A Tale of Two Cities: Reccommended Reading Schedule:

Sun. / Mon. / Tue. / Wed. / Thu. / Fri. / Sat.
Dec. 19
Book I: Chap. 1&2 / Dec. 20
Book I: Chap. 3&4 / Dec 21
Book I: Chap. 5&6 / Dec. 22
Book II: Chap. 1&2 / Dec. 23
Book II: Chap. 3&4 / Dec. 24
Christmas Eve
(don’t have to read) / Dec. 25
Christmas
(don’t have to read)
Dec. 26
Book II: Chap. 5&6 / Dec. 27
Book II: Chap 7&8 / Dec. 28
Book II: Chap 9&10 / Dec. 29
Book II: Chap. 11&12 / Dec. 30
Book II: Chap. 13&14 / Dec. 31
Book II: Chap. 15&16 / Jan. 01
Book II: Chap. 17&18
Jan. 02
Book II: Chap. 19&20 / Jan. 03
Book II: Chap. 21&22 / Jan. 04
Book II: Chap. 23&24 / Jan. 05
Book III: Chap. 1&2 / Jan. 06
Book III: Chap. 3&4 / Jan. 07
Book III: Chap 5&6 / Jan. 08
Book III: Chap. 7&8
Jan. 09
Book III: Chap. 9&10 / Jan. 10
Book III: Chap. 11&12 / Jan. 11
Book III: Chap. 13&14 / Jan. 12
Book III: Chap 15 / Jan. 13 / Jan. 14 / Jan. 15

A TALE OF TWO CITIES: PLACES, PEOPLE, & ALLUSIONS

L'ABBAYE—Prison of the French monarchy, used by the Revolutionaries to jail aristocrats.

BARMECIDE—Member of a fictional Persian family (in The Arabian Nights), who treated a beggar to a mock feast. Dickens' reference- "Barmecide room"- emphasizes that no dining ever occurred at Tellson's.

BASTILLE—French fortress used to confine state prisoners; the Bastille was much hated by the people.

BEDLAM—Shortened form of Bethlehem Hospital for the Insane. In the 18th century visiting Bedlam was a popular London excursion; in our own day the term has become general for lunacy or chaos.

CONCIERGERIE—Prison attached to the Palace of Justice in Paris. Marie Antoinette, Robespierre, and other famous prisoners of the Revolution awaited execution here; between January 1793 and July 1794 nearly 2,600 prisoners left for the guillotine.

CONVULSIONISTS—Group of French religious enthusiasts given to wild dancing and fits; in fashion somewhat before the time Dickens describes.

FLEET STREET—London newspaper and business district, well known to Dickens.

LA FORCE—Old debtors' prison of Paris; during the Revolution it held political offenders.

FURIES—In Greek and Roman mythology, minor deities who relentlessly pursued sinners.

GAZETTE—Official government publication in England, containing bankruptcy and other notices; to be "driven into the Gazette" is to be published a bankrupt.

GORGON'S HEAD—Reference to Medusa, the Gorgon, a monster of Greek mythology. All who looked at Medusa were turned to stone. The hero Perseus succeeded in cutting off her head.

HILARY TERM—Sitting of the English High Court of Justice, extends from January to just before Easter.

HOTEL DE VILLE—French term for any city hall; here, the Paris City Hall.

JACQUERIE—Originally applied to a French peasant revolt in the Middle Ages, the term came to mean any uprising of the common people. Jacques was the old collective name for French peasants, which Defarge and his revolutionary friends co-opt, proudly, as a password: "How goes it, Jacques?"

LEONORA, BALLAD OF—Ballad of Gothic horror, composed in 1773 and popular among European romantics.

MICHAELMAS TERM—Fall sitting of English High Court of Justice, beginning after September 29 (the Feast of St. Michael).

NEWGATE—Infamous London prison, now demolished; held prisoners awaiting trial at the Old Bailey, next door.

OLD BAILEY—London court of law, remodeled into the Centre Criminal Court, but still widely called "Old Bailey."

RANELAGH—Suburban pleasure garden popular with mid-18th-century Londoners, but falling out of favor when Stryver proposes inviting Lucie Manette there.

SAINT ANTOINE—Suburb (faubourg) of Paris that supported primitive manufacturing; its impoverished residents were the backbone of the Revolutionary mob.

SARDANAPALUS—Greek name for king of ancient Assyria, made proverbial by his lavish display of wealth.

SESSIONS—Periodic sittings or meetings of English justices of the peace; the Sessions deal with certain crimes and statutes.

SOHO—Upper-class district of central London.

TEMPLE BAR—London gateway dividing Fleet Street from the Strand; the heads of executed traitors were displayed on it. Designed by Christopher Wren in 1670, Temple Bar was removed to a private estate in 1878.

TOWER OF LONDON—Fortress where those imprisoned for treason awaited trial.

TUILERIES, PALACE OF—Paris residence of the French kings, and hated symbol of the monarchy. Burnt down by French Revolutionaries of 1871.

TYBURN—London gallows called "Tyburn tree," until 1783 for hanging felons. Public executions became festivals, drawing large crowds.

VAUXHALL GARDENS—Popular suburban resort, opened in 1660, closed in 1859- the year A Tale of Two Cities was printed.

WALTON, IZAAK—Author of The Compleat Angler, 17th-century treatise on fishing.

WHITEFRIARS—London district between Thames and Fleet Street, long a haunt of fugitive debtors and criminals and so an appropriate address for Jerry Cruncher, body snatcher.

THEMES TO LOOK OUT FOR:

  • Oppression leads to violence and revolution.
  • Men can be reborn under difficult circumstances.
  • Love has the power to redeem.

MOTIFS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

  • Animal imagery associated with several characters
  • Irony of the many “coincidences”
  • Blood, color red (also symbolic)

SYMBOLISM TO LOOK OUT FOR:

  • The Jail
  • Soho (garden of eden)
  • Color Red
  • Tellson’s Bank
  • Sydney Carton (Christ type), Marquis St. Evremonde, Madame Defarge, & the guillotine

GUIDED READING QUESTIONS:

Book One

  1. Chapter One—What is the point that best sums up the first paragraph? How are things different in France and in England?
  2. Chapter Two—What does the messenger want?
  3. Chapter Three-What does Lorry see in his dreams?
  4. Chapter Four—What shocking news does Lorry give to Lucie?
  5. Chapter Five—What foreshadowing occurs in this chapter?

Book Two

  1. Chapter One—How is Tellson’s Bank like a prison?
  2. Chapter Three—What trick does the defense use to win a “not guilty” verdict for Charles Darnay?
  3. Chapter Five—How would you summarize Carton’s present life?
  4. Chapter Seven—What accident does the Marquis St. Evermonde commit while riding in his carriage? How does he react?
  5. Chapter 9—What happens to the Marquis St. Evermonde?
  6. Chapter 12—Who does Stryver stop to see on his way to the Manette’s? What does he learn from them?

CHARACTERS IN A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Dickens uses many characters in his novels. If you jot down a few notes on each character as he or she is introduced, and keep this with you while you read, it will help you avoid confusion.

Dr. Alexandre Manette

Lucie Manette

Charles Darnay

Sydney Carton

Jarvis Lorry

Miss Pross

Madame Defarge

Ernest Defarge

Marquis St. Evremonde

Gaspard

Jerry Cruncher

C. J. Stryver

Roger Cly

Soloman Pross

Jacquerie

Monseigneur

Road-Mender

Gabelle

Vengeance

Little Lucy

SETTINGS IN A TALE OF TWO CITIES

This is a place for you to jot down a few notes on each of the major settings as they are introduced. The novel takes place in London and Paris during the late 1700’s.

Also, visit the website for additional resources, and an online copy of the entire novel.