Page 7 - A Tale of Two Cities

Dickens became the most popular novelist of his time. The
poverty and difficulties he experienced as he grew up gave
him material for his stories and helped him to create many of
the characters in his writing. His novels are works of social
commentary in which he criticises the poverty and the social
unfairness of Victorian Britain. His work is famous for its
many complicated plots and unusual characters. Dickens
often used comedy to highlight the terrible treatment of
the poorest people in a country which was very rich and
powerful. His second novel Oliver Twist shocked its Victorian
readers because it showed the crime, poverty and cruelty
suffered by many children. These were uncomfortable facts
that the richer middle classes and the ruling classes did not
wish to confront. In spite of its serious message, it is a novel
full of humour so it was immediately popular.

A Tale of Two Cities is the second of Dickens’ two historical
novels. It is set in London and Paris at the time of the
French Revolution, at the end of the eighteenth century.
The novel deals with the social injustices in French society
that contributed to the revolution. At that time, the King
and the French ruling classes had all the power in society.
They often treated the poorer people cruelly by charging
them high rents and high taxes, or by putting them in prison
without trial. Over time, the rich people got richer and more
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powerful, and the poor got poorer. On 14 July 1789, the
poor people of Paris formed themselves into a revolutionary
army called the National Guard. They marched towards the
city prison, the Bastille. They carried guns and swords and
they took control of the prison because it represented royal
authority in Paris. This was the beginning of the revolution.
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Today, 14 July is called Bastille Day and it is a national
holiday in France.

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