Tale of Two Cities Essay on the Roots of Revolution
The roots of the revolution, according to Dickens, are rapacious license and oppression
by the nobility. "Crush humanity out of shape once more, under similar manners, and it
will twist itself into the same tortured forms. Sow the same seed of rapacious license
and oppression over again, and it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind"
- P347, Book III, Ch15. Dickens, who lived in England where there were many unjust
punishments and immoral actions by high ranking officials, was basically saying that the
things that fueled the revolution in France, the crushing of humanity and rapacious
license and oppression, if used in a similar manner somewhere else would have the same
result. In this case he was probably thinking of his native country of England, but in
truth it could happen in any country that practiced the same methods that France did.
The peasants in France were beaten down by the nobility and treated like the scum of the
earth for many years. It is surprising that the revolution did not occur sooner than it
did. It is presumable that the reason that the French revolution was so bloody is that
it was so long in coming. The rage and hatred just kept building and then it finally
popped. Like blowing up a balloon, it will pop and all the air will gome rushing out at
once after too long but you can let the air out gradually through the place where you
blow it. If the nobility has lessened the oppression and created more humane environment
then they probably would not have lost their heads. The strength and will power of the
poor is far greater than that of others and the peasantry in France clearly had a greater
will and strength than the nobility. ""There is prodigious strength.........in sorrow and
despair" Pg.306, Dr. Manette
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