1、 http:/查尔斯狄更斯及其双城记赏析张若野（中国石化抚顺石油化工研究院，辽宁抚顺，邮编113001）摘 要：阅读欣赏优秀的文学作品是重要的认识和审美活动，是我们精神文化生活不可或缺的组成部分。通过对狄更斯双城记的赏析，可以更好地理解和欣赏其作品。关键词：双城记；狄更斯；欣赏中图分类号：I106.2I. IntroductionCharles Dickens (1812-1870) was a great English novelist and one of the most popular writers of all time. His best-known books include
2、 A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, The Pickwick Papers, and A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens created some of the most famous characters in English literature. Many of his works reflect the actual life of English society in the 1830s and 60s. He exposed the contradi
3、ction between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie in the capitalist society. His works offer a vivid and realistic picture of English society of the 19th century. It was not until he had his first work under the name of Sketches by Boz and Pickwick Papers published that he attained eminence all over
4、 the world.II. Background and purpose of the novelSince the Industrial Revolution in the second half of the 18th century, the class structure in the English society had undergone radical changes. The industrial capitalists began to play a more important role and fought for political power with the o
5、ld aristocracy. Due to the support of the people, this struggle for power ended in the victory of bourgeoisie over the aristocracy. With the development of capitalism, there arose a powerful working class, though the conflict between labour and capital was for some time kept in the background of the
6、 struggle between the feudal and bourgeois classes. But ever since the thirties of the 19th century, the struggle between the workers and capitalists became the main contradiction in the English social life. Now England became a typical capitalist country. Having consolidated its positions at home,
7、the British bourgeoisie intensified its policy of its colonial expansion to all parts of the world, successively competing for markets with other powers of the world. At home, they exploited workers by all means, and the working people became poorer and poorer. Class contradiction was increasingly i
8、ntensified. After Britain was defeated by the American in 1781, tariff policy was put into use, and Britain lost the American market, which it could export industrial products. Thus overproduction occurred, many factories and enterprises went bankrupt, the unemployment rate increased rapidly and pri
9、ces went up abruptly. Peoples living condition were unimaginable. Chartism which lasted for 20 years came to an end in failure, and revolution was at a cease. But behind the facial prosperity and peace, a wide gap between the rich and the poor in the country was increasing. Class contradiction was i
10、ntensifying. The ruling class still constantly unleashed wars to plunder colonies which led to a new strengthening of the English working class movement. Dickens, who had observed the society for years, witnessed the fact that it was capitalists exploitation and oppression that made the working peop
11、le poorer.- 1 -http:/III. Characterization of the novelA Tale of Two Cities is much more than a social documents. It is a fascination tale of motivation and counter-motivation of fate and accident. It is a richly plotted novel with constant surprise to keep interest high. The two cities, London and
12、Paris, are compared and contrasted. Characters from both cities begin to touch each others lives, until they are inextricably bound together. The characters themselves are colourful and memorable. In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens carefully plots his tale from the opening of the story on the lonely D
13、over road to its ending in Paris. Nearly all characters, even minor ones have important roles to play in the novel. No one is introduced just for show. When a character wanders into the story and out again, you may be sure to hear of him again, perhaps at crucial moment later in the story.There rema
14、ins in A Tale of Two Cities an abundance of Dickens at his best. Every aspect of his art and thought is here represented, irony, tragedy and comedy all could be found between the covers of one book. But most of all its greatness lies in his matchless portray of revolutionaries and his feelings for a
15、nd against them.Dickens depicts a doctor called Manette as a typical petty bourgeois intellectual with great learning but also with an innocent mind. His character is changeable along with the plots.Dr. Manette has great sympathy for the working class. On witnessing what the Evremond brothers have d
16、one, an innocent idea comes to his mind: he writes an account of atrocities of them and delivers it to the Ministry of State. He doesnt realise the relation between them, so he is taken into Bastille. During his eighteen years imprisonment there, his reason gives away, “In the submissive way of one
17、long accustomed to obey under coercion, he ate and drank what they gave to eat and drink and put on the cloak and other wrappings, that they gave him to wear.” (P79). When he is released after the eighteen years, he changes much. One of his characters lies in his humanism. He writes in his accusatio
18、n “But, now I believe that the mark of the red cross is fatal to them, and that they have no part in His mercies. And them and their descendants, to the last of their race,” (P361). But when he learns that Lucy is courted by Darnay, a Frenchman, a descendent of his own oppressors, and they will get
19、married, he forgets that he has written in the accusation and agrees to their marriage. When he learns that Darnay is put up to the revolutionary tribunal, he sets off at once to Paris to save him. He said to Lorry, “it all tended to a good end, my friend; it was not mere waste and ruin. As my belov
20、ed child was helpful in restoring me to myself, Ill be helpful now in restoring the dearest part of herself to her; by the aid of Heaven Ill do it!” (P300). From here we can come to a conclusion: it is Lucy under whose care Manette recovers and in order to bring his daughter happiness he does all th
21、is for only his daughters sake.Another characteristics of Dr. Manette is his innocence. His deliverance of accusation to the Ministry of State shows that he is an empty-minded man. If he hadnt delivered it, he wouldnt have been imprisoned for eighteen years in Bastille. So after suffering a lot in t
22、he prison, he gains in his wit, and becomes more vigilant, he doesnt even tell his daughter for what he had been imprisoned, he only contributes his love to his only daughter. He tries to persuade the revolutionaries not to take Darnay as a “fugitive aristocrat”. What he has done is for bringing pea
23、ce to the family because he wants to lead a peaceful life after suffering such a long time.Darnay, one of the main hero in the novel, a descendent of the aristocrats, is an ideal figure who betrays the family Dickens portrays. Dickens praises Darnay for his smartness, good nature and virtue. He make
24、s a comparison between him and his father and uncle.Darnay is from an aristocratic family, but is himself guiltless of any sin. On seeing the decadence of the aristocratic life and peoples awakening, he realises that the peoples revolution is inevitably to happen. Because he is concerned about the e
25、vil reputation of his family, hed like - 2 -http:/to undo the wrongs done by them and wants to find a new way of life for himself. So just to execute the last request of his mothers lips and obey the last look of his dear mothers eyes, he tortures by seeking assistance and power. The property are lo
26、st to him and he renounces all his right in France. I think he is a little influenced by the Enlightenment, so he betrays his class for he is powerless to change anything. He migrates to England and earns his own living by teaching French and later becomes a capable and successful tutor of French. H
27、e should deserve praise for his excellent behaviour. But he has no action to resist the aristocratic class. That shows he is discouraged. Dickens describes him as a philanthropist. We can see this from what he has done to Lucy and Dr. Manette. He remains honest to Dr. Manette. Without being asked hi
28、s background, he volunteers to tell the Doctor his real name and his reason of living abroad. He is human in his faint dislike of his rivals, but he is obviously in love with Lucy and seems to love her unselfishly. He is unreservedly devoted to Lucy and grateful to her for the home she has made. As
29、a Doctor, Manette wants to head a peaceful life and condemns the Revolution while hating the life the aristocrats lead. The most inspiring thing is his action to save the former steward. Darnay has a strong sense of right and wrong, as we have seen. Failing to heed Gabelles cry for help would be the
30、 act of a coward, he thinks. So when he receives Babelles plea for help after the success of the French Revolution, he sets off immediately to Paris without anticipating the perils he may encounter. No matter whom he wants to save, the spirit should be praised because he believes in the new revoluti
31、onary government and has confidence in the new ruler of the country. In a sense, Darnay is a humanist. Maybe, thats why the author doesnt want him to die.Carton is a defense attorney. By Carton, whom Dickens calls a “forlorn wanderer”, Dickens wants to show how a very good-natured and generous youth
32、 may sink, through lack of regard and of self-regard into a drifter, and finally a waster in an evil society. Cartons life is aimless, without any goal. He seems to be indifferent to what goes on around him. And so he wanders, regretting but doing nothing about changing himself a lot. From what he s
33、ays to Lucy we can conclude that he is leading a swamped life. “But the life I lead, Miss Manette, is not conducive to health. What is to be expected of, or by, such profligates? Im like one who die young. All my life might have been.” (P180). Although he knows that Lucy is engaged to Darnay, he sti
34、ll loves her at one side, and often goes to turn anew lease of life but doesnt know where to begin. But in his ultimate self-sacrifice Dickens shows his virtue. At the end of the novel, he goes to guillotine instead of Darnay because he wants to realize the promise he has made to Lucy. “For you, and
35、 for any dear to you, I would do anything. If my career were of that better kind that there was any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would embrace my sacrifice for you and for those dear to you. Think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love besi
36、de you!” (P183). We may say that when he chooses death, he is not as heroes do in the prime of life, but when he already abandoned all hope of a meaningful existence. Before he dies physically, he has already died in spirit. He sacrifices himself, not for Darnays sake but for Lucys, because he has n
37、o hope for her. The instruction which leads him to do so is what he learns from the New Testament which are “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.” (P403). In Dic
38、kens view, Carton is the greatest one who sacrifices himself for the others. He conforms with what Dickens expects, he is not an egoist, he is a religious humanist. But today, the figure of Carton is considered not to be convincing. An ordinary peoples going to guillotine instead of an aristocrat is
39、 not worth praising. Dickens creation of this figure just reflects his world outlook, because he himself is a bourgeois humanist. He insists that people should be kind to each - 3 -http:/other and live in peace. The figure of Carton is a good comparison with the Defarges.The revolutionaries in the n
40、ovel are represented by Mr. and Mrs. Defarge. Mrs. Defarge was the younger sister, the one surviving member of the peasant family that had been cruelly wiped out by the Evremonde and thus infused with an all-consuming hate. The Defarges remain loyal to the Doctor. But when the revolution arrives, th
41、ey put themselves into it and forget the relation between them and the Doctor. When the trial of aristocrats begins, they even want the Doctors son-in-law to die. And she would like to destroy Lucy and even, we learn later, Dr. Manette himself.“Madame Defarge was a stout woman of about his own age,
42、with a watchful eye that seldom seemed to look at anything, a large hand heavily ringed, a steady face, strong features, and great composure of manner. There was a character about Madame Defarge, from which one might have predicated that she did not often make mistakes against herself in any of the
43、reckonings over which she presided.” (P6364). She records the aristocrats evils by knitting and never be mistaken. She and her husband are the revolutionary leaders of St. Antoine. Their wine-shop is the meeting place of Jacques where they organize revolution secretly. Mrs. Defarge has deep hatred f
44、or the enemy than Defarge does, and is much more firm for revenge. The irony of her apparent indifference and thoughtless self-absorption sharpens the dread with which we look at her. The deferent actions of the men suggest that she is one of the foremost in the revolutionary group. “The one woman w
45、ho had stood conspicuous, knitted on with steadfastness of Fate.” Once again we are remained of Madame Defarges knitting as well as her courage and determination.The two Defarges differ in their attitude toward the coming revolution. The husband is despondent, pessimistic, impatient. Madame Defarge
46、is quietly confident, patient, implacable. She says somewhat ironically, “ Oh, the men, the men! You are faint to heart tonight, my dear!” (P161). When Darnay is brought to the revolutionary tribunal and sentenced to death, Dafarge is upset. He hopes that Darnay never comes to France. He still shows
47、 affection and concern for Doctor Manette and Lucie. But Madame Defarge shows no such concern or sympathy. She says, in fact, that Darnay and Barsard have their names in the knitting “for their merits”. She is worthy of her name of “A great woman, a strong woman, a grand woman, a frightful grand wom
48、an!” (P216).In general, the Defarges are devoted revolutionaries, determined to destroy the ruling class. They are courageous and vigorous leaders. They are intelligent and very much aware of human weakness. They are bitter about conditions and resolved to improve the poor. But the Defarges display
49、a taste for violence and physical brutality. Wherever there is raging mob, they are sure to be in the front. As the story goes on, Madame Defarge becomes more violent. When “Darnay” is sentenced to death, she goes to “see” Lucie, even wants to kill the whole family. That shows that the revolutionaries like Madame Defarge like to go to extremes after the success of the revolution. Lucy admits, “That dreadful woman seems to throw a shadow on me and on my hopes.” At the
