Book 1 - Chapter 1 (The Period):!
• 1775 - narrator describes through various contradictions:"
wisdom & foolishness"
belief & disbelief"
optimism & doubt"
light and darkness"
hope & despair#
• “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times” - rulers having the best time but are out of
touch with the people they rule #
• Narrator compares historical era to own present inn Victorian England - Hence the title #
• France - government spends money wildly and gives very harsh sentences to anyone
connected to any crime (no matter the severity)#
• In England - crime infested even the Mayor of London gets robbed (not even frequent
hangings stop the wave of crime) #
• Narrator tells a metaphorical story about the woodman and the farmer - which symbolises the
coming revolution both the people are silently at work.#
• Both the royalty in France and England believe only in their divine right to rule and do not
notice the coming storm#
Book 1 - Chapter 2 (The Mail):!
• Mail coach on its way from London to Dover (Friday night late in November 1775)#
• A messenger appears on horseback and asks to speak to Jarvis Lorry of Tellson’s Bank.#
• Mr Lorry recognises the messenger as Jerry Cruncher (odd-job man) at Tellson’s#
• Jerry gives Mr Lorry a note - “Wait at Dover for Mam’selle”#
• Mr Lorry gives Jerry a message that he must return to Tellson’s with - “Recalled to Life”"
Book 1 - Chapter 3 (The Night Shadows):
• Narrator reflects on strangeness of human condition - how we are all mysteries to each other.
No matter how close, we always remain alienated from each other by our unique individualities.#
• Mr Lorry dreams on the mail coach - wandering through the inner vaults of Tellson's Bank and
finding everything safe. "
"
ALSO = dreams that he "was on his way to dig someone out of a grave." In his dream, he sees a
cadaverous man who has been buried alive for 18 years. Mr. Lorry asks the man if he cares to
live, then also asks over and over if the man will "come and see her?" Sometimes the man cries
out that seeing "her" would kill him, at other times that he must see her immediately."
"
#
Book 1 - Chapter 4 (The Preparation):!
• In Dover - Mr Lorry takes a room at The Royal George hotel #
• 17 year old - Lucie Manette arrives and has received strange instructions to meet a Tellson's
Bank employee at the Royal George Hotel regarding some business of her "long dead" father. #
• Mr Lorry explains a story of one of the banks’ customers - Lucie’s father - Dr Manette#
• Story = 20 years ago, Dr. Manette, a renowned doctor, married an English woman and trusted
his affairs to Tellson's Bank. One day, Manette disappeared, having been jailed by the authorities
and taken to a secret prison. Rather than tell Lucie the truth, Lucie's mother told her that her
1
, father was dead. Lucie's mother herself died soon afterwards, and Mr. Lorry took Lucie from Paris
to London.#
• Mr. Lorry says Lucie’s father is not dead. He has been found but he is a shell of his former self.
He has been taken into the care of an old servant in Paris#
• Mr Lorry says that he and Lucie are going to Paris to “restore [her father] to life”. Lucie must look
after him and care for him."
"
Book 1 - Chapter 5 (The Wine Shop):!
• People in France are starving, when a cask of wine breaks the people push and fight to taste.#
• In Saint Antonie - Monsieur Defrage = owner of wine shop. In the store behind the counter
Madame Defrage silently alerts her husband to the presence of Mr Lorry & Lucie. #
• Monsieur Defrage waited for people in the store to leave and led Mr Lorry & Lucie to the attic.#
• Room = dark and locked for the person inside#
• Defrage opens the door = see a white-haired man in the corner stooped over a bench making
shoes"
"
Book 1 - Chapter 6 (The Shoemaker):!
• Shoemaker - dressed in tatters #
• Defrage asks his name & he replies “One Hundred and Five, North Tower” #
• Mr Lorry asks is shoemaker recognises anyone in the room - he seems as if he does for a
moment but then his face clouds.#
• Lucie approaches him - the shoemaker asks her who she is. #
• The old man sees Lucie’s hair and removes a necklace he wears & reveals a scrap of paper
containing some golden threads of hair - stray hairs from his wife, which he has kept all these
years as a spiritual escape from his imprisonment. #
• Manette struggles to recognise his daughter. #
• Mr. Lorry and Defarge arrange for their immediate departure.#
• Manette asks to bring along his shoemaking tools. They get out to a carriage#
• Mr. Lorry asks Dr. Manette if he wants to be recalled to life. Dr. Manette replies, "I can't say.""
"
Book 2 - Chapter 1 (5 Years Later):!
• 1780 - narrator describes Tellson’s Bank in London as = old, cramped building with ancient
clerks. #
• Bank has business interests connecting England & France #
• Bank symbolic of England = encrusted by tradition and unwilling to change#
• Jerry and his son go to work - they wait outside Tellson’s for odd jobs.#
• On this day Tellson’s needed a porter. Jerry rushes inside#
• Jerry’s son - left alone. Wonders why his father’s boots mare muddy and fingers stained by rust. "
"
Book 2 - Chapter 2 (A Sight):!
• Jerry Cruncher is sent to await Mr Lorry’s orders at the Old Bailey’s Courthouse.#
• At courthouse - Charles Darnay stands accused of treason. Darnay is being accused of being a
French spy. Defended by two lawyers ( Mr Stryver & Mr. Carton). #
• Lucie & Dr. Manette are there and word flashes through the crowd that they are two witnesses
against Darnay. Lucie is companionate. #
2
• 1775 - narrator describes through various contradictions:"
wisdom & foolishness"
belief & disbelief"
optimism & doubt"
light and darkness"
hope & despair#
• “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times” - rulers having the best time but are out of
touch with the people they rule #
• Narrator compares historical era to own present inn Victorian England - Hence the title #
• France - government spends money wildly and gives very harsh sentences to anyone
connected to any crime (no matter the severity)#
• In England - crime infested even the Mayor of London gets robbed (not even frequent
hangings stop the wave of crime) #
• Narrator tells a metaphorical story about the woodman and the farmer - which symbolises the
coming revolution both the people are silently at work.#
• Both the royalty in France and England believe only in their divine right to rule and do not
notice the coming storm#
Book 1 - Chapter 2 (The Mail):!
• Mail coach on its way from London to Dover (Friday night late in November 1775)#
• A messenger appears on horseback and asks to speak to Jarvis Lorry of Tellson’s Bank.#
• Mr Lorry recognises the messenger as Jerry Cruncher (odd-job man) at Tellson’s#
• Jerry gives Mr Lorry a note - “Wait at Dover for Mam’selle”#
• Mr Lorry gives Jerry a message that he must return to Tellson’s with - “Recalled to Life”"
Book 1 - Chapter 3 (The Night Shadows):
• Narrator reflects on strangeness of human condition - how we are all mysteries to each other.
No matter how close, we always remain alienated from each other by our unique individualities.#
• Mr Lorry dreams on the mail coach - wandering through the inner vaults of Tellson's Bank and
finding everything safe. "
"
ALSO = dreams that he "was on his way to dig someone out of a grave." In his dream, he sees a
cadaverous man who has been buried alive for 18 years. Mr. Lorry asks the man if he cares to
live, then also asks over and over if the man will "come and see her?" Sometimes the man cries
out that seeing "her" would kill him, at other times that he must see her immediately."
"
#
Book 1 - Chapter 4 (The Preparation):!
• In Dover - Mr Lorry takes a room at The Royal George hotel #
• 17 year old - Lucie Manette arrives and has received strange instructions to meet a Tellson's
Bank employee at the Royal George Hotel regarding some business of her "long dead" father. #
• Mr Lorry explains a story of one of the banks’ customers - Lucie’s father - Dr Manette#
• Story = 20 years ago, Dr. Manette, a renowned doctor, married an English woman and trusted
his affairs to Tellson's Bank. One day, Manette disappeared, having been jailed by the authorities
and taken to a secret prison. Rather than tell Lucie the truth, Lucie's mother told her that her
1
, father was dead. Lucie's mother herself died soon afterwards, and Mr. Lorry took Lucie from Paris
to London.#
• Mr. Lorry says Lucie’s father is not dead. He has been found but he is a shell of his former self.
He has been taken into the care of an old servant in Paris#
• Mr Lorry says that he and Lucie are going to Paris to “restore [her father] to life”. Lucie must look
after him and care for him."
"
Book 1 - Chapter 5 (The Wine Shop):!
• People in France are starving, when a cask of wine breaks the people push and fight to taste.#
• In Saint Antonie - Monsieur Defrage = owner of wine shop. In the store behind the counter
Madame Defrage silently alerts her husband to the presence of Mr Lorry & Lucie. #
• Monsieur Defrage waited for people in the store to leave and led Mr Lorry & Lucie to the attic.#
• Room = dark and locked for the person inside#
• Defrage opens the door = see a white-haired man in the corner stooped over a bench making
shoes"
"
Book 1 - Chapter 6 (The Shoemaker):!
• Shoemaker - dressed in tatters #
• Defrage asks his name & he replies “One Hundred and Five, North Tower” #
• Mr Lorry asks is shoemaker recognises anyone in the room - he seems as if he does for a
moment but then his face clouds.#
• Lucie approaches him - the shoemaker asks her who she is. #
• The old man sees Lucie’s hair and removes a necklace he wears & reveals a scrap of paper
containing some golden threads of hair - stray hairs from his wife, which he has kept all these
years as a spiritual escape from his imprisonment. #
• Manette struggles to recognise his daughter. #
• Mr. Lorry and Defarge arrange for their immediate departure.#
• Manette asks to bring along his shoemaking tools. They get out to a carriage#
• Mr. Lorry asks Dr. Manette if he wants to be recalled to life. Dr. Manette replies, "I can't say.""
"
Book 2 - Chapter 1 (5 Years Later):!
• 1780 - narrator describes Tellson’s Bank in London as = old, cramped building with ancient
clerks. #
• Bank has business interests connecting England & France #
• Bank symbolic of England = encrusted by tradition and unwilling to change#
• Jerry and his son go to work - they wait outside Tellson’s for odd jobs.#
• On this day Tellson’s needed a porter. Jerry rushes inside#
• Jerry’s son - left alone. Wonders why his father’s boots mare muddy and fingers stained by rust. "
"
Book 2 - Chapter 2 (A Sight):!
• Jerry Cruncher is sent to await Mr Lorry’s orders at the Old Bailey’s Courthouse.#
• At courthouse - Charles Darnay stands accused of treason. Darnay is being accused of being a
French spy. Defended by two lawyers ( Mr Stryver & Mr. Carton). #
• Lucie & Dr. Manette are there and word flashes through the crowd that they are two witnesses
against Darnay. Lucie is companionate. #
2
