Tale Of Two Cities Foils Analysis

In A Tale of Two Cities the author, Charles Dickens, uses many literary devices in his writing. Three specific devices —character foils, foreshadowing, and motifs —are used in the passage above. Charles Darnay is discussing with his uncle, the Marquis, about the current state of France. In the passage Dickens shows the different opinions of the two men. Foils are two characters that have different ideas from each other. Charles Darnay and his uncle are foils because one wants to make other people’s lives better while the other does not care. Charles Darnay says, “‘There is not,’ pursued the nephew, in his former tone, ‘a face I can look at, in all this country round about us, which looks at me with any deference on it but the dark deference

A motif is a recurring subject, theme, or idea that can help to develop the text’s major themes. “The dark deference of fear and slavery, my friend,’ observed the Marquis, ‘will keep the dogs obedient to the whip, as long as this roof,’ looking up to it, ‘shuts out the sky’” (278). The motif of darkness represents the fear that the people in France are living in. The Marquis wants the citizens to be scared of him, so they will not do anything to go against him. The motif of darkness reminds the reader of the struggles of the people in France. People are hungry and trying to survive with what they have, but many are dying. Darkness is also used to represent death in A Tale of Two Cities. In conclusion, the passage above is important to A Tale of Two Cities because the reader learns about the current situation in France, and the differences between the Marquis and Darnay’s personalities. The reader learns that Darnay’s family is hated and feared throughout France. Dickens included foreshadowing in the passage, so the reader learns that his chateau along with many others will be burnt and destroyed. Lastly, the reader can notice that Darnay wants the best for the people of France, but his uncle could care less about the