Corruption is society’s newest hobby. Upon a moment’s glance at the world, one will see some form of societal unrest, be it civil war, terrorism, or anarchy. Embedded at the heart of each of these issues is corruption, defined as fraudulent acts by those in power. As corruption is an inherently political affliction, Charles Dickens cannot help but comment on it in A Tale of Two Cities. The plot expounds upon the French Revolution, and naturally splits characters into two groups: the Revolutionaries and the aristocracy. The two groups—both of whom hold polar ideas for the future of France—repeatedly and violently clash as the plot progresses with the eventual victory of the Revolution. Through the aristocracy’s unbridled power and the peasantry’s
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They create a ragingly unjust judicial system, allowing for little protest against the judges’ preconceived biases, thereby undercutting the notion of a trial by jury in the first place. The peasants initially serve the sole purpose of utility for the upper class, but begin to rise in societal relevance with the rebellion. As the Revolution gains speed, the original goal of liberating France’s citizens becomes clouded by an untamable bloodlust. The desire to kill becomes so strong and undirected that the Revolutionaries begin feeding their own to La Guillotine, as the seamstress—a woman accused of plots against the Republic— shows. In the moments leading to her execution she tells Carton, “I am not afraid to die, Citizen Evremonde, but I have done nothing” (360). Since killing their own is not enough, the Republic attempts to purge France of those with even the mildest of ties to the aristocracy; they condemn all returning emigrants, including Darnay. As one of the men accompanying Charles to Paris explains: “there will be [decrees] banishing all emigrants and condemning all to death who return” (254). Worsening the condition of the judicial system is the sinister intent behind this twisting of laws. When Madame Defarge rhetorically questions Jacques Three about the wood sawyer, her eyes give away the irrelevance of an actual verdict by jury. After asking if “there was any doubt in the jury”, she “allows her eyes to turn to him in a smile” (365). The highest echelon of the Revolution has corrupted its people to the extent that one can only consider it a dictatorship. People follow Madame Defarge’s words without a second thought and begin to commit actions that contradict the Revolution’s original dream: a better life for the lower class. Corruption leads the peasants off the just path that they started on, causing death to many, and pain to those who
They create a ragingly unjust judicial system, allowing for little protest against the judges’ preconceived biases, thereby undercutting the notion of a trial by jury in the first place. The peasants initially serve the sole purpose of utility for the upper class, but begin to rise in societal relevance with the rebellion. As the Revolution gains speed, the original goal of liberating France’s citizens becomes clouded by an untamable bloodlust. The desire to kill becomes so strong and undirected that the Revolutionaries begin feeding their own to La Guillotine, as the seamstress—a woman accused of plots against the Republic— shows. In the moments leading to her execution she tells Carton, “I am not afraid to die, Citizen Evremonde, but I have done nothing” (360). Since killing their own is not enough, the Republic attempts to purge France of those with even the mildest of ties to the aristocracy; they condemn all returning emigrants, including Darnay. As one of the men accompanying Charles to Paris explains: “there will be [decrees] banishing all emigrants and condemning all to death who return” (254). Worsening the condition of the judicial system is the sinister intent behind this twisting of laws. When Madame Defarge rhetorically questions Jacques Three about the wood sawyer, her eyes give away the irrelevance of an actual verdict by jury. After asking if “there was any doubt in the jury”, she “allows her eyes to turn to him in a smile” (365). The highest echelon of the Revolution has corrupted its people to the extent that one can only consider it a dictatorship. People follow Madame Defarge’s words without a second thought and begin to commit actions that contradict the Revolution’s original dream: a better life for the lower class. Corruption leads the peasants off the just path that they started on, causing death to many, and pain to those who