Book 3: Chapter 13
• Book 3: Chapter 14
• Book 3: Chapter 15
• Character Analysis
• Doctor Alexandre Manette
• Lucie Manette, later Darnay
• Charles Darnay
• Sydney Carton
• Therese Defarge
• Ernest Defarge
• Jerry Cruncher
• Character Map
• Charles Dickens Biography
• Critical Essays
• Women as the Central Characters
• The French Revolution
• Famous Quotes
• Film Versions
• Full Glossary
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

Study Help Essay Questions

1. Explain the first paragraph of the novel. What does Dickens mean by "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"?

2. Discuss the resurrection theme in A Tale of Two Cities . Which characters are "recalled to life"? How?

3. Describe how Dickens depicts crowds and mobs throughout the novel. What does Dickens seem to be saying about large groups of people?

4. A major criticism of A Tale of Two Cities is that Dickens does not fully develop his characters. Do you agree with this assessment? Explain why or why not.

5. Discuss the use of light and shadow imagery throughout the novel.

6. Dickens represents women as being "natural"or "unnatural"in A Tale of Two Cities . What characteristics does he idealize in women? What characteristics does he view as abnormal? Do you agree or disagree with his perspective? Why?

7. Dickens is known for his humor, but A Tale of Two Cities is noticeably somber. Do any comic passages and characters exist in the novel? If so, what are they? Why are they humorous?

8. Discuss Dickens' views of the French Revolution. Does he believe it was inevitable or preventable? What are his attitudes toward the French royalty and aristocrats? Toward the peasants and revolutionaries?

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A Tale of Two Cities

By charles dickens, a tale of two cities essay questions.

How sympathetic is Dickens towards the French Revolution? Which details illustrate his revulsion or attraction to the movement?

Compare the adherence to traditional gender roles by Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge. Is Dickens constrained by literary or social conventions, for example by making a manly woman the villain and a feminine woman the sentimental heroine?

How does religion color the attitudes of the characters in this novel? Compare Sydney Carton to Lucie Manette, or Jerry Cruncher to the Defarges.

Does the plot's reliance on fate and coincidence--including the resemblance of Carton to Darnay, the discovery of Dr. Manette's document, and the double recognition of Solomon Pross a.k.a. John Barsad by Miss Pross and Jerry Cruncher--make the story less believable or less powerful?

How does Dickens reconcile his distaste for the Revolution with his identity as a social crusader? Does he believe in the people's right to revolt under an oppressive government?

Examine the motifs of light and darkness in this novel, and trace how they relate to Carton, Lucie, Dr. Manette, and/or Madame Defarge's character development.

The most recurrent criticism of this novel is that the characters do not have the psychological depth or development of other Dickensian figures. Does Sydney Carton's transformation undermine this claim? Is this criticism really fair toward the other characters?

Examine the theme of resurrection in the novel. Which characters are brought back to life and how? Is there any situation from which resurrection is impossible?

Dickens focuses mostly on the lower class in France, but what sense does he give of the lower class in England? Why was there no comparable class struggle in the same era?

Analyze Dickens's descriptions of mobs in England and in France. How do they differ? What makes a mob what it is? How do mobs make decisions?

A Tale of Two Cities Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for A Tale of Two Cities is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What does Mr.lorry mean when he says that he is a man of business?

Mr. Lorry's initial introduction of himself as the representative of Tellson's Bank hence a man of business.

What is a "resurrection man"?

A "resurrection man," digs up dead bodies and sells their parts to scientists.

Jerry Cruncher’s hoping that his wife is “flopping” towards the end of the novel is an example of...

This is an example of euphamism.

Study Guide for A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities study guide contains a biography of Charles Dickens, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About A Tale of Two Cities
• A Tale of Two Cities Summary
• A Tale of Two Cities Video
• Character List

Essays for A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

• Resurrection
• In the Absence of Hate
• Light vs. Dark Throughout A Tale of Two Cities
• Violence in A Tale of Two Cities
• Mirror Images: Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay

Lesson Plan for A Tale of Two Cities

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to A Tale of Two Cities
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• A Tale of Two Cities Bibliography

E-Text of A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities e-text contains the full text of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

• Book I, Chapters 1-4
• Book I, Chapters 5-6
• Book II, Chapters 1-9
• Book II, Chapters 10-14
• Book II, Chapters 15-24

Wikipedia Entries for A Tale of Two Cities

• Introduction
• Publication history