How Does Dickens Use Power In A Tale Of Two Cities

When given an irresistible opportunity, temptation will cause one to jump at the chance. This statement applies when taking power into consideration. Many will find themselves overwhelmed by the possibilities power has to offer, resulting in the only outcome of abuse. A similar situation occurs in Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities. Throughout the novel the two social classes, the nobility and the peasants, find themselves in possession of power. Dickens parallels the way in which both classes take advantage of their power. This technique allows the readers to see a pattern form and question what point the author is trying to make. The parallelism between the two classes proves that the tempting qualities of power blind the users from reality,

When discussing, Defarge declares, ‘“[…] one must stop somewhere. After all, the question is still where’. Madame replies, ‘At extermination”’ (Dickens 344). Due to the temptation of power, the peasants cannot stop and must go on. They are not willing to settle for anything less than extermination, and will continue until they fulfill their desires. There is a similarity between the way in which power impacts the nobles and peasants. Dickens does this on purpose by using parallelism to show how the diction the classes use when in power, such as ‘exterminate’, is the same. This tactic helps demonstrate how power leads to the same outcomes and how different groups of people abuse it the same way. The desperation to maintain possession of power helps communicate the similarities both classes experience when in control. These circumstances can remain true for almost every situation, not just one. In his writing, J. M. Rignall discusses how the techniques implemented by Dickens play a part in the way he tells history. Through these techniques, Rignall is able to establish the pattern of how “[…] oppression is shown to breed oppression,