It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; but the best of times are quickly overshadowed by the fear and terror that reined among the innocent people in Europe. In Charles Dickens book, A Tale of Two Cities, examples of fear and terror are a major factor. The book is a clear example about the unfairness of life. The story takes place both in France and in England in 1775. In France people are tortured for petty things such as not paying homage to monks and having a slick mouth. In England ghost sightings and prophets holding are common, and thieves run rampant into the night. The two cities Dickens talks about, London and France, experience some of the worst times they will ever face in their history of existence.
People in both countries had a different level of thinking. In the case of the French Revolution, people were originally ecstatic over the fact that there was going to be new change in their corrupt government. Their good spirit nature rapidly changed when they realized that the new change was even worse then the old system. Robespierre, a feisty Frenchman, led the charge in the French revolution. "He truly believed that killing thousands of people by the guillotine was the right thing to do"(Walker 233). The characters in "A Tale of Two Cities" experienced awful and unprecedented living conditions. They were abused and many of them tortured and eventually killed. .
"After years of neglect, A Tale of Two Cities has probably become the most vigorously defended of Dickens's work. Recently, we have had numerous apologies for the novel that have uncovered its psychological complexities, its historical relevance, and the subtleties of its style with remarkable acuity"(CLC- The Purity of Violence: John Kucich).
Charles Dickens writing in this book is especially dramatic. He has a great appreciation for the city of London, one of the places of terror in his book.