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How Does Dickens Use Satire In A Tale Of Two Cities

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Similar to many authors of his time, Charles Dickens utilizes copious amounts of satire and sarcasm to convey the overtly pretentious and garish lifestyle of 18th century Western European Aristocracy. Chapter seven of A Tale of Two Cities, is especially concerned with illustrating the absurd eminence of rankings and social status in France. Readers are introduced to the Monseigneur, a great lord at the Court, who is instantly depicted as grandiose and self-righteous. Dickens alludes to the bible in order to consolidate how Monseigneur views himself, as well as how outsiders, or “the crowd worshippers” perceive him. Dickens’ usage of satire, allusion, and metaphorical language all serve to aid him in his mission to expose the French Aristocracy for what it truly is. …show more content…

This specific phrase, “crowd of worshippers”, very much mirrors contemporary society, almost as if Dickens was envisioning the nature of mankind- we often “worship” those who we consider “elite” or “above us.” Materialism rules over our modern lives, just as in the 18th century, it ruled over the lives of those living in France. The only manner to accurately represent the extent to which this ludicrous force was a massive influence, was to describe it using equally ludicrous

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