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Author: Charles Dickens
Title: A Tale of Two Cities
Publisher: Bantam Classics, 1989.
Revolution
Thought the whole novel, the authors approach towards his historical subject in the French revolution has some inconclusiveness. This is evidenced by the fact that Dickens has support for the revolutionary cause while at the same time he also reveals the evil deeds committed by the revolutionists themselves. The peasant’s cries and calls also receive the sympathy of the author as he writes the novel with much emphasis placed on the need of liberating these peasants from the regime making them suffer (Dickens, 34). Through the chapters in the book dealing with Marquis Evermonde, the author manages to successfully paint a clear picture of how the upper and ruling classes in the society shamelessly oppress and exploit those who are poor in the nation.
Even though the author condemns this exploitation and oppression of the peasants, he also condemns all the strategies and methods the peasants are deploying to overcome this menace facing them. According to Dickens, fighting cruelty with cruelty does not help solve the existing oppression problem (Dickens, 54). Rather this shows that the peasants portray no true revolutionary instincts as they are only taking out their suffering on the people who caused it. Dickens takes a clear stand on the use of cruelty in the search for justice as he cautions against mob action (Dickens, 57. There are some scenes in the novel that come across as profoundly gruesome for example the scene where people are at the grindstone sharpening their weapons in preparation for the revolution.

Even though the author, Dickens portrays the French Revolution as great transformation and resurrection symbol, more emphasis is placed on the violent means that were deployed by the revolutionaries together with the exploitation and oppression this revolution caused to the peasants.
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Work Cited
Dickens, Charles. A tale of two cities. No. 102. Bantam Classics, 1989.