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What Is The Theme Of Love In A Tale Of Two Cities

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In Europe, the eighteenth century was a time of great social upheaval and change. While England experienced a period of general discontent, particularly over events such as the American Revolution, France experienced a full-blown revolution, which tore down the existing social hierarchy and established a ruthless tyranny in its place. Such general discontent has been reflected throughout literature, which has been used to demonstrate how these changes affected the lives of individuals. In some cases, these experiences left some individuals with inklings of hope, while others were left to succumb to revenge and despair. In Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities, contrasting environments, actions, and character traits are utilized to strengthen the novel’s message that individuals who possess love and compassion will experience the greatest success in positively impacting the lives of those around them. In the novel, Dickens portrays the differences between the two nations, England and France, as a method of demonstrating the problems that each faced and the manners in which they overcame such issues. For example, from the beginning of the novel the reader is exposed to the uneasiness of the times: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the

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