Essay #15

Jade 

English 9

Mr. Salsich

2/16/11

What Makes Us Remember:

An Essay on What I Will Remember From A Tale of Two Cities

Over time, I have noticed that certain books have a greater influence over me than others. Most have at least one thing that will make me remember the story for some time. However, there are the rare few that stay with me for years, their words remaining in my errant thoughts as time goes by. With endless power and grace laced throughout the pages, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is, by far, one of the most influential books I have read in my life and will surely stay with me for many years to come.

There are many different aspects of the writing style in Dickens novel that I feel will stay with me for a length of time. The first being his use of repetition. Throughout the book, Dickens introduces us to many different themes, some physical, some emotional. The recurrence of these themes keeps the story unified by reminding you of important events from earlier in the book. Another reason I am sure I will remember this novel is the clever use of different writing techniques that keep the pages fresh and interesting. To me, one of the most influential of them would be antithesis. The repeated use of naming opposites really stressed the importance of the words being read, many of them being the themes that Dickens brought up so often. It is the sheer perfection in which Dickens blends these techniques into his writing that will make me remember this story for a very long time. 

While Dickens writing style will make me remember the words, it is his characters that will make me remember the meaning. To me, Lucie Manette is a static character, but one that is utterly important to the story. She never changes, always keeping her thoughts and beliefs the same, but somehow has an enormous impact on the other characters in the story. She changes the people around her, making them better people who strive to protect the ones they care about. Sydney Carton is one of those characters. When we first met Carton, he was a lonely and depressed and drunk man with no one he cared for and no one who cared for him. By the end of the story, he had devoted his life and sole to Lucie and her family, doing everything in his power to protect and ensure they stay together. These extraordinary characters are the backbone of the novel. Without them, the story would have a more than large hole in the middle. With them, however, the story has the power to have a lasting effect on the reader, making them remember just how strong both men and women can be when forced to protect the ones they love. 

There are books in our world that refuse to fade away, becoming more respected as the years go by. Even with this being said, the individual person may like or dislike a book for a thousand reasons. I find that a book's style and meaning are what make, or break, a story. It's what's in between the lines of the pages that force me to remember the words, the characters, the meaning. For me, A Tale of Two Cities is a story that will stay with me for many years because of its ability to make me see human nature and just how much power we can have.

Self Assessment
One of the things I am continuing to work on is the unity through out the entire essay. As I progress through an essay, I find that I get lost in my wording, resulting in a confusion of the topic.

A weak point I see in this essay is the closing paragraph. I feel that I strayed slightly off topic and I could have done a better job of relating it to my opening paragraph.

A strong point I see in this essay is the clarity of the body paragraphs. I feel that my wording was elegant and flowing, but still easy to comprehend.

I would give myself a B+ for this essay.