Symbolism In Charles Dickens's A Tale Of Two Cities

How could something as delicious as chocolate be used to portray an entire class of snobbish French citizens? By using metaphorical language, A Tale of Two Cities describes the tensions that caused a truly vicious war to occur in France. Moreover, numerous key characters and images are able to capture the spirit of redemption amid the turmoil. Utilizing a plethora of symbolism, Charles Dickens is able to perfectly represent the self-absorbed aristocracy, revolutionary fever, and a theme of resurrection in his novel as well as the French Revolution. Chocolate, carriages, and coins are all symbols of the aristocracy’s greed, cruelty, and pure ignorance towards the peasants’ plight. The upper class in France has a sense of entitlement rather than a feeling of responsibility to care for their lesser majority. A prime example of this pretentious attitude is Monseigneur, whose character serves as a representation of his entire class. Charles Dickens ironically compares Monseigneur to a high priest by alluding to the inner sanctum of the Hebrew Temple with phrases such as “sanctuary of sanctuaries,” “crowd of worshippers,” and “Holiest of Holiests” (253). Naturally, the man is anything but a well-respected priest as is proven with a lengthy description of the chocolate he devours. It is pathetic …show more content…
The peasants are fed-up with being subjugated to the aristocracy’s egotism and the negligence that follows. Upperclassmen cannot sense the impending dangerous riots and continue to bask in their wealth without a second thought for the poor. Both classes have citizens who are the personification of attitudes and traits or who undergo a metamorphosis. All these facets of the book are made possible through analogies and comparisons. Ultimately, the entire Revolution can be summed up by the famous quote by Charles Dickens, “He would make a lovely