Re: Christian Symbolism
Charles Dickens (cdickens@RMPLC.CO.UK)
Tue, 22 Sep 1998 10:12:13 -0100
My Dear Miss Lalonde,
"'Vengeance is mine,' saith the Lord, 'and I will repay.'" Do you not
think that a book dwelling so much on vengeance must be imbued with
Christian thinking? Perhaps you should contrast the unappeasable lust for
vengeance of Madame Defarge and her companions with the faltering, hard-won
but achieved readiness to forgive of Dr Manette, who accepts Charles Darnay
as a son-in-law?
And do I not write of redemption? Not only of Sydney Carton, but also
perhaps of Jerry Cruncher?
Finally, and this should perhaps be phrased delicately, is not Sydney
Carton, at the end of my book a type of Our Lord? Does he not lay down his
life on the scaffold to redeem others, others whom he loves dearly? The
delicacy is needed to avoid the suggestion that Carton is, or could be,
equivalent to Our Lord. No man or woman can be. But does he not follow the
Lord's example, as a Christian should, and more nearly than all but a few
do? I like to think that the way I wrote of his self-sacrifice makes
manifest the Christianity of it.
Faithfully yours,
Charles Dickens
____________________________________________________________________________
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>Mr. Dickens:
>I am doing an essay on your novel "Tale of Two Cities" for my grade 12
>English class in Timmins, Ontario, Canada. My essay will refer to the topic
>of Christian symbolism. I already have a good idea in terms of ressurection.
>But can you possibly give me anymore ideas or thoughts referring to this
>subject??
>Thanks a million.
>You can e'mail me at Sarah_lalonde@hotmail.com
>Sarah
>
>
======================
Charles Dickens
charles_dickens@rmplc.co.uk
Author