Oppression in A Tale of Two Cities Essay Example

Since the beginning of time, the lower class has been oppressed by those that have had a higher socioeconomic status. Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale Of Two Cities. is a complicated story that follows the lives of several different characters before and during the French Revolution. One focus of the novel is the social and economic injustices suffered by the peasants of Paris. Although Charles Dickens conveys sympathy towards both the French peasants and the French aristocrats, it is evident that he is more sympathetic towards the peasants. Dickens develops his support for the peasants through events of the peasants lapping up the wine, the Marquis running over a peasant child with his carriage, and the peasants’ treatment by Foulon. 

During the time of the French Revolution, the peasants lived a life of starvation. They are so famished, that when a large wine cask drops and spills onto the street, the peasants nearby resort to lapping up the dirty wine from the street. The text states, “Others, men and women, dipped in the puddles with little mugs of mutilated earthenware, or even with handkerchiefs from woman’s head, which were squeezed into infants’ mouths…” (Dickens 28). Dickens shows his sympathy through his description of this scene, which conveys the desperation of the peasants. He clearly feels sorry for them. This furthers the idea that Dickens sympathizes with them, as he shows the violence created by the Marquis. 

The Marquis is another example of an aristocrat using his privilege to take advantage of the power he has over the peasants. When the Marquis runs over a peasant child with his carriage, he does not show any remorse for his actions, and instead throws a gold coin at his grieving father.  Dickens writes, “Without deigning to the look at the assemblage a second time, Monsieur the Marquis leaned back in his seat, and was just being driven away with the air of a gentleman who had accidentally broken some common thing and had paid for it, and could afford to pay for it…” (Dickens 112). Dickens describes how the Marquis’s privilege as a wealthy and powerful man allows him to get away with murder. Dickens clearly appears to be against the aristocrats when he criticizes the Marquis’s reaction after killing an innocent child. Dickens shows his support for the peasants when he mentions how poorly Foulon treated the French peasants. 

Foulons’ repulsive behavior towards the French peasants supports that Dickens feels bad for them.  Foulon is cruel and disrespectful when he expresses the punishment they should receive for being poor. Defarge says, “Does everybody here recall old Foulon, who told the famished people that they might eat grass, and who died, and went to hell?” (Dickens 224). It can be seen through the tone of the scene that Dickens believes that this was very unnecessary for Foulon to say. It is obvious that Dickens thinks that Foulon should be held accountable for his harsh words. 

Dickens’ sympathy towards the French peasants is more prevalent than his sympathy towards the Aristocrats. Dickens demonstrates the desperation the peasants felt when they were lapping up the wine. He also exhibits the cruel treatment the peasants endured at the hands of aristocrats when he describes the interaction between the Marquis and the young child. Additionally, Dickens frequently notes how Foulon mocks the peasants, which clearly indicates that Dickens feels pity for them. The novel, A Tale of Two Cities, effectively reminds the reader of the oppression the lower classes faced.