Flashcards
A Tale of Two Cities
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A Tale of Two Cities — Book the First (Chapters I–II) Flashcards
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| Who wrote A Tale of Two Cities? | Charles Dickens |
| What is the subtitle of the novel? | "A Story of the French Revolution" |
| What is the famous opening line's technique? | A series of contradictory parallel statements ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...") describing the era through opposites |
| What year does the story open in? | 1775 |
| What two countries are contrasted in Chapter I? | England and France |
| Who is Mrs. Southcott? | A religious figure in England said to have had "spiritual revelations," referenced to show the era's mix of superstition and belief |
| What was the "Cock-lane ghost"? | A supposed haunting/spirit phenomenon in England, mentioned as an example of superstitious belief of the period |
| What real historical event is referenced as coming from "a congress of British subjects in America"? | Early stirrings of the American Revolution/Continental Congress |
| What cruel punishment in France is described in Chapter I? | A youth was sentenced to have his hands cut off, tongue torn out, and body burned alive for not kneeling before a passing procession of monks |
| Who are "the Woodman" and "the Farmer" symbolically? | Personifications of Fate and Death, foreshadowing the guillotine (built from wood) and the tumbrils (carts) of the coming Revolution |
| What does the description of crime in England reveal? | That despite claims of order, England suffered from rampant highway robbery, burglary, and harsh, arbitrary punishments by the "hangman" |
| Where does Chapter II take place? | On the Dover road, with the Dover mail coach struggling up Shooter's Hill on a foggy November night |
| Why do the passengers walk beside the coach instead of riding? | The hill, mud, and heavy harness make it too difficult for the horses, so passengers walk to lighten the load |
| Why are the passengers suspicious of one another? | Robbers ("the Captain" and his gang) were common on the roads, so travelers hid their identities and trusted no one |
| Who is Joe in Chapter II? | The guard of the Dover mail coach, who keeps watch with a blunderbuss and pistols for protection against robbers |
| What weapons does the guard keep ready? | A loaded blunderbuss, six or eight loaded horse-pistols, and a cutlass |
| How are the passengers dressed and why is this significant? | Wrapped to the cheekbones and in jack-boots, so hidden from each other's sight—symbolizing the secrecy and mistrust of the time |
| What mood does the misty, cold setting create in Chapter II? | An eerie, foreboding atmosphere, comparing the mist to "an evil spirit" seeking rest and finding none |
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