Opening Paragraph of "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens
In Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities," the characters and settings are doubled, and even the opening lines of the story sets the stage for an age of paradox. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness," wrote Dickens.
This opening paragraph describes the conflict in France that Dickens will later describe in greater detail. Basically, the peasants are being destroyed because of the needs and desires of the wealthy and affluent. Like exterminators killing roaches, the rich aimed to drive out the poor during this time.
The opening paragraph provides a strong start to a brief yet informative first chapter, which describes the era...
This age was marked by contradiction and competition. It truly seemed to be the best time and the worst time. In England, the public was in an uproar over religious prophecies and messages sent by British soldiers in America. In France, the public was in a state of excess, both in spending and violence, bringing about the erection of the guillotine.
The opening paragraph reads:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing…
