A STEP BEYOND

STUDY QUESTIONS - QUIZ - TESTS AND ANSWERS

TEST 1

_____ 1. The novel is divided into three parts: "Recalled to Life," "The Golden Thread," and

A. "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
B. "The Track of the Storm"
C. "The Substance of the Shadow"

_____ 2. Following "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," Dickens wrote,

A. "It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness"
B. "It was the dawn of liberty, the evening of repression"
C. "It was a time to give thanks, a time to despair"

_____ 3. Jarvis Lorry's return message to Jerry Cruncher

A. WAIT AT DOVER FOR MAM'SELLE
B. BURIED HOW LONG?
C. RECALLED TO LIFE

_____ 4. Dr. Alexandre Manette had been imprisoned by

A. a lettre de cachet
B. a Star Chamber hearing
C. a raison d'etre

_____ 5. One of the recurring themes of the book is

A. the purification of society during the Reign of Terror
B. Mme. Defarge's spouting of revolutionary slogans
C. Miss Pross' dedication to Lucie

_____ 6. An aspect of symbolism is seen in

A. Lucie's golden hair
B. the red wine flowing from the broken cask
C. Jerry's activities as a grave robber

_____ 7. The Defarges kept the door to Dr. Manette's room locked because

A. they felt he could not handle the idea of freedom
B. they wished to protect him from the Jacquerie
C. they were afraid he might wander off

_____ 8. In Chapter 4, Dickens uses a metaphor in which he compares a raging sea to

A. the dangers of life in the 18th century
B. the French Revolution
C. the brutality of the aristocratic class

_____ 9. Charles Darnay's London trial gives Dickens the opportunity to

A. explain the workings of the Old Bailey
B. lash out at the English penal system
C. describe the techniques for the bribing of judges

_____ 10. The jackal and the lion stand for

A. Carton and Darnay
B. Carton and Stryver
C. Darnay and Barsad

11. Analyze Dickens' attitude toward the mob, giving examples from the novel.

12. Discuss the theme of fate in A Tale of Two Cities, relating it to history and to the lives of the characters.

13. Trace the evolution of water imagery in A Tale of Two Cities, citing three examples.

14. The coincidences in A Tale of Two Cities are piled so high as to be implausible. True or false? Support your position with evidence from the novel.

15. A Tale of Two Cities is a tale of symmetries. Many actions are balanced by previous ones. Discuss in detail one pair of symmetrical scenes, and explain their importance.

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