Bring out the Comic Elements in “A Tale of Two Cities”.

A Tale of Two Cities is essentially a serious and tragic novel of Dickens. But the most outstanding quality of Dickens, the note of humour is not absent in it, though it does not contain too much humour as we find in other novels like 'Great Expectations' and 'David Copperfield'. Since the novel deals with the most serious aspect of society, excess of humour would have marred the tragic effect of the novel. Despite that, the novelist introduces humour through situations, characterization and incidents. Characters like Stryver, Jerry Cruncher and Miss Pross provide us with ample humour.

Comic Elements in “A Tale of Two Cities”:

Miss Pross is obviously a comic character who has also a serious side to her personality, the following manner, "A wild looking woman, all of a red colour, having red hair, dressed in an extraordinary tight-fitting fashion, wearing on her head a most wonderful bonnet like a Grenadier Wooden measure. She lays a brawny hand upon Mr. Lorry's chest, and pushes him back against the wall. Mr. Lorry is bound to think that the attacker must be a man. After this she entertains us by her fussy manner. She orders to go bring smelling salt, cold water, vinegar, etc."

Jerry Cruncher is another character who amuses us by his humorous activities. Jerry's business is very horrible because he digs out dead bodies from their graves. The most amusing aspect of Jerry's character is related to his conjugal life. Whenever he finds his wife praying, he says, "What do you mean by flopping yourself down and praying again (against) me." He often scolds her and sometimes beats her. He happens to have spiky hair, which at once stands on end whenever Jerry gets excited about something. He often calls himself an honest trades-man.' The fishing expedition that he pretends to make is very amusing. Last of all when Mr. Lorry scolds him, he makes two promises before Mr. Lorry that neither he would dig the dead body from its grave nor he would beat his wife. This statement of Jerry creates a comic effect in the novel.

Mr. Stryver is the most powerful comic character who amuses not only the readers but also other characters of the novel. He tells, that he is ready to love and to marry Lucie, even though she would bring no dowry to him. He thinks that when Lucie would come to know about this proposal, her happiness would know no bounds. Later on, he proposes and very humorously fails in his plan. Regarding the failure of his plan, he very humorously fails in his plan. Regarding the failure of his plan, he is not disappointed but he thinks that Lucie's happiness has been ruined by her own stubborn nature. Thus Stryver's actions in the novel are the chief sources of the comic effect. Mr. Lorry, a sincere friend of Dr. Manette also exhibits comic impression through his peculiarities. This devotion to his work is very sincere but to the readers it is the source of humour. Before Miss Pross, he often loses his power of thinking.

Besides these characters, there are a number of humorous remarks which the author makes in order to create humour. For example, about Madame Defarge, he says that she "sat against the doorpost, knitting, and that she saw nothing." About Tellson's bank he points out that the partners who ran this bank "were pround of its incommodi-ousness." The novelist further says that one of these partners would have disinherited one of his sons on the question of rebuilding the bank. Dickens is indeed a great master of humour. Though A Tale of Two Cities highlights the most serious aspect of society, he introduces the humour with the same effect.

 

 

 

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2.   Plot Construction of "A Tale of Two Cities"

3.   Show how “A Tale of Two Cities” is a Tale of London and Paris.

4.   “A Tale of Two Cities” is a Novel about Rebirth.

5.    "A Tale of Two Cities is a Tale of Two Heroes". Discuss.

6.   "Charles and Sydney are opposite side of the same coin". Discuss.

7.   Compare and Contrast Sydney Carton and Stryver.

8.   Treatment of Self-Love in “A Tale of Two Cities”.

9.   Tragic Elements in A "Tale of Two Cities".