Charles Dickens: "A Tale of Two Cities" Quiz

Answer: Historical novel

A historical novel takes place in a historical period, before the author was born. The story is invented, but the background is based on real events. Other examples are Tolstoy's "War and Peace" and Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe".

Answer: Thomas Carlyle

A lot of details in France are based on fragments of this essay. Dickens also visited France and read works by French authors. Carlyle opposed the methods of the radical republicans, who killed a lot of people via the guillotine. This opinion is echoed in "A Tale of Two Cities", although Dickens agreed with the ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity.

Answer: paradox

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..." Best-worst, wisdom-foolishness etc. are paradoxes. These contradictory ideas are used to express an underlying truth.

Answer: Recalled to life

Mr Manette has been in prison for eighteen years, while his daughter Lucie thought he was dead. Now he's free, so he's "recalled to life". Jerry Cruncher has to bring this message to Lucie Manette, but doesn't understand it himself.

Answer: Dover

He has to wait for Lucie to go to Paris with her. Beauvais is where Doctor Manette lived in 1757. The rest of the story takes place in Paris and London, the "two cities". Jarvis Lorry already met Lucie before; he brought her from France to London when she was two years old.

Answer: an honest tradesman

The irony is that several characters make a false description of themselves. Cruncher isn't an honest tradesman at all, and Lorry is much more than a man of business.

Answer: Miss Pross

Like most characters she's not very consequent; in Book Three she turns up in Paris, so she must have crossed the salt water after all.

Answer: Saint Antoine

The red wine that flows over the streets in Paris is a symbolic prediction of the blood that will flow over the same streets during the Revolution. Saint Antoine is now part of the Eight Arrondissement. It was the suburb behind the Bastille.

Answer: Madame Defarge & the Vengeance

Gabelle sends a letter to the new Marquis, meaning Charles Darnay, the nephew of the old Marquis. Madame Defarge and the Vengeance work together during the Revolution, but are clearly two different persons. When Madame Defarge is killed, the Vengeance asks: "Where is Thérèse?"

Answer: Three

First he's acquitted in London, then he's acquitted in Paris thanks to Doctor Manette's testimony. The third time he's condemned to death, because of Doctor Manette's testament and the frenzy of the French crowd.

Answer: footsteps

She listens to the echoes of footsteps of people she cannot see. This happens in a corner in the house in London where she lives with Miss Pross and her father.

Answer: Charles Darnay

Alexandre Manette is her father. Mr. Stryver is also a suitor, who is advised not to propose.

Answer: Sydney Carton

Stryver is the "fellow of delicacy" and Carton the "fellow of no delicacy". Carton has a very low self-esteem, but ironically he will become the real hero of the novel by sacrificing his life.

Answer: Someone who digs up and sells corpses

He saw his father digging up the coffin of Roger Cly, which turned out to be filled with stones. In the eighteenth century it was forbidden to perform dissections on human bodies. Poor people like Cruncher illegally sold corpses to physicians.

Answer: John Barsad

The description is repeated several times. Barsad's real name is Solomon Pross; he's the brother of Miss Pross. First he's a false witness against Darnay and a spy for the English goverment. Then he flees to France and becomes a turnkey at La Force.

Answer: Doctor Manette

Doctor Manette is unaware that he's giving advice for himself. Lorry talks about someone who imagines himself to be a blacksmith, instead of a shoemaker. The nine days start on Lucie's wedding day, when Charles Darnay tells him that his real name is d'Evrémonde. This emotional shock takes the Doctor back to 1757, when the old Marquis d'Evrémonde made him go to prison as an innocent man.

Answer: A letter by Gabelle

In the final chapter of Book Two he receives this letter. Gabelle is arrested for helping an emigrant. Darnay wants to help the old servant.

Answer: Miss Pross

Miss Pross is described as a strong woman. When Madame Defarge comes looking for Lucie, Miss Pross first tries to gain time and finally the French woman is shot with her own pistol. The sound of the gunshot makes Miss Pross deaf.

Answer: A death-cart

Dickens uses the word several times. It's the cart used to bring the convicts to the guillotine.

Answer: The seamstress

The seamstress, whose name is never mentioned, is the only one present who recognized Sydney and understood that he was there instead of Charles. Sydney holds her hand during the ride to the guillotine and turns her face away from the guillotine when they arrive.