Reflection of Charles Dickens’ Pessimism in A Tale of Two Cities
Abstract: A Tale of Two Cities is a historic novel against the background of the French Revolution in the 18th century. It connects Paris and London, telling the stories full of love and adventure in Doctor Manette’s family. In the fiction, Charles Dickens attacked feudal rulers’ barbarity intensely and demonstrated a deep sympathy to the lower class, confirming the justice of revolution. On the other hand, he opposed revolutionary violence against tyranny, considering its process too cruel. This paper reveals Dickens’ contradictory and melancholy side in his character by analyzing Dickens’ pessimistic conception of history and humane fantasy in A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens hoped to influence and reform exploiters to eliminate social contradictions by their charity in order to find an ideal humane society. However, it’s obviously not realistic. Dickens himself couldn’t find a method to solve those social problems because of his inner conflict.
Key Words: pessimism; A Tale of Two Cities; Charles Dickens
查尔斯·狄更斯的悲观主义在《双城记》中的体现
摘 要：《双城记》是以18世纪的法国大革命为背景的历史小说，故事中将巴黎、伦敦两个大城市连结起来，叙述梅尼特医生一家充满了爱与冒险的遭遇。查尔斯·狄更斯通过《双城记》的创作抨击封建贵族的荒淫残暴，深切同情下层人民的苦难，肯定革命的正义性，但另一方面又反对革命人民反抗暴政的暴力，认为革命的过程太残忍。本文通过分析狄更斯悲观主义历史观与人道主义空想对于《双城记》创作的影响，揭示了狄更斯性格中矛盾与阴郁的一面。他希望通过改良教育来感化剥削者，并依靠他们的善心来消除社会矛盾，从而达到他理想中的人道主义社会。但显然这是不现实的，内部矛盾的冲击使他无法找到解决问题的办法。
关键词： 悲观主义；双城记；查尔斯·狄更斯
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
1. The Origin of Charles Dickens’ Pessimism 1
1.1 The Introduction of Charles Dickens’ life 1
1.1.1 Dickens’ Wretched Childhood 1
1.1.2 Dickens’ Painful first love 2
1.1.3 Dickens’ Writing Career 3
1.2 The Effect of English Diverse Society and Trends of Thought in the 19th century 4
1.2.1 Double Variation of the Sense of Populace and Gentry Mood 5
1.2.2 Dickens’ Critical Realism 5
1.3 Charles Dickens’ Pessimism in A Tale of Two Cities 6
1.3.1 Dickens’ Pessimistic Conception of History 6
1.3.2 Dickens’ Humane Fantasy 7
2. The Analysis of the Reflection of Dickens’ Pessimism in A Tale of Two Cities 7
2.1 The Exaggerated Description of the Gloomy Atmosphere 7
2.1.1 The Description of the Oppressive Atmosphere before French Revolution 7
2.1.2 The Description of the Dreadful Social Environment after the Revolution 8
2.2 The Creation of Tragic Characters 9
2.2.1 Madame Defarge: a Brave Revolutionary and a Vengeful Demon 9
2.2.2 Sydney Carton: a Perfect Avatar of Humanism 10
2.3 The Design of Tragic Plots 11
2.3.1 The Marquis Brothers of Evremonde’s Barbarity 11
2.3.2 Darnay’s Two Justices in France 12
2.3.3 Carton’s Dedication for Love 13
3. Conclusion 14
Bibliography 17
