Discussion questions – A Tale of Two Cities: Examine the motifs of light and darkness

Examine the motifs of light and darkness in this novel, and trace how they relate to Carton, Lucie, Dr. Manette, and/or Madame Defarge’s character development?

The most recurrent criticism of this novel is that the characters do not have the psychological depth or development of other Dickensian figures. Does Sydney Carton’s transformation undermine this claim? Is this criticism really fair toward the other characters?