Humanitarianism in A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities is one of Charles Dickens' famous work, which was

published in 1859. It uses the French Revolution as its writing background. Dickens, the author, makes up the character of Dr. Manette's experience as the main clue of the story, mixing three closely-related themes prison, love, and revenge to expresses his humanitarianism of tolerance, love, anti-violence and oppression.

Firstly, three characters, Dr. Manette, Lucie Manette, Charles Darnay, in the story represent humanistic tolerance. Dr. Manette has a deep emotion to Darnay. After knowing Darnay's identity, he struggles a long time.Finally, he agrees her marriage to Darnay. Lucie is full of kindness in her heart, she forgives Darnay.

Dr. Manette is forced as a doctor for Marquis St. Evremonde. Then he is framed up by them, which makes him spend nearly 18 years in the Bastille prison. During that time, he write down his revenge words on the wall of prison. After being rescued, he is in a low spirit once a time. Fortunately he soon recovers under Lucie's, her daughter, intensive care. At the same time, Lucie fall in love with Darnay. After knowing Darnay's status, Dr. Manette struggles nine days of nine nights. He finally agrees to their marriage, considering the care from Lucie and her happiness in future. So he decides to bury all the misfortune and pain in his heart forever. What's more, he condones Marquis St. Evremonde, which makes Darnay obtain a new life. According to the novel, we can see Dr. Manette is a noble man. He treats everyone equally. He saves his family and other people in his own way. He is a typical figure of the author's humanitarianism.

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Lucie Manette is full of kindness in her heart. She uses her love to recall her father's cold heart and takes care of her father in daily life. When Lucie learns that her father has been put into prison for nearly 18 years, which is framed up by Darnay' family. Lucie has a strong hatred to Darnay's family. She forgives him with the heart of tolerance. She also shows great love to other people. when Darnay is on trial for the first time, they even don't know each other, but she helps him on the court. I think, Lucie always cares about others. She has a magic power. She recalls her father's memory, heals his wound and brings happiness for her family. Besides, she makes Sydney Carton have courage to face his life again with her love and trust.

Charles Darnay is a true humanitarian. He was born in a noble family, but he is strongly against to the French aristocrats' perverse and violence. He sympathizes the French people who are suffering oppression. So he gives up the property inheritance and noble surname, then moves to London and becomes a French teacher.

Secondly, two characters in the novel, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, convey humanistic deep love.

Charles Darnay is a handsome natural and good integrity of the noble class rebel. He is also the most ideal of the embodiment of rulers in Dickens' heart. He dissatisfies the aristocratic class who oppress poor people and the sin of his family. However, Darnay has no ability to oppose all these things. The only thing he can do is refuse to inherit the noble status and far away from the wealth and

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comfortable life. Then he comes to London to look for a job. In order to save his family's sin, he pays a lot by own ready actions. For that he covers his true name. Actually the gentle protest can not solve the problem thoroughly. He is framed up as a spy and condemned to death in Britain. Lucie proves that he is innocent in the court. Finally he is set free with innocence. Darnay is attracted deeply by Lucie's kindness and beauty. He wins Dr. Manette's approval by his actions, then he gets married with Lucie, and they live a happy life.

After the revolution break out, a new law comes into being that the republic government will kill anyone of French noble who returns back to French. When Darnay knows that his housekeeper--Gabelle has been put into prison. He returns back to London in order to recuse his housekeeper. Facing death, he concerns more about the safety of his family not himself in his heart. In Dickens' eyes, he is the ideal youth image and a true humanitarian. I admire Darnay, for he has courage to persue the happiness what he longs for. He is a brave man.

Sydney Carton is a tragic character with rich feelings, but has no strength to struggle as the same as Darnay. Confronted the frustration of life, he feels hopeless for life. So he becomes sluggish and lazy. He knows his weakness, but he can't overcome it. He is filled up with loneliness in his heart. He falls in love with Lucie, which restores his confidence of life. But he thinks that he has no qualifications to love her, which leads him to give up pursuing Lucie. When Darnay is accused of for being framed by his uncle. Carton helps Darnay as his attorney. He eventually gives a deeply blessing to Darnay and Lucie for their marriage.

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After the Revolution breaks out, Gabelle is caught for being noble's housekeeper. In order to rescue Gabelle, Darnay is also caught into prison. Seeing Lucie is so grieving for losing her husband--Darnay, Carton decides to sacrifice himself to make Darnay alive. He comes to Paris, bribes the jailer and enters into the prison. He takes Darnay's place. Using his life realizes his promise. His image of the mold is also thought of high symbol of humanist, and his selfless dedication perfectly interprets the Dickens' humanity spirit. In my point of view, the strength of them is limited. There should be more and more people like Carton and Darnay to save more people who are in in affliction.

Thirdly, I find that though the book conveys the tolerance and love among people, it describes negative image, the Marquis St. Evremonde, the cruel aristocrat. For one reason, he criticizes the aristocrats, especially the representative the Marquis St. Evremonde. For another, he also criticizes the revolutionary in the French Revolution.

The Marquis St. Evremonde brothers are two cruel aristocrats. They oppress people mercilessly. They live a luxurious life, but their people hungry, defeated, empty, hopeless, restless. At the same time, ordinary people have nothing to eat but some leaves, grasses. The Marquis St. Evremonde who is on the behalf of the aristocrats turns a blind eye to those. They never treat their people as human beings. They are very cruel and lack of humanity. For seizing others' wives, they never care about how many people they kill to reach their aims. When the Marquis' carriage dashes through streets in an inhuman manner, it kills a little child. The Marquis never regrets for that accident, but scolds the adults for not looking after

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their baby properly, then throws a golden coin out of the carriage.

Finally, Mrs. Defarges is a symbol of hatred for aristocrats. She hates the Marquis St. Evremonde. She converts her deep hatred into compassion to the poor. She shows great compassion and anger to Dr. Manette who has been put into prison for nearly 18 years. As the time goes by, her hatred also increases. When her child is killed by the Marquis' carriage, on the streets, and a golden coin is thrown out as a compensation, Mrs. Defarge's hostility breaks out entirely. She becomes a symbol of hatred.

After the Revolution breaks out, she makes a fast speed to knit, every sign what she knits is like to kill an enemy. What's more, whether they are guilt or innocent or not, she adds the hostility to all the people who are related to the French aristocrats. For example, she puts Darnay who does nothing and expresses his sympathy to the French peasants into prison just because he is a descendant of Marquis. Being asked to release Darnay. Mrs. Defarge treats Lucie as any other aristocrats with, coldness. She also asks people around her to keep an eye on Lucie. She wants Lucie and Lucie's daughter die. People around her are afraid of her. She doesn't believe her husband, either.

Mrs. Defarge, I think, she is a poor woman. I have a compassion with Mrs Defarge. Her family are prosecuted by aristocrats, which cultivates her thinking of revenge. But she should not put the hatred to all the nobles. Even she wants to kill Lucie's child. From the description of her, we can see the author does not think the Revolution is a good way to get happiness and peace. When the revolutionaries

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begin their revenge, the author describes that everyone is terrible, and there is not a human creature at that time. We can see although the author does not approve of the aristocrats class' cruelty, he does not like the bloody revolution,either.

We can get a conclusion that love can conquer hatred. Charles Dickens is a humanitarian. He devotes all his life into the humanitarianism. He has a deep research in humanity and society. The author criticizes the injustice in the society and the cruelty in people's heart. He also criticizes the oppression and violence in the society. In his thoughts, the tyranny is inevitably leading to the revolution, blood will lead to more blood, and it will never end. In this novel, love can conquer hatred. Dr. Manette, the hot-bloodman, gives up revenge, and accept the enemy's son, Darnay to be his son-in-low in Lucie's elaborate care. Besides, Darnay gives up his noble rights, and makes a living by himself to redeem the sin of ancestors. What's more, Cardon who admires Lucie replaces Darnay to go to the guillotine. He sacrifices his life to realize his word. For all, we can see clearly that love can overcome bad things, such as evil, hatred, war, even can reduce bleeding. It ensure a child a happy childhood, and people a harmonious living place.

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