Literary Devices in A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Essay Sample

📌Category: A Tale Of Two Cities, Books, Dickens, Writers
📌Words: 536
📌Pages: 2
📌Published: 09 April 2022

"Then tell Wind and Fire where to stop, but don't tell me." (pg264). Enhancing characterization through literary devices helps highlight the essential concepts of each character. It also helps the reader connect with the themes of each character. In the book Tale of Two Cities written by Charles Dickens, he uses literary devices such as repetition and symbolism to enhance the characterization of the mob and Madame Defarge. 

Charles Dickens uses repetition to show how ruthless and willing Madame Defarge is to do anything for a change, even as far as killing people. In this passage, Madame makes sure to stick near the officer even while people are attacking. The passage states, "She stood Immovable close to the grim officer" and "remained immovable close to him when the long-gathering rain of stabs and blows fell heavy." She remained close to him until he fell to the ground, where she then killed him. The repetition shows that she is solid and conniving because she drove the knife into him earlier but chose for him to suffer before she did so. Madame Defarge is ruthless vengeful, and she will take it upon herself to do what she believes she needs to do to see change. The revolution doesn't scare Madame. She is calm, relaxed, collected when required, and will let out her rage when an opportunity arises. The passage states, "In the howling universe of passion and contention…there was but one steady figure, and that was a woman's". The steady figure is Madame Defarge; amid all the chaos, she remains calm. This characterization shows that she knows what she is after and doesn't act without calculating her next move. She knows how to unleash her rage and when to coordinate her tactics. When she was introduced, Madame Defarge was quiet and kept to herself; now, we see that she is a leader seeking vengeance and will do what it takes to make things right. 

Charles Dickens uses symbols to characterize the mob as mindless and inescapable in the passage. In the passage, it states, "the sea rushed on." In this quote, the sea represents the mob of people. This quote is a fitting example because the sea is unpredictable and deadly. Here the mob is being presented as deadly by the way they are killing left and right. The sea is also inevitable, just like the mob of people. The revolution is unstoppable, and the only thing that will happen if there is no change within the economy is that the villagers will get angrier and more violent. The mob is a potent force that will mindlessly kill till they reach the change they desire. At the beginning of the chapter, Dickens characterizes the mob as a "howling universe of passion and contention." This quote symbolizes the world being up in flames of passion and discord because the mob is savage and will destroy anything on their warpath to get what they desire. The hierarchy suppressed the mob for far too long, and they are willing to take matters into their own hands to force a reconstruction of their well-being. 

The book Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens uses literary devices to further depict the characterizations of the mob and Madame Defarge as violent ruthless people. This helps strengthen the characters' narrative and conveys a deeper meaning than what is directly on the page, which allows the reader to understand the themes deeper and creates a better complex understanding of the story.

+
x
Remember! This is just a sample.

You can order a custom paper by our expert writers

Order now
By clicking “Receive Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails.