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Resurrection in A Tale of Two Cities Essay

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Resurrection in A Tale of Two Cities

Resurrection is a powerful theme found throughout the plot of A

Tale of Two Cities. Many of the characters in the novel are involved with

the intertwining themes of love, redemption, and good versus evil. The

theme of resurrection involves certain aspects of all of these themes and

brings the story together.

Dr. Manette is the first person to experience resurrection in A

Tale of Two Cities. He is taken away from his pregnant wife and then

imprisoned for eighteen very long years. Over the years, his condition

deteriorates until he forgets his real name and mindlessly cobbles shoes to

pass the time. In "Book the First", he is released …show more content…

This parodies the resurrection theme because it is a simple physical

resurrection of corpses from the graveyard with seemingly little meaning.

The reader later realizes the significance of the activities of the

resurrection-man in "Book the Third."

In the battle of good versus evil in A Tale of Two Cities, good

tends to resurrect or be resurrected, while the forces of evil mimic or

parody the resurrection theme. This is shown twice in the novel. Old

Foulon, the evil French aristocrat, fakes his own death so that he will not

be slaughtered by the revolution. He is found later, alive, and is

murdered anyway. This pattern of false death and false resurrection is

also followed by Roger Cly. He too is evil, faking his death and being

"reborn" as a spy again in a different country.

In "Book the Third," the resurrection theme plays a pivotal role in

the development of the plot. Miss Pross recognizes the spy Barsad as her

lost brother, Solomon. In the eyes of Miss Pross, Solomon is resurrected

and her brother is restored. Sydney Carton meets Barsad and shortly after,

Jerry Cruncher reveals to them that Roger Cly is not dead. Cruncher knows

this through his "honest trade" of body-snatching. This allows Barsad to

be manipulated by Sydney

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