Resurrection

Abstract：Resurrection is a eternal theme found throughout the novel of A Tale of Two Cities. The theme in the novel is generally derived from the authors personal life. This paper analysis two main characters and how the writer applies resurrection to them.

Key words：resurrection;life experiences;religious Disposition

1. Introduction

Resurrection is a powerful theme found throughout the plot of A Tale of Two Cities. Many of the characters in the novel are involved with the intertwining themes of love， redemption， and good versus evil. The theme of resurrection involves certain aspects of all of these themes and brings the story together. If the terrors of the French Revolution take a political form， the hope that Dickens holds out in this novel has distinct religious qualities. At the same time， the theme Dickens chosen to some degree is in connection with his life experiences.

2. Dickenss Life Experiences

Theme in the novel generally comes from the authors personal life. The unfortunate experiences of Charles Dickenss childhood affected him deeply. Images of orphaned children and prisons would permeate his stories and books throughout his writing career.

Described as “the greatest English novelist”， Dickens childhood is filled with bad fortune. In 1822， Dickens fathers job transferred the family to London， where ?nancial problems eventually led to John Dickens being sent to debtors prison in 1824. Although the rest of his family joined his father in prison， twelve-year-old Charles lived alone and worked at Warrens Blacking Factory. While the experience lasted for only a few months， this was the most unhappy time of all his life.

He suffered from loneliness and hunger at that time . He felt his early hope of growing up to be a learned and famous man crushed in his heart. Indeed Dickens fulfilled his dream and became an successful writer later. In his whole life he not only suffers the plight as a poor worker， but also makes a great accomplishment as a brilliant writer. It is because of his own experiences that he made an attempt to find a way out for himself as well as other people of lower class， even the country-Britain. His own life experiences are good examples of rebirth. Thats why he use the resurrection theme in writing this novel. In A Tale of Two Cities， Resurrection theme is mainly embodied in the two individuals Dr. Manette and Sydney Carton.

3. Dickenss Religious Disposition

The idea of resurrection is featured prominently in Christianity. The resurrection of Jesus is elaborated upon throughout the books of the New Testament.

He portrays characters by resorting to Christianity. In Christianity “Resurrection” is connected with both the body and spirit. It is obviously reflected in characters in A Tale of Two Cities. Doctor Manette resurrected after suffering physical and mental torment.

4. Resurrection of Doctor Manetee

Dickens elaborates his theme with the character of Doctor Manette. Early on in the novel， Lorry holds an imaginary conversation with him in which he says that Manette has been “recalled to life.” As this statement implies， the doctors eighteen-year imprisonment has constituted a death of sorts. Lucies love enables Manettes spiritual renewal， and her maternal cradling of him on her breast reinforces this notion of rebirth.

Dr. Manette plays a very important role in the novel for his fate is closely interwoven with the development of the plot. He was imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years， just because he knew the crime that two aristocrats committed. After eighteen years of being physically and mentally removed from the world， the Doctor has suffered greatly and appears to have lost all sense of time， place， and self.

Despite the fact that he is no longer in prison， he still seems “buried alive” when you first see him in The Shoemaker of Book 2. Both his mind and body are hidden from view. Even after some light enters the garret where he works， the Doctor looks more dead than alive， with his hollow face， withered body， and a hand so thin that it looks transparent.

Similarly， when Monsieur Defarge and Mr. Lorry try to talk to him， his mind seems starved and wasted to the point of being able to comprehend. The only question he answered is that ‘105 north tower and immediately turns to his work—shoemaking， which he learns as a means of mental relief. Just as light enters the garret to reveal the Doctor physically， contact with Lucie seems to awaken part of the Doctors mind and memories.

The warmth and love of his daughter are strong enough to bring Doctor Manette back from the cold， colorless place his mind retreated to during his years of confinement. Then Dr. Manette moves to London with her daughter. He looks very good physically， but still suffers mental torment every now and then. He keeps his substitute of mental relief — tool of shoemaking until his daughter wedding Charles Darnay. chapter seven of book 3， the narrator updates us on Dr. Manette. "No garret， no shoemaking， no One Hundred and Five， North Tower， now！ He had accomplished the task he had set himself." This is where Dickens lets us know that Dr. Manettes return to sanity has been complete.

5. Resurrection of Sydney carton

Sydney Carton proves the most dynamic character in A Tale of Two Cities. He firstly appears as a lazy， alcoholic attorney who cannot muster even the smallest amount of interest in his own life. He describes his existence as a supreme waste of life and takes every opportunity to declare that he cares for nothing and no one. Indeed， when you first see him in A sight of Book 2， carton pays his attention on the ceiling regardless of the noisy surroundings. But Carton notices the faint face of Lucie Manette. Next in his conversation with the recently acquitted Charles Darnay， It is easy found that Carton is a ill-mannered， unkempt， and a heavy drinker.

In The Jackal of Book 2 Dickens establishes Cartons failure to live up to his professional potential by comparing him with Stryver.

Although the two men go through school together and have shared similar professional opportunities， Carton remains the jackal （assistant） to Stryvers lion （prominent lawyer）. Carton is undoubtedly more intelligent than Stryver， but he lacks the ambition and resolve that make Stryver a success. Also in the same chapter as he makes his way home， the setting reflects Cartons feelings of emptiness and unhappiness： “the air was cold and sad， the dull sky overcast， the river dark and dim， the whole scene like a lifeless desert.”

When he imagines “a mirage of honorable ambition， self-denial， and perseverance” in which love， life， and hope are all possibilities， Carton reveals his awareness of his wasted potential.

His bitterness toward Darnay and his shortness with Stryver reflect the feelings of regret that have arisen in him upon seeing the one person he knows could redeem him—Lucie Manette—and knowing that his choices have put her forever out of his reach. Before Lucie weds Darnay， Carton professes his love to her， though he still persists in seeing himself as essentially worthless （The Fellow of no Delicacy of Book 2）. This scene marks a vital transition for Carton and lays the foundation for the supreme sacrifice that he makes at the novels end.

when Carton decides to sacrifice himself by dying on the guillotine instead of Darnay，he said：“ I am the Resurrection and the Life， saith the Lord： he that believeth in me， though he were dead， yet shall he live： and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Carton will never truly die because in his death， he will have resurrected his own life， giving it purpose and meaning.

Cartons death has provided much material for scholars and critics of Dickenss novel. Some readers consider it the inevitable conclusion to a work obsessed with the themes of redemption and resurrection. According to this interpretation， Carton becomes a Christ-like figure， a selfless martyr whose death enables the happiness of his beloved and ensures his own immortality.

The text also implies that the death of the old regime in France prepares the way for the beautiful and renewed Paris that Carton supposedly envisions from the guillotine. Although Carton spends most of the novel in a life of indolence and apathy， the supreme selflessness of his final act speaks to a human capacity for change. and it also shows that  only in the sacrifice Carton can establish his lifes great worth.

6. Conclusion

A Tale of Two Cities is a fable about resurrection， depicting the main characters， Doctor Manette ， Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton， as all being “recalled to life” in different ways. The Doctor regains his freedom and sanity， Darnay escapes a death sentence three times， and Carton redeems his soul through sacrifice. By using the theme of resurrection， Dickens demonstrates that the spiritual lives of all people depend upon the hope of renewal. The paper， mainly focusing on the characters of Dr. Manette and Sydney Carton ， discusses the resurrection by character analysis ，because they are the most important and typical examples of resurrection. As a matter of fact， there are other characters who “recalled to Life”.

And the thesis also explores the reasons why Dickens choose this theme. One possible cause is Dickens life experiences. His early unfortunate life casts a shadow on him. Dickens wants to get out of it and  live a new life.

The resurrection theme is also closely related to religion-Christianity. Dickens thinks that man can be reborn if he believes God and do good always. Hence， Dr. Manette and Carton deserve a second chance by showing that they both really are good people.

【Bibliography】

[1] Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities[M]. Beijing： Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press， 2006.

[2] Charles Dickens. The Life of our Lord [J]. Nelson/word Pub Group， 1934.

[3] Gong Xuan. A Tale of Two Cities Revisited： a Stuctural and Thematic Analysis [D]. MA thesis. Hunan Normal University， 2003.

[4] Luo Jingguo. Charles Dickens： Four Complete Novels， Deluxe Edition [M]. Gramercy， 1990.

[5] Tang Shulan. A Feminist Study of Charles Dickenss A Tale of Two Cities[D]. MA thesis. Yunan Normal University， 2007.

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【作者简介】

李富荣（1980—），女，湖南益阳人，本科学历，单位：湖南城市学院外国语学院，主要研究方向：外国语言学及应用语言学。