In the 1900s, philosopher Erich Fromn made popular the definition of transcendence as the need to destroy in order to create. However, the concept of destruction before rebirth has been around for hundreds of years. Some would say that the duality of destruction and rebirth is inherent to nature, and even humanity, itself. This concept of destruction, resurrection, and the balance of their dual relationship is thoroughly explored by Charles Dickens in his book A Tale of Two Cities. A Tale of Two Cities is a work of historical fiction that describes the events of the French Revolution through the eyes of a few men and women. It is the perfect read for anyone interested in the political and societal implications behind the French Revolution, and is an intriguing novel for anyone interested in classic literature and the period of the 1780s. The book also holds a special appeal for anyone who, like me, enjoys and appreciates layers of complex motifs and symbols.
One part of A Tale of Two Cities that stuck in my mind was the section describing when a French aristocrat, the Marquis St Evremonde, ran his carriage over a boy in the road. After he ran the child over, he showed no remorse for the crushed boy. Instead he asked if his horses were okay and threw a coin at the boy's father. This horrifying scene did not just represent the bad character of the French elite at the time of the Revolution (and in Dickens' later time when he was wary of the French); it was also an artfully written foreshadowing of the French Revolution and the amounting tensions in France that had not yet occurred in the book.
As I mentioned earlier, a recurring theme in A Tale of Two Cities is resurrection. The premise of the book-the French Revolution-could be seen as a resurrection, or the destruction before rebirth. However, Dickens does not just leave the metaphor at that. Each individual main character also undergoes a form of resurrection. This theme begins in the start of the novel when a bank worker named Mr. Lorry sends a message to a young lady of the name Miss Mannette. Mr. Lorry's message is short and cryptic: "Recalled to Life." When I first read this message, I was intrigued. Later on in the story it becomes apparent that this message meant that Miss Mannett's father, previously presumed dead, had been found in the Bastille and was going to be set free. In this instance, "recalled to life" means that Miss Mannett's father was being brought back to life by being freed from imprisonment. However, my fascination didn't completely dissipate; there were many other characters and situations in the book that "recalled to life" could have applied to.
Throughout the rest of the book, there are two other main characters: Mr. Darnay, a man previously convicted of treason but good and noble (despite being part of the horrible Evremonde family that I talked about above), and Mr. Carton, a drunk and apathetic men who didn't live up to his potential. These two men, though seemingly complete opposites in nature, are doppelgangers in appearance. (When I did outside research on this, I found that some propose that these men represent two warring sides of Dickens himself). At the end of A Tale of Two Cities, Mr. Darnay is held in a French prison to be executed for his brother's (Marquis St Evremonde) crime. However, Mr. Carton sneaks into the prison and switches place with Mr. Darnay, and ends up being guillotined in Mr. Darnay's place. This self sacrificing act, so uncharacteristic of Mr. Carton, serves as another instance of resurrection. The ending monologue of the book exposes Mr. Carton coming to the realization that this one act, sacrificing himself for Mr. Darnay and Mr. Darnay's family, makes up for the sins he committed during his life. In fact, as he stands on the guillotine block, the last thing that Mr. Carton says is, " It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."
For me, this ending of A Tale of Two Cities is poignant and poetic. It finishes the story by closing a loop, repeating the "recalled to life" promise once more in a man who, throughout the rest of the book, you didn't think would ever change or live up to a better potential. The ending holds both the excitement appropriate for the fictional drama that it is, and also stands as a statement that, no matter how bad things may get, there is always rebirth.
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