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Chapter 1: Five Years Later...1. In the following quotation, Dickens compares Tellson’s Bank with England. List the qualities, both positive and negative, that he attributes to the old bank and that he also attributes to old England. Be sure to include the bank’s position on capital punishment.
“In this respect the House was much on a par with the Country; which did very often disinherit its sons for suggesting improvements in laws and customs that
had long been highly objectionable, but were only the more respectable”?
Tellson’s is described as small, dark, old, decaying, and very respectable; it is said to be ugly, lacking modern facilities, and very proud of its long history. The bank figuratively puts anyone to death who commits even the smallest of crimes.
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Chapter 1: Five Years Later...2. What is implied by Jerry’s anger at his wife’s “flopping,” the mud on his boots and the rust on his hands?
Jerry thinks his wife’s praying is going to prevent him from earning some money. He gets mud on his boots late at night, which implies that he is doing something after dark to earn money. Whatever it is, his wife disapproves of it and feels the need to pray for her husband.
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Chapter 1: Five Years Later...3. How are young Jerry and his father alike? Why do you suppose Mr. Cruncher frequently has rust on his fingers?
They both have spiky hair and like to bully people. Answers will vary. Example: The rust is probably the result of Mr. Cruncher’s after-hours job, which also results in the mud on his boots.
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Chapter 1: Five Years Later...4. What effect does Dickens achieve by the scene in the Cruncher home?
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Chapter 2: A Sight... 1. What is Jerry Cruncher’s opinion of execution by quartering?
He thinks that it is unnecessarily cruel and that killing a man should be enough of a punishment.
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Chapter 2: A Sight... 2. Briefly describe the prisoner, Charles Darnay. Why is he fascinating to the crowd?
He is a young, good-looking man with dark eyes, dark hair, a sunburned cheek, and a self-possessed manner. The crowd is fascinated by him because of the horrible sentence he faces.
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Chapter 2: A Sight... 3. For what crime is Charles Darnay on trial?
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Chapter 2: A Sight... 4. Why is there a mirror over the prisoner’s head?
It is there to reflect the light onto the prisoner to make him more visible to the crowds.
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Chapter 2: A Sight... 5. Who are the witnesses against Charles Darnay? Why is Mr. Lorry sitting with the defense attorney?
The witnesses are Lucie and her father. They do not want to testify against Charles Darnay. Mr. Lorry is there as their friend to help Mr. Darnay.
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Chapter 2: A Sight... 6. When, according to their testimony, did Dr. Manette and Lucie meet Charles
Darnay?
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Chapter 2: A Sight... 7. With what other popular “entertainment” does Jerry compare attending a trial? How do the two compare?
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Chapter 3: A Disappointment ...1. Briefly outline the charges the Attorney General presents against Mr. Darnay.
Mr. Darnay is accused of traveling frequently to France, beginning with the start of the American Revolution. It is known that France helped the Americans, so any help to France is considered treason. Darnay travels to France on secret missions which he refuses to explain. The Attorney General has a witness who will testify he found incriminating papers among Mr. Darnay’s personal things.
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Chapter 3: A Disappointment ...2. How does Mr. Solicitor-General try to discredit John Barsad’s testimony?
Mr. Solicitor-General suggests that he is not credible because he has been in debtors’ prison, cheats at dice, and owes the prisoner money. Mr. Solicitor-General also suggests that John Barsad planted the incriminating papers on Charles Darnay.
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Chapter 3: A Disappointment ...3. How does Mr. Solicitor-General try to discredit Roger Cly’s testimony?
He suggests Cly is a thief and, being a good friend of John Barsad’s, is part of the plan to incriminate Charles Darnay.
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Chapter 3: A Disappointment ...4. In what ways is Miss Manette’s testimony against Mr. Darnay both helpful and damaging to his case?
She helps him by portraying him as a kind, helpful gentleman. Her testimony hurts because she admitted witnessing him talking to two Frenchman just before the ship departs. He admits to her on the voyage that he had secret business in France and would be making several more journeys. He was traveling under an assumed name. Also, he tried to explain to her the reasons for the American Revolution.
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Chapter 3: A Disappointment ...5. How does Mr. Carton help Mr. Stryver cast doubt on the testimony of the witness who was in the Dover mail with Mr. Lorry five years earlier?
Mr. Carton writes a note to Mr. Stryver suggesting that he ask the witness if he notices any resemblance between Mr. Carton and Mr. Charles Darnay. Everyone is stunned by the resemblance between the two men, which cast doubt on the witness’ testimony.
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Chapter 3: A Disappointment ...6. What is revealed about Mr. Carton’s character by his behavior toward Lucie and Mr. Darnay?
Mr. Carton is very observant and is interested in Lucie. He is insolent when he is talking to Charles Darnay but gives him hope by saying it is in his favor that the jury is taking so long to reach a verdict. Mr. Carton is a complex character who is perhaps hiding his good side.
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Chapter 3: A Disappointment ...7. One of the major themes in this novel is the idea that resurrection is possible. How does this theme apply to Charles Darnay’s acquittal for treason?
Most prisoners accused of treason are convicted, so they are considered dead men at their own trials. Since Charles Darnay is acquitted, he has been recalled to life, or resurrected.
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Chapter 4: Congratulatory ...1. Briefly describe Mr. Stryver. How does he use Mr. Carton?
He is thirty but looks fifty and is stout and red-faced. Stryver is unfair to Carton because he takes full credit for Darnay’s acquittal.
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Chapter 4: Congratulatory ...2. Why is Carton so rude to Darnay?
Answers will vary. Example: Carton is attracted to Lucie although he does not admit it. He is jealous that she pities Darnay. He is also jealous that Darnay is not wasting his life and talents.
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Chapter 4: Congratulatory ...3. What does Carton confess to himself after meeting with Darnay?
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Chapter 5: The Jackal...1. What is the secret to Stryver’s success as an attorney?
He hires Carton to evaluate his legal cases and point out strategies to win the cases.
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Chapter 5: The Jackal...2. Briefly describe how Carton looks when he is working at Stryver’s desk.
He is concentrating on the work, drinking, and wearing wet towels on his head.
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Chapter 5: The Jackal...3. What do we learn about Carton’s childhood? What does Carton blame for his miserable life?
He did the other boys’ homework when he was still in school just as he does Stryver’s homework now. He blames his bad luck for the miserable life he leads.
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Chapter 5: The Jackal...4. What is the significance of people’s calling Carton Stryver’s jackal?
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Chapter 5: The Jackal...5. What do we learn about Carton’s childhood? What does Carton blame for his miserable life?
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Chapter 5: The Jackal...6. What predominant character traits of Carton’s are revealed in this chapter?
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Chapter 6: Hundreds of People...1. Miss Pross’ complaint about “hundreds of people” is an example of what figure of speech?
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Chapter 6: Hundreds of People...2. Why do the visits of these “hundreds of people” bother her?
She is complaining about the visitors because she thinks they will want to marry Lucie.
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Chapter 6: Hundreds of People...3. Who is Solomon?
He is Miss Pross’ brother who took her money and left her in poverty.
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Chapter 6: Hundreds of People...4. What questions does Mr. Lorry ask Miss Pross concerning the Doctor and his shoe making tools?
He wants to know if the doctor remembers who had him imprisoned and if he still thinks about his years in jail.
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Chapter 6: Hundreds of People...5. Why is Dr. Manette afraid to remember his past?
He is afraid to dwell too much on the reasons for his imprisonment because, if he remembers too much, he may lose himself to the past and begin making shoes again.
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Chapter 6: Hundreds of People...6. What is suggested by Sydney Carton’s story about the prisoner’s letter found in the Tower of London?
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Chapter 6: Hundreds of People...7. Comment on Dickens’ use of foreshadowing at the end of this chapter when Lucie, Carton, and Darnay discuss the crowds in the streets of London.
Answers will vary. Example: The crowds suggest to the reader the mobs of the French Revolution. The foreshadowing is lengthy and seems to be overdone. Dickens is writing with a dramatic fl air because he intends to read the story to a live audience.
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Chapter 6: Hundreds of People...8. What are the two significant meanings of the title of this chapter?
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Chapter 7: Monseigneur in Town...1. What tone does Dickens achieve at the beginning of this chapter? How does he achieve it?
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Chapter 7: Monseigneur in Town...2. Who is the Farmer General, and what is his relationship to the Monseigneur?
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Chapter 7: Monseigneur in Town...3. What has passed between Monseigneur and the Marquis?
- Chapter 7: Monseigneur in Town...4. What is ironic about the following conversation between Defarge and Monsieur the Marquis? Defarge begins, “Be a brave man, my Gaspard! It is better for the poor little plaything to die so, than to live. It has died in a moment without pain. Could it have lived an hour as happily?”
- “You are a philosopher, you there,” said the Marquis, smiling.
- “How do they call you?”
- “They call me Defarge.”…
- “Pick up that, philosopher and vendor of wine, said the Marquis, throwing him another gold coin…”
The Marquis, in his conceit, thinks Defarge is trying to help him by telling Gaspard that the death of the child is a blessing. When Defarge throws the coin back into the carriage, he is really saying that life in France is so terrible because of the excesses of the aristocracy that the child is better off dead.
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5. Read the following passage. What do you think the water in the fountain may
symbolize in this story?
“The water of the fountain ran, … so much life in the city ran into death according to
rule, time and tide waited for no man, … all things ran their course.”
The water from the fountain may be a symbol of the terrible fate awaiting the nobility of France at the hands of the revolutionists.
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Chapter 8: The Monseigneur in the Country....1. Why is the Marquis annoyed with the Mender of roads?
The mender of roads notices a man hanging onto the back of the Marquis’ carriage. The Marquis is annoyed with the mender of roads because he does not immediately alert the Marquis to the man’s presence.
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Chapter 8: The Monseigneur in the Country....2. How did the poor woman’s husband die? What does she want from the Marquis?
Her husband dies of hunger. She requests a piece of wood or stone to mark his grave.
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Chapter 8: The Monseigneur in the Country....3. What family connection is suggested at the end of this chapter?
Probable relationship to Charles Darnay.
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Chapter 9: The Gorgon’s Head...1. What is the family relationship between Charles Darnay and the Marquis?
The Marquis is Darnay’s uncle, his father’s twin brother.
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Chapter 9: The Gorgon’s Head...2. What evidence is there that Darnay suspects the Marquis contributed to the treason charges he faced in England?
Darnay says that he thinks his uncle helped to make the English suspicious of his trips to France.
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Chapter 9: The Gorgon’s Head...3. What were the reasons for Darnay’s frequent trips to France that resulted in his charges of treason?
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Chapter 9: The Gorgon’s Head...4. What important information is alluded to in the following passage?
“I believe that if you were not in disgrace with the Court, and had not been overshadowed by that cloud for years past, a letter de cachet would have sent me to
some fortress indefinitely.”
“We have done wrong?” repeated the Marquis, with an inquiring smile, and delicately pointing, first to his nephew, then to himself.
“Our family; our honourable family, whose honour is of so much account to both of us, in such different ways. Even in my father’s time, we did a world of wrong,
injuring every human creature who came between us and our pleasure, whatever it was. Why need I speak of my father’s time, when it is equally yours? Can I separate my father’s twin-brother, joint inheritor, and next successor, from himself?”
“Death has done that!” said the Marquis.
“And has left me,” answered the nephew, “bound to a system that is frightful to me, responsible for it, but powerless in it; seeking to execute the last request of
my dear mother’s lips, and obey the last look of my dear mother’s eyes, which implored me to have mercy and to redress; and tortured by seeking assistance and
power in vain.”
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Chapter 9: The Gorgon’s Head...5. Why does Darnay plan to abandon the property of his family when he inherits it from his uncle?
He thinks it is a ruin of waste, mismanagement, oppression, hunger, and suffering.
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Chapter 9: The Gorgon’s Head...6. In the following passage from the story, to what mystery is Darnay alerted by his uncle’s behavior?
“As he bent his head in his most courtly manner, there was a secrecy in his smiling face, and he conveyed an air of mystery to those words, which struck the eyes and ears of his nephew forcibly.”
Darnay is alerted to a connection between the Marquis and Dr. Manette.
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Chapter 9: The Gorgon’s Head...7. What does the redness of the rising sun shining on the outside of the chalet suggest?
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Chapter 9: The Gorgon’s Head...8. What does the note attached to the knife tell the reader about the identity of the Marquis’ murderer?
Since it is signed Jacques, the reader knows the murder has been committed by a member of the revolutionary group headed by Monsieur Defarge.
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Chapter 10: Two Promises...1. How does Darnay earn his living in England?
He teaches French language and literature.
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Chapter 10: Two Promises...2. What are the two promises suggested by the title of this chapter?
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Chapter 10: Two Promises...3. What promise concerning his past does Darnay make to Dr. Manette?
Darnay states that he will never do anything to separate Dr. Manette and Lucie even if Lucie agrees to be his wife. Darnay wants the doctor to promise to tell Lucie that he believes Darnay is sincere in his promise to keep them together. In addition, he wants the doctor to promise he will not say or do anything to keep Lucie from accepting Darnay’s proposal.
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Chapter 10: Two Promises...4. What does Dr. Manette’s reaction to Darnay’s attempt to reveal his true identity suggest?
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Chapter 10: Two Promises...5. What further evidence is there that Dr. Manette is disturbed by the prospect of a marriage between his daughter and Charles Darnay?
When Lucie comes home that night, she fi nds her father making shoes. He reverts to shoemaking only when he is very upset.
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Chapter 11: A Companion Picture...1. What does the title of this chapter suggest?
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Chapter 11: A Companion Picture...2. Why does Mr. Stryver want to marry Lucie? Why does this character’s name seem appropriate for him?
Mr. Stryver is a conceited man who wants to marry Lucie to please himself. He says that he is well off, a man of distinction, and a piece of good fortune for her. He thinks she will be a good wife because she will “always do me credit.” (Pg. 134) Mr. Stryver is a striver after success. In Dickens’ novels, the names of his characters frequently have significance.
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Chapter 11: A Companion Picture...3. How does Stryver’s attitude toward marriage differ from Darnay’s?
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Chapter 11: A Companion Picture...4. Why does Stryver suggest that Carton consider finding a wife for himself?
He thinks Carton is going to need a nurse and should marry a landlady who will be available to take care of him when he needs it.
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Chapter 12: The Fellow of Delicacy...1. What does Mr. Lorry say to Stryver to discourage him from proposing marriage to Lucie?
He says that it would be painful for Stryver, Dr. Manette, and Lucie if she should refuse the offer of marriage. He suggests Stryver wait for a few hours and let Mr. Lorry find out what the answer will be before Mr. Stryver proposes marriage.
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Chapter 12: The Fellow of Delicacy...2. How does Mr. Stryver handle the situation when Lorry comes to visit him later that evening?
He pretends that he is relieved Lucie does not want to marry him and that he is sorry he considered it in the first place. He suggests that Lucie is a foolish girl and concludes that he is better off out of the situation.
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Chapter 12: The Fellow of Delicacy...3. Who is the Fellow of Delicacy suggested in this chapter’s title?
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Chapter 12: The Fellow of Delicacy...4. Is Mr. Lorry’s role in Stryver’s proposal consistent with his claim that he is nothing more than a “man of business”?
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