A Tale of Two Cities Study Guide Questions
Book the Second
1. Describe Tellson’s Bank
2. What job does Jerry perform for the bank?
3. What does Jerry object to his wife doing?
4. What is the Old Bailey?
5. Describe Charles Darnay:
6. Of what is he accused and what would be the punishment if he is found guilty?
7. Who are John Barsad and Roger Cly?
8. Explain the role of the “wigged gentleman who had all this time been looking at the ceiling…”
9. How does Mr. Stryver get Mr. Darney acguitted?
10. What is still bothering Dr. Manette?
11. What is the relationship between Stryver and Carton? Discuss the use of the “lion” and the “jackal.”
12. What is the reason for Sydney’s drinking?
13. Where do Doctor Manette and Lucie now live?
14. What activity occupies Dr. Manette’s days?
15. Who is Solomon and what happened to him?
16. What story told by Mr. Darnay greatly upsets Dr. Manette?
17. Discuss the chocolate episode: What does it symbolize? Who has it? Who delivers it? In contrast to the scene of the
spilled wine cask, what does the scene say about conditions in France (skip)
18. What tragic accident takes place in Saint Antoine?
19. What do the Defarges (each of them) do in the midst of the accident?
20. Who is the nephew of the Marquis? How are Charles and his uncle different?
21. Give the details surrounding the death of Marquis St. Evremonde: Who is the next Marquis?
22. How is Charles Darnay making a living? Why must he work?
23. What promise does Charles Darnay make to Dr. Manette?
24. What does Dr. Manette do after Charles leaves?
25. What do we learn about Stryver in Ch 11?
26. What news does Mr. Lorry have for Mr. Stryver?
27. What does Carton ask of Lucie? What does Carton’s confession reveal about his being “a fellow of no
delicacy”? What promise does Carton make to Lucie?
28. Whose funeral occurs in Ch 14?
29. What does Jerry Cruncher do for his second income? Where does he say he is going?
30. What story does the mender of roads relate?
31. Who came into the wine shop and what news does he bring?
32. Does Mme. Defarge trust him? How do you know?
33. How does Lucie’s father feel about her marriage? Where will Dr. Manette live after the wedding?
34. What did Charles tell Dr. Manette on the morning of the wedding? How did it affect Dr. Manette?
35. What does Sydney Carton ask of Charles?
36. What does Lucie say about Carton? What does she ask of Charles?
37. How many children have Lucie and Charles had? What tragedy had occurred involving one of the children?
38. What happens in France during this time?
39. Why do you think that Defarge searches 105 North Tower?
40. What is Mme. Defarge’s role during the day the revolutionaries storm the Bastille?
41. Who or what is the Vengeance?
42. Why is Foulon hated so much?
43. Who is Gabelle? What happened to him?
44. What does Mr. Lorry decide to do?
45. Who writes to Charles from France: What does he want?
46. What is Charles’ “Loadstone Rock"?