A TALE OF TWO CITIES

By Charles Dickens

CHARACTERS
Doctor Alexandre Manette A prisoner in the Bastille in Paris for eighteen years. He is released and accompanies his daughter, Lucie, and Jarvis Lorry to England. He returns to Paris after the outbreak of the revolution and, as a former prisoner, is able to secur e Darnay's release from the revolutionaries. However, a statement written during Manette's long incarceration in the Bastille is later discovered and incriminates Darnay's family. Darnay is again imprisoned and later escapes when Sydney Carton takes his place. Lucie Manette Daughter of Dr. Manette. She is taken to Paris by Jarvis Lorry when her father is released from prison. She marries Charles Darnay but is adored from afar by Sydney Carton, who feels unworthy of her. When Darnay is imprisoned in Paris by the revolutionaries Carton helps him escape, taking Darnay's place due to their resemblance. As Darnay and Lucie escape to Englan d, Carton makes the supreme sacrifice. Charles Darnay Nephew of Marquis de St. Evremonde. He is tried for treason in London and is acquitted due to his resemblance to Sydney Carton. He marries Lucie Manette, daughter of Dr. Manette. He returns to Paris to help a friend imprisoned there and is arrested by the revolutionaries. His life is saved when look-alike Carton takes his place on the guillotine. Jarvis Lorry A clerk in Tellson's bank who is instrumental in bringing Dr. Manette, who is imprisoned in Paris, back to England. He returns to Paris to look after the bank's interest after the Revolution starts and while there helps Lucie and Charles Darnay, bringing them back to England after Sydney Carton sacrifices his life to save Darnay. Ernest Defarge Husband of Madame Defarge and keeper of a wine shop in Paris. He is a leader among the revolutionaries. Therese Defarge, Madame Defarge Wife of wine shop keeper, Ernest Defarge, and a leader among the revolutionaries. She harbors an intense hatred of Charles Darnay for atrocities committed against her family by the Evremonde family. Madame Defarge is killed in a struggle with Miss Pross in Paris.

Sydney Carton Lawyer who is able to get a charge of treason reversed for Charles Darnay due to a strong physical resemblance. He later takes Darnay's place at the guillotine.
Miss Pross Lucie Manette's loyal maid. In Paris Miss Pross is surprised to find her brother, Soloman, is the spy John Barsad. In the end of the novel she struggles with Madame Defarge, who is killed in the scuffle. Jerry Cruncher Messenger for Tellson's Bank who is also a grave robber. Mr. Stryver Barrister who defends Charles Darnay in his trial for treason with assistance from his friend Sydney Carton. Stryver intends to ask Lucie Manette to marry him until counseled by Jarvis Lorry. Marquis de St. Evremonde Uncle of Charles Darnay. He shows unconcern when his carriage runs over and kills the child of the Parisian peasant Gaspard. Gaspard follows the Marquis to his country home and kills him in his bed. John Barsad, Soloman Pross Barsad testifies against Charles Darnay at the treason trial at the Old Bailey. Later Barsad turns up as a spy in Paris and is found to be the brother of Miss Pross. Threatened with exposure, Barsad helps Sydney Carton exchange places with Charles Darnay in prison.

PLOT

The year is 1775 and Dr. Manette, imprisoned unjustly 18 years ago, has been released from the Bastille prison in Paris. His daughter, Lucie, who had thought he was dead, and Jarvis Lorry, an agent for Tellson's Bank, which has offices in London and Paris, bring him to England.
Skip ahead 5 years to 1780. Frenchman Charles Darnay is on trial for treason, accused of passing English secrets to the French and Americans during the American Revolution. He is acquitted when eyewitnesses prove unreliable partly because of Darnay's resemblance to barrister Sydney Carton. In the years leading up to the fall of the Bastille in 1789 Darnay, Carton, and Stryver all fall in love with Lucie Manette. Carton, an irresponsible and unambitious character who drinks too much, tells Lucie that she has inspired him to think how his life could have been better and that he would make any sacrifice for her. Stryver, Carton's barrister friend, is persuaded against asking for Lucie's hand by Mr Lorry, now a close friend to the Manettes. Lucie marries Darnay and they have a daughter. Meanwhile, in France, Darnay's uncle the Marquis St. Evremonde is murdered in his bed for crimes committed against the people. Charles has told Dr. Manette of his relationship to the French aristocracy, but no one else.

By 1792 the revolution has escalated in France. Mr. Lorry receives a letter at Tellson's Bank addressed to the Marquis St. Evremonde whom no one seems to know. Darnay sees the letter and tells Lorry that he knows the Marquis and will deliver it. The letter is from a friend, Gabelle, wrongfully imprisoned in Paris and asked the Marquis (Darnay) for help. Knowing that the trip will be dangerous, Charles feels compelled to go and help his friend. He leaves for France without telling anyone the real reason.
On the road to Paris, Darnay (St Evremonde) is recognized by the mob and taken to prison in Paris. Mr. Lorry, in Paris on business, is joined by Dr. Manette, Lucie, Miss Pross, and later, Sydney Carton. Dr. Manette has influence over the citizens due to his imprisonment in the Bastille and is able to have Darnay released but he is retaken the next day on a charge by the Defarges and is sentenced to death within 24 hours. Sydney Carton has influence on one of the jailers and is able to enter the cell, drug Darnay, exchange clothes, and have the jailer remove Darnay, leaving Carton to die in his stead. On the guillotine Carton peacefully declares "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."

SUMMARY
Chapter1 A revolution of British colonists in America has ripped the colony from British hands. And in Paris, the masses of peasants are starving under the brutal oppression of aristocratic rule. In both cities, unjust and cruel executions and police tortures are the order of the day. England is rife with crime, and France with poverty. On the thrones of the respective countries sit kings and queens who rule the lands with what they believe are their divine rights as rulers . Chapter2 One Friday night November, a carriage with the Dover mail is proceeding along the Dover road. Three passengers are accompanying the mail. The coachman, guard, and the passengers are all suspicious of each other, as crime and robberies are frequent occurrences. A messenger approaches the carriage looking for Mr. Jarvis Lorry . Lorry recognizes the messenger as a fellow employee at Tellson's Bank in London and asks to receive the message. The guard is suspicious of strangers but also agrees. Mr. Lorry reads the message, which instructs him to wait at Dover for "Mam'selle." Mr. Lorry turns to the messenger and says, "Jerry, say that my answer was, "RECALLED TO LIFE."' The messenger is puzzled by the message. He dont want to do it but agrees to deliver it. The other men pile into the carriage and pretend to fall asleep. Chapter3 Jerry proceeds through the dark night shadows to deliver the message to Tellson's. Lorry is having a haunting dream that he is conversing with a man who has been buried alive.: "'Buried how long?'' Almost eighteen years ' 'you had abandoned all hope of being dug out?'' Long ago. 'You know that you are recalled to life?'' They tell me so. ''I hope you care to live?'' I can't say. ''Shall I show her to you? Will you come and see her?' In his dream, Mr. Lorry always receives a different answer to the last question. Sometimes the emaciated man replies that he wants to see "her," other times he says it would kill him if he saw her too soon, and other times he simply replies that he doesn't know who she is...

Chapter4 Upon the arrival of Mr. Lorry in the Dover, he checks into a hotel. He told the employees that he wishes accommodations made for a woman that would wanted to see him. After awhile the waiter tells him that Miss manette has arrived from London and wishes to see him. He followed the waiter and there he saw a pretty and fresh-faced woman who asks him to take a seat. Mr. Lorry tells her that her father has been discovered, alive, and has been taken to the home of an old servant in Paris. He told her that they are going there to t ake him home. She tells him that they will only find his ghost, not him, and that she has been happy her whole life without being haunted b y his ghost. Just then, a wild-looking woman with red hair bursts into the room. She fawns over the girl and excoriates Mr. Lorry for scaring her so. Chapter5 In the Paris suburb of Saint Antoine, a large cask of wine tumbles from a cart and bursts. The owner of a corner wine shop wa tches the proceedings, declaring them out of his control. The man returns to his store and looks around and notices an elderly gentlema n talking with a young woman. The elderly gentleman approaches and speaks with him, and the two men beckon to the young woman to follow them. They leave the store and walk through a small courtyard that leads to several houses. They enter a small garret. As the y enter, Miss Manette admits that she is frightened of the man they are about to meet. They enter the room, which is small and dark. There, they fi nd a white-haired man sitting on a bench, his back turned to them, busily making shoes. Chapter6 Monsieur Defarge greets the white-haired man with "Good Day." The white-haired man responds in kind, although in a very faint voice. Mr. Lorry approached the man doing some works but the man ignored him. Monsieur Defarge asks the man his name and simply replied, One Hundred and Five, North Tower. Mr. Lorry and monsieur Defarge took a small talk and addresses the man as Monsieur Manette (Dr. Manette) and asks if he does remember him. Mr. manette drops the shoe to the ground. Then Miss manette approaches Mr. Manette. Mr. Manette asks what is it? . Tears fell from Miss Manette and she gently sat down beside him and puts her hand on his shoulders. Mr Manette compared the hair of Miss Manette to the hair that is inside the cloth he is having. He turned her over the light and said : 'She had laid her head upon my shoulder, that night when I was summoned out--she had a fear of my going, though I had none--and when I was brought to the North Tower they found these upon my sleeve. "You will leave me them? They can never help me to esc ape in the body, though they may in the spirit." Those words I said. I remember them very well.'" At first, Mr. Lorry cant imagine how that young woman became her daughter, but after a while he recognized it was her very own daughter. After a moment of silence, Mr Lorry together with Miss manette and his father head toward the carriage. As they ride toward England Mr. Lorry recalls his dream..