As a young child, Charles Dickens was forced to work in a shoe polish factory. Therefore he has a deep understanding of the struggle that the people of France had to endure. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, takes place in 18th century London and France. In the passage, the Marquis is riding through countryside on horse and carriage as they approach a small village. The Marquis is the lord of this village, but it is filled with poverty. This does not bother him as he looks down upon the villagers. As the people bow to him he notices a man looking at him oddly. The man said he saw a someone, as pale as a ghost, hiding at the bottom of the carriage. He said the man was not there anymore, and is told by the Marquis to be on the lookout for a stranger. Dickens has a contemplative attitude towards the social conditions in France and conveys this through various examples of detail, syntax, and diction. An example of detail in this passage comes from opening lines where Dickens describes the landscape of France, through the eyes of the Monseigneur, with great detail. Dickens illustrates, “A beautiful landscape, with …show more content…
Dickens uses three different stylistic techniques to convey his overall attitude towards the social conditions in France, which was contemplative. Dickens describes the landscape of France in great detail, highlighting the potential in the farmlands of France. The next technique that was used was syntax. Dickens repeated certain words in order to put a greater emphasis on them. Without this technique, the reader would not have the same understanding of the poverty of France. Finally, Dickens uses good diction and word choice in this passage. He uses a mixture of negative and hopeful words in order to address the present and future of France. This entire passage is merely Charles Dickens contemplating the future of