Jeff Scudder
English
Plot Essay

	"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens is a story about Europe during the French Revolution. It is separated into three sections. "Book the First: Recalled to Life". "Book the Second: The Golden Thread", and "Book the Third: The Track of a Storm".
	The first book introduced the characters as they are in a mail coach going from London to Denver, when a messenger approached them and singled out Mr. Lorry with a message for him. The messenger told him to "Wait at Dover for Mam'selle" and Lorry replied "Recalled to Life". Lorry fell asleep periodically and kept having strange dreams during the rest of his journey. Lorry then met Lucie Manette in Dover, where he told her that her father is not dead as she though, but was very much alive. The two travel to Paris, where they find Lucie Manette's father in the alleys behind a Wine store owned by Defarge. Mr. Manette is making a ladies' shoe of the 'current fashion' as they walk into his room. They all leave Paris quickly because of the insecurity in France.
	"Book the Second: The Golden Thread" opens five years after the original book takes place. A court case took place where Darnay, was being tried as a spy by giving information to the king of France. Darnay is saved by the testimonies of Lorry, Lucie, and Mr. Manette. He later thanks them and kisses Lucie on the hand. Darnay becomes their friend over the following years. This book introduced Sydney Carton who is a drunk and nothing but a bad attorney who is a servant of a good one known as Stryver. Sydney's character drastically changed throughout the novel. Darnay eventually married with Lucie, and they went on their honeymoon. Monseigneur Marquis is also introduced as the ruthless landlord who is greedy and does not care about his people. He is executed by the revolutionaries. Darnay is his nephew and heir but he disguises his identity. During this time, the revolutionaries and Defarge and his wife, storm Versailles causing huge uproar and the beginning of the extended violence and revolution in France.
	The third and final book is a series of ups and downs for the character of Darnay. He ends up going to France to save someone, but as he arrives he is put in prison. He later gets out by being saved by Mr. Manette, but he is arrested again by Defarge and his wife who carried out the orders. Darnay was condemned to death for being the heir to Marquis, even though he did not approve of what was going on with the peasants. Carton went into the prison and ended up switching clothes with Darnay and he died for him, his children, and Lucie, so that Darnay could escape and live a better life. Many other people die at the end, including Miss Pross and Cruncher for shooting Madame Defarge.