Light and Dark

     In the novel, A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens set a gloomy and optimistic tone between Lucie and Dr. Manette's relationship, using light and darkness. Dickens quoted "A broad ray of light fell into the garret, and showed the workman with an unfinished shoe open his lap," (Dickens 30). Dickens refers Lucie as light. As she enters the garret, hope and peace follows her. In the other hand, the workman, Dr. Manette, is lost and disturbed by something he does not wish. Lucie takes his fear away and fill him with memories.

     "He had put up a hand between his eyes and the light, and the very bones of it seemed transparent." (Dickens 30). The light was something Dr. Manette has missed for 18 years. During the period of jail, Dr. Manette lost his memories of his light, his wife. When he sees the same light once again, he starts to remember. However, the light was too young and but it was same. Memories started to come back and without a warning, darkness fell upon him.

     "Darkness had fallen on him in its place. He looked at the two, less and less attentively, and his eyes in gloomy abstraction sought the ground and looked about him in the old way." (Dickens 32). Hope did not exist anymore. Dr. Manette started to remember but ended up worsening everything. Nothing seemed to be joyful to him. Then, he just stopped everything and went back to work, on the female shoe.

     Lucie, with her light, set the tone optimistic in the end between her and her father's relationship.