Elise Mazzone English 10 HN Murphy pd. 7
A Tale of Two Cities Essay
One of the hardest parts of desiring or appreciating something in life is the moment when you must choose between being a narrow-minded individual or someone who allows their cherished ones to grow and become better-off through sacrifice. In A Tale of Two Cities, a Victorian-style novel written by Charles Dickens, selfless choice are made throughout the journey of the upper and lower classes stuck in the middle of the French Revolution; a brutal and unforgiving time. This story follows the Manette family and their outside acquaintances who deal with the many challenges of the French Revolution such as uprising peasants, loved ones in jail, mental instability, and violence. With all of these opposing forces, the French Revolution causes everyone affected by its power to make a change in their lives for the better or worse.
Charles Dickens' use of characters from both the upper and lower classes with bravery and willingness to surrender everything they have in order to save something more valuable to them than their own happiness shows just how important sacrifice is in this challenging situation, and how testing times can bring out the best in people.
The motivation of the revolutionary peasants to make a change in society in Chapter 5 of Book the First shows the value of sacrifice and the importance of fighting to the death as well as learning to tolerate the loss of lives in order to create a brighter future for others. In Chapter 5, wine is spilled throughout the village streets, and it is seen as not only a miracle for the starving peasants, but for one peasant in particular, a sign of war and change to come. With the writing of "BLOOD" upon...