Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities is his first of two historical novels. Published in 1859, the book discusses the themes of resurrection, destiny, and concealment. Dickens' novel demonstrates his view of society and contains historical facts surrounding the French Revolution. Throughout the novel, two points of view on the topic of death are evident: a negative and a positive perspective on death. In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens uses three very different perspectives on death: the bloody lust for slaughter expressed by the revolutionary Madame Defarge, the physiological death resulting from Dr. Manette's imprisonment, and the noble sacrifice of Sydney Carton, to demonstrate his vision of death as a form not only of physical and emotional punishment, but also of liberation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Dickens negatively portrays death as a horrendous act through Madame Defarge. He states that, “For other crimes as tyrants and oppressors, I have this race long on my docket, destined for destruction and extermination” (Dickens 264). Madame Defarge is obsessed with the destruction of the aristocrats, believing that their cruelty requires death. Additionally, Dickens describes his sadistic tendencies: “He took horrible pleasure in the deadly nature of his wrath,” further demonstrating his vicious nature (Dickens 265). Madame Defarge not only enjoys watching the condemned die, but also creates a secret registry of people the revolutionaries wish to execute. Stout writes, “Madame Defarge's careful record of the condemned underlines how subtle a working characterization can be” (Stout 37). This registration also implies the certainty of their death; ever since Madame Defarge wrote it, it seems inevitable, demonstrating the authority of the revolutionaries and the inexorable justice they demand. Through Madame Defarge, Dickens pessimistically depicts death as an obligatory physical punishment. Dickens not only depicts death as physical punishment through the character of Doctor Manette, but also expresses his view of death as emotional imprisonment. Dr. Manette's eighteen years of imprisonment constitute a negative parallel to physical death. Dickens states: “The weakness of the voice was pitiful and terrible. It was not a question of physical weakness, although confinement and hard eating no doubt have their part in it” (Dickens 29). Dr. Manette's incarceration leaves him physically weak, as well as emotionally damaged. Although Dickens does not describe exactly how he suffered, his many relapses into the trembling sessions of his old self remain evidence of the depth of his misery. As Dr. Manette goes from an emotionally troubled man to a free man in society, he has suffered multiple relapses. During one of his reversions, Doctor Manette returns to his bench where he endures the life of a shoemaker during his imprisonment. Dickens describes Dr. Manette's compulsions: "He worked, and worked, and worked, in silence, and the words fell upon him as if they fell upon an echoless wall... sometimes he looked furtively upward... in that, it seemed that he was trying to reconcile some doubts in his mind” (Dickens 150) Because he has spent so many years isolated making shoes, when an event awakens Doctor Manette's old self and he returns to his old habits and shuts out everyone else. .He says, “my old pain gave me a power that brought us over the barrier, and brought us news of Charles there, and brought us here (Dickens 202). of an imprisoned madman who feverishly fabricates.