Discussions and Questions with model answers on A Tale Of Two Cities

commenting on the most important points in "A Tale Of Two Cities"
I'll do my work chapter by chapter
Students can raise any points they want to inquire about.
Hope it will be useful.


. Why did Dickens start the novel with so many contradictions?
Dickens started the novel with so many contradictions to give us a view of the extreme differences between the classes at that time. The nobles were living in comfort and luxury and the common people were living in poverty and misery . The king of England was too busy with his wars to worry about his own people’s poverty. The king of France and the nobles were concerned with their own pleasure and wealth. Both kings were too busy to worry about the poor hungry lower classes that began to make plans to get rid of their rulers.

please miss we want some important comments and discuss questions on tale of two cities from chapter1 till 14. Speak about the state of disorder found in England in the setting scene.
· In England there was no order or protection.
· Daring robberiesعمليات سطو جريئة by armed men مسلحيين took place in houses and on highways الطرق السريعة .
· Highwaymen used to disguise and attack mails, robbing and killing.
· There was boiling anger. Prisoners quarreled with their jailers.
· Thieves stole – boldly – diamond jewels from round the necks of people at court.
.Why were the passengers all wrapped up?
= Why were the travelers in the Dover mail suspicious of each other?
They were wrapped up in heavy coats to hide themselves from each other. At those times, people feared each other because there were many crimes on the roads. People could be attacked by highwaymen. So they suspected each other.

1.Why were private messages delivered in code?
At those times, people feared each other because there were many crimes on the roads. People could be attacked by highwaymen everywhere. They suspected each other. So private messages were delivered in code in order not to be recognized.
2.What surprising news did Mr. Lorry tell Luice?
He told her about her father who she supposed was dead. Her father was found alive after spending 18 year in the Bastille. He was set free and taken to the house of one of his servant in Paris.
3.How was the Manette's family affected after the sudden disappearance of Dr. Manette?
Dr Manette disappeared suddenly and mysteriously. His wife feared that some enemy might have sent him to prison by a letter from the king. She tried to search for him everywhere but couldn't find him. She became deeply sad and died from a broken heart.
Lucie who was told that her father died became orphan and was left alone in the world.

Commentry parts
1.“Wait at Dover for Mam'selle. ”
This is the message that Jerry brought to Mr. Lorry from Tellson's bank. The message was asking him to wait for Lucie Manette at Dover. The message was written in a code in order not to be discovered by others.
2. “Recalled to life.”
Mr. Lorry said these words to Jerry to give to people at Tellson's bank in reply to their request to wait at Dover for Lucie Manette. The message was also told in a code in order not to be recognized. The message refer to Dr. Manette who………………………… .
3.“I was happy. I will be more than happy to carry out the request.”
Mr. Lorry said these words to Lucie when they met her at Dover. Mr. Lorry was asked to wait for her. He, here, is expressing his happiness for her trusting him. He hopes to carry out بـ يقوم this business: take her to her father who was thought to be dead. Her father was found alive. And they would go to Paris to identify him and recall him back to life.
4.“I am a man of business. I have business to do When you hear what I have to say, only think of me as a speaking machine. In truth I am not much else.”
Mr. Lorry said these words to Lucie when she stopped him, asking if they didn’t meet before. Mr. Lorry in a business-like manner asked her not to stop him once more. In fact Mr. Lorry used to repeat the word “business”. He loved his bank too much. He felt that he was responsible for it. So he had to tell her the story and take her to see her father.
5.“But he has been-been found. He is alive. Greatly changed, it is too probable; almost a wreck”.
Mr. Lorry tried to encourage Lucie with these words. Lucie felt too sad after hearing that her father who was thought to be dead, was in Prison for eighteen years. Of course his long imprisonment caused تسببت فى his loss of memory and left him a man without life……………………………………...
6.“We are going there: I, to identify him if I can, and you, to restore him to life, love, duty, rest and comfort.”
Mr. Lorry said these words to Lucie when he was telling her the surprising news about her father. He father was………….. .
7.“I'm going to see his ghost! It will be his ghost, not him.”
Lucie said these words to Mr. Lorry when he told her the surprisingews about her father. Her father was…………………………………………………..………… . Lucie was afraid to see that man who must have been a wreck.
8. “What an idea! If it was ever intended that I should go across salt water, do you think God would have put me on an island.”
Miss Pross said these words to Mr. Lorry when he asked if she accepted to accompany Lucie to France. Miss Pross loves Lucie so much that she was ready to go anywhere for her sake.

Chapter 4 five years later
1. What was Charles Darney's accusationتهمة /denunciation إدانة?
=What was the evidence الشهادة/دليل ضد against Darney?
=Why was Darnay tried تم محاكمته in London? Who were the witnesses brought to testify against يشهد ضد him? And how was he saved?
Darnay was put to trial in London because *he was accused of being a spy and of helping the French king in his wars against the king of England.
*He was accused of travelling between England and France and informing the French of what armies the king of England was preparing to send to Canada and North America.
*Six witnesses were brought to testify against him; John Barsad, Robbert Cly, Lucie Manette, Dr. Manette, Mr. Lorry and another one.
*Stryver showed Barsad as a spy and traitor and Cly as a thief. So their witness was valueless. *Sydney Carton (Stryver’s assistant) helped Darnay a great deal by drawing the attention of Stryver to the great physical similarity تشابه between Carton and Darnay. This disproved أبطلthe witness of the man who said that he saw Darnay waiting for someone in a hotel in a town where he was spying on the English army.
Stryver said that Darnay was an innocent victim whose secret family affairs caused him to travel between the two countries.


1. How was Charles Darney acquitted in his first trial in London?
The sixth witness gave evidence against Darnay when he said that he saw Darnay in a hotel in a town where there were soldiers.
However Darnay was saved by the help of Sydney Carton. Carton drew the attention of Stryver to the similarity between him and Darnay. Then Stryver disproved the evidence of the sixth witness who could not identify the man he saw.

1. How was Darnay a victim of a wicked plot مكيدة?
Although he was a member of a noble family, Darnay didn't like the bad ways his uncle was doing to the poor people. So his uncle planned to get rid of him.
Papers were put secretly in his drawers by his servant who was hired by John Barsad. He was brought to trial in the Old Bailey and was falsely accused of being a spy working against the king of England.
Six witnesses were brought to testify against him and he was coming near death. However, by the help of Carton, he was set free.
2. What were the good and weak points in the character of Sydney Carton?
Carton is a memorable character. He had many weak points as well as good ones.
*Carton was a man of great powers and a good heart. He was clever and intelligent. He was useful to Stryver. He prepared all the cases for him. Carton was frank; he told Darnay that he didn’t like him. Carton’s love was pure and unselfish. He didn’t ask Lucie to return his love because he would bring her to misery. He gave his life to save Darnay for her sake.
*However Carton was sad, lonely and aimless in life. He was not successful in life. He was a perfect jackal working for the lion. Carton was careless. To forget his pains, he took to يدمن drinking and liked mixing with bad friends.
1)"Look at that gentleman over there and then look carefully at the prisoner. What do you say? Are they very like each other?"
Stryver, the lawyer defending Charles Darney in his first trial in London, said these words to the sixth witness. The sixth witness said that he saw Darney in a town where there were soldiers, exchanging papers with people there.This witness could have sent Darney to death. However Stryver could disprove this witness when Carton drew his attention to the similarity between the prisoner and him.
The sixth witness couldn't identify the man he saw in that town and Darney was set free.
1)"It's the wisest thing to expect and the likeliest. But I think their not agreeing and requesting more time is in your favour."
Carton said these words to Darney. Carton asked Darney if he was expecting good or bad news about his case. Darney said he was expecting the worst. Carton – here – shows his admiration of Darney's wisdom حكمة . Unlike Darney, Carton was optimistic about Darney's trial.
2)"I have an obligation to you for life –in two senses,"
Darney said these words to Mr. Stryver, the lawyer who defended him in his first trial in London. Stryver praised himself for saving Darney's life as well as his reputation. And here Darney is thanking him for this. Charles Darney was accused of………………………………………. .
1)“You have acted as if you do, but I don’t think you do”.
Darnay said these words to Sydney Carton in answer to Caron’s question if he thought Carton loved him. After the trial Carton and Darnay went to dine together. Darnay thanked Carton for saving his life in court. But Carton who was jealous of him asked if he thought he liked him. Darnay was surprised and said that Carton acted as if he liked him but he did not believe that Carton really liked him.
1)"You're still like a see-saw, aren't you? Up one minute and down the next; now in good spirits, now in despair."
This part was said by Carton to Stryver when the latter commented on the moody متقلب المزاج Carton. Carton felt desperate in life. He was careless and had led a strange life since childhood. He used to work for his friends at school and never did his own work. And now he is doing the same for Stryver.

[ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذه الصورة]

Sydney Carton
A life you love beside you