How Does Dickens Use Language In A Tale Of Two Cities

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A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a lesson for all rich people in this society today. The people who are ignorant of what is happening in the poor sections of the world should particularly watch out. Perhaps reading A Tale of Two Cities would be a good idea and knock some sense into them. In Chapter 2.9, “The Gorgon’s Head”, and other chapters of the book, Dickens uses characterization and language to suggest that even the most seemingly secure things are temporary, so one must think in the future, respect his or her surroundings, and act appropriately regarding them. In order to more clearly see why this should be, one must observe Monsieur le Marquis’s actions that put his ignorance and contempt on full display. This trait is conveyed…show more content…
As for his philosophy of personal gain: "the text of his order ran: 'The earth and the fullness thereof are mine, saith Monseigneur'"(92). Here, we can see Dickens using language (a pun) to show Monsieur le Marquis’s ignorance to religion because "Monseigneur" translates to "my Lord," which could refer to “God” or a reference to an aristocrat or a superior suggest that either one works to use for Monsieur le Marquis. This can be seen when his servants literally adore the Monsieur as if he were a deity. Monseigneur's contempt for religion is demonstrated by him ignoring the nun's veil as a sign of willing humility by saying that it was "cheapest garment she could wear," (92). Monsieur le Marquis is so focused on money and power that he overlooks the nun being religious and purposefully lowering her status. In Chapter 8, le Marquis must pass through a village of poor people, whom…show more content…
Descriptions of the chateau also hint at the character of the family who own it, such as “It was a heavy mass of building, the chateau of Monsieur le Marquis, with a large stone courtyard before it, and two stone sweeps of staircase meeting in a stone terrace before the principal door. A stony business altogether, which heavy stony balustrades, and stone urns, and stone flowers, and stone faces of men, and stone heads of lions, in all directions” (103) A word that continues to repeat during the description of the chateau is “stone”, suggesting that its owner’s (le Marquis’s) heart is also made of stone. His furniture, "diversified by many objects that were illustrations of old pages in the history of France,"(104) is mainly in the style of Louis XIV (104), who was known for his lavish lifestyle. The style is highly decorative, and in the setting of A Tale of Two Cities, it is somewhat out of date. This lavishness, combined with even older accessories, displays Monseigneur's wealth and suggests that his disregard of the lower class is not exclusive to him; his fortune has been running through the family its roots in feudalism, a system in which low class people worked for the nobles such as
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