Essay - A Tale of Two Cities the Opening Sentences of Charles...

A Tale of Two Cities

***** opening sentences of Charles Dickens's novel A ***** of Two Cities is famous because its writing draws the reader into the world depicted in the novel with gripping imagery and remarkable *****. The novel was written during a time of great change, ***** rather than just telling us "th***** story takes time during a period ***** great *****," Dickens shows us all the conflicts going on. While the first image, "It was ***** best of times, it was the worst of times...," is the most well-known the first paragraph c*****tains seven such opposites. While the writing is beautiful and well-crafted, the words say less than they seem: what does it mean to be the "best" or "*****" of times? Without ***** beautiful *****, the paragraph would open with a string of cliches.

Dickens then goes on to note other par*****els, such as superficial similarities between rulers of countries. The parallels, however, make imp*****tant points about the two ***** in which the story is set, England and France. They also serve to remind the reader of the great philosophical turmoil going ***** at ***** time. This ***** the Age of Enlightenment, a time that set not only philosophies but views about how people should be governed in opposition to each other. In such a time, the newer ways of th*****king were diametrically opposed ***** what had come before it. The opposites in the opening of ***** book ***** the reader up to read ***** a period of turmoil ********** change.

***** w***** ***** best of times, it was the worst ***** times" is true on several levels. For those who ***** moving into ***** growing middle class, it may have been the best of times, ***** for ***** who remained impoverished, life was still grinding and difficult. It was both the age of wisdom and the age ***** foolishness. Some philosophers brought brilliant new ideas out of the Age of Enlightment, ideas that ***** transform the Western *****, but some people *****ly had a passing familiarity ***** the new ideas and only used them for glib or s*****erficial conversation. To them, the ***** ideas were ***** another fad.

It was both "the epoch of belief" ***** "the ***** of incredulity." Some ***** remained devoted to religious beliefs, while others were openly questioning the nature not only of God ***** ***** existence itself. "The season of Light" and "***** season of Darkness" may have referred to the stirrings of democracy, a shift that would bring great turmoil to France. France would not achieve ***** easily, ***** many people would suffer along the way. With all *****se changes going on, it was the spring of hope f***** those who embraced all the new changes, sometimes naively thinking that great ideas would be easily adopted, but the ***** o***** despair for many whose lives ***** no hope of improving.

Not surprisingly, the nature of the period with ***** its contradictions is reflected in the characters. For instance, Sydney