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Streaks of Realism in A Tale of Two Cities overview |
The portrayal of historical or fictional events in an unidealized or lifelike manner is called realism. Sometimes, novelists provide a glimpse into a particular moment in history through the creative or fictional representation of significant historical incidents. In A Tale of Two Cities, the events prior to and after the French revolution have been delineated in graphic detail. For the most part, the numerous events and the characters featured in this novel appear lifelike or realistic. The Following discussion will serve to reinforce this point:
1. According to Abrams, a “ typical realist sets out to write a fiction which will give the illusion that it reflects the life and the social world as it seems to the common reader” (153). Moreover, “Realism ... gives us characters and plot as we were looking through a window onto an actual scene taking place before our eyes. Our attention is drawn not to the nature of the words on the page but the action those words convey” (Tyson 66). There are several instances in the novel that enable the readers to visualize incidents as if they were actually taking place before their eyes. For instance, the heartrending scene when Dr. Manette reunites with his daughter after an absence of eighteen years transports the readers in time and evokes their sympathy. It is almost as if the following image is being enacted or visually displayed in a film:
“He had sunk in her arms, and his face dropped on her breast: a sight so touching, yet so terrible…covered their faces” (Dickens 47).
The frenzied action that takes place during the fall of Bastille is another example of a lifelike visual representation of a historical incident. The following picturesque images seem lifelike, chaotic, and frightening:
“A tremendous roar arose from the throat of Saint Antoine, and a forest of naked arms…no matter how far” (Dickens 220). Furthermore, the entire scene where Defarge, Jacques, and the turnkey storm through the “gloomy vaults” of the Bastille “where the light of day had never shone, past hideous doors of dark dens and cages, down cavernous flights of steps, and again up steep rugged ascents of stone and brick” (Dickens 223) arouses the readers’ curiosity and horror. It appears as if it is a realistic as opposed to a fictionalized account of the French revolution and as if the aforementioned events are being recreated before our eyes.
In addition to the revolution, the mass starvation and deprivation in Paris prior to the revolution has been graphically portrayed in the following lines:
The “children had ancient faces and grave voices; and upon them, and upon the grown faces, and plowed into every furrow of age and coming up afresh, was the sigh, Hunger. It was prevalent everywhere. Hunger was pushed out of the tall houses, in the wretched clothing that hung upon poles and lines; Hunger was patched into them with straw and rag and wood and paper; Hunger was repeated in every fragment of the small modicum of firewood that the man sawed off; Hunger stared down from the smokeless chimneys, and started up from the filthy street that had no offal, among its refuse, of anything to eat. Hunger was the inscription on the baker's shelves, written in every small loaf of his scanty stock of bad bread; at the sausage-shop, in every dead-dog preparation that was offered for sale” (Dickens 30). The unsettling image of starvation in these lines seems revoltingly real.
2. Similar to realist fiction, A Tale of Two Cities places emphasis on human behavior and the myriad of responses and conflicts that are observable in real life. For instance, the impact of imprisonment on Dr. Manette, the trauma experienced by him thereafter, and his subsequent relapses are experiences that authentically convey the horrors of imprisonment. His “sunken and suppressed” (Dickens 39) voice, “vacant gaze” (Dickens 41), and “haggard eyes” without “any interest or curiosity” (Dickens 40), epitomizes the predicament of an individual who has been forced to endure solitary confinement. Moreover, the dilemma of human alienation and the internal conflict experienced as a result of leading an unfulfilled life has been effectively conveyed through the agony experienced by Carton in the following lines: “Waste forces within him, and a desert all around…its pillow was wet with wasted tears” (Dickens 91).
3. In realist fiction, the reality is not described through any one singular individual’s consciousness but through a third-person object point of view or third-person narrative. This is because a first-person or a subjective narrator clouds the narrative with his/her emotions thereby adding a sentimental quality to the narrative. A Tale of Two Cities features an omniscient or an objective narrator (who is all-knowing and all-observing). No character in the novel serves as the mouthpiece for the plot. For instance, the profound philosophical insights in the opening sentence of the novel i.e., “It was the best of times…comparison only” (Dickens 3) and the mystery underlying human interactions as highlighted in the initial paragraph of “The Night Shadows” (Dickens 11) are profoundly meaningful observations and comments made by the omniscient narrator.
4. Linear progression is another hallmark of realism. Linear progression refers to a straightforward narrative that proceeds in a chronological manner. In A Tale of Two Cities, every event in the lot moves in a sequential manner. The timeline of the novel showcases three distinct periods of history- Book I focuses on the year “one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five” (Dickens 3), the second book highlights the period from 1780 onwards while the third book details the events that take place in the year “one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two” (Dickens 253) onwards.
5. Realist fiction also features dialogue that is true to life and that reveals or highlights the innermost depths of a character. For example, the conversation that takes place between Carton and Stryver in the chapter entitled, “The Jackal” (Dickens 85) highlights Carton’s self-effacing character. Furthermore, the bond of friendship between Dr. Manette and Mr. Lorry and the human factor underlying their relationship is conveyed through the beautiful and believable dialogue that takes place between them in the chapter, “An Opinion”. After conversing at length about disposing of the shoemaking tools, Mr. Lorry poses the following question: “…may not the retention of the thing…forge?” (Dickens 210). In response to this question, Dr. Manette replies: “it is such an old companion” (Dickens 210) and then hesitatingly gives his consent. This heartfelt conversation is significant in terms of character revelation as well. It simultaneously portrays Mr. Lorry’s selfless concern for his friend and Dr. Manette’s reluctance to part with his “old employment” (Dickens 210).
6. The portrayal of settings that exist in reality is another prominent feature of realist novels. Several realistic settings such as the Old Bailey, Saint Antoine, Dover, Bastille, and Soho are portrayed in A Tale of Two Cities. These settings make the novel seem more believable and authentic.
Credit goes to Ma'am Saima Najib
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