A Tale of Two Cities - Dual Nature of Rebellion

Dual Nature of Rebellion

In the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, continued in the Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series, Rick Riordan sets up Bacchus/Dionysus as main character(s) through the novels. He portrays Dionysus as a more uncontrollable, rude, unhelpful god who can get distracted from his goals easily. Bacchus is portrayed as a much calmer, logical, helpful god. Both identities of the god help and hinder the demigods' quests, showing their two-faced nature. This idea of a dual nature is also shown through the struggles before and during the French Revolution in A Tale of Two Cities. Charles Dickens proves that rebellion can be pure and just, but on the flip side it can also be evil, corrupt, and frenzied in A Tale of Two Cities.

Both rebellion and revolution have a very untainted side to them. When the wine casket broke in the streets, Dickens stated that "Some men […] tried to help women, […] to sip (Dickens 32). This is continued on the next page where it is stated that one could hear "A shrill sound of laughter and of amused voices-voices of men, women, and children-resounded in the street while this wine game lasted" (33). Wine is symbolized as blood throughout this book. Dickens shows how this wine/blood makes the citizens so happy. Through his verb and adjective use, he proves their happiness. A shrill laugh" can be characterized as a playful giggle, going along with the theme of the "wine game". The word "resounded" has several meanings. For one, it's displaying how happy everyone was. Secondly, if something is ‘resounding', it is echoing and travelling. This is portraying how the happiness was nearly contagious, going from one person to the next down the streets. Here, the wine (and the blood as well) seems to go to a good cause, bringing happiness to everyone. The moral side of rebellion is further proved when Carton's last words and actions are being discussed, where it is said that "it was the peacefullest man's face ever beheld there. Many added that he looked sublime and prophetic. […] It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known" (386). The imagery used here portrays Carton's full transformation into a much better person because of the revolution. Had it been that the corruption in the rebellion did not exist, Darnay would not have been arrested, and Carton would never have changed. The words "peacefullest", "sublime", and "prophetic" all reveal how completely at rest Carton was, accepting that he was to die for Darnay