The chaotic and agitated society of the eighteenth century is well represented in Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities. While France goes through its intense revolution, England remains in its peaceful state. Dickens compares the two countries and their societies throughout the novel. Light and dark imagery is often used to contrast the two societies the novel is written about, as well as to contrast characters who change as the story progresses, for example Doctor Manette and Sydney Carton. These images help develop these characters and show the theme of duality and contrast in other areas of the novel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay From the beginning, light and darkness are contrasted in A Tale of Two Cities. In the opening sentence it says "...it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness...." (5) In the opening quote all the contrasting aspects of England and France are discussed. To emphasize the contrast, the light-dark pattern is included. Another reason why the light-dark motif appears at the beginning of the novel is that this dictates its use throughout the book and helps the image unify the novel with its inclusion at the beginning, middle and end . the dark motif reappears when the reader encounters one of the novel's golden threads. Mr. Lorry meets Mrs. Mannette in her hotel room, where much of the story is then set. This room is a perfect example of light/dark contrast as it is described as "a large dark room, funereally furnished with black horsehair and heavy dark tables." (22) This dark room is contrasted with its contents, the shining Ms. Mannette. The dark room that Lucie is contrasted with can be equated to the lives she will soon touch. Doctor Manette has been locked in a dark prison for many years and has almost lost his mind beyond any hope of recovery. Charles Darnay is fighting to right the wrongs committed by his family and to shed the feared name of Evremonde. Sydney Carton has lived her degenerate life so long and so far from any light that she feels she has no purpose or value. For all three of these men Lucie will be the shining light that will lead them to healing and bring them out of the darkness. In Doctor Manette's contrasting personalities, the light/dark motif often appears. The bright side of him being brought back to life by Lucie is often portrayed as the bright side. Inside Doctor Manette, however, the dark prisoner still hovers. When he comes out of his ten-day relapse after Lucie's marriage to Charles, light versus dark is used to describe his reappearance. “On the tenth morning of his suspense, he was surprised by the brightness of the sun in the room where a heavy sleep had overtaken him when it was a dark night.” (205) When Doctor Manette emerges, Lorry sees the end of this nightmare that he was afraid would never end. However, the light of Dr. Manette's healthy personality peers into this dark night and the crisis is over. At the end of the novel, light versus darkness is used in the battle between good and evil. The representative of good, Mrs. Pross, fights Mlle. Defarge, evil, to the point of death. Both women are strong adversaries and Dickens paints a picture of them as they face each other; Ms. Pross, a brilliant riot of fiery red, on one side and Mlle. Defarge, a dark-haired evil woman, on the other. The battle between the two forces of light and darkness culminates when Mrs. Pross shouts "I will not leave a handful of dark hairs on your head...!" (381) This battle contrasts good and evil and shows." (389)