Name Date Period
A Tale of Two Cities
Book the Second Activities
Chapters 1-13
Directions: Make sure to read the directions for each section. Use complete sentences at all times unless otherwise stated.
Focus Activity: Answer the prompt thoroughly on a separate piece of paper. Please title this ATTC Book the Second, chps. 1-13 Focus Activity. You need to write the prompt, skip a line, and write ½-1 page in answer to the prompt. Do this prior to reading Book the Second, chps. 1-13.
Prompt: How does knowing that you’ve done less than your best affect you? Think of a time when you feel you did not do your best at school, in a sport, in a relationship, or in another situation. Describe how you responded to the situation. How did the situation affect other things you did?
Background: Simply read and highlight important items. Read this prior to beginning Book the Second, chps. 1-13.
In his novels, stories, and other works, Dickens placed great importance on the names he gave his characters. Names, for dickens, were often a type of shorthand, a way of communicating something essential about a character. For example, in Hard Times, a cruel schoolteacher is given the name Mr. McChoakumchild. Dickens wanted to make sure his readers knew his opinion of the schoolmaster. In Bleak House, Lady Honoria Dedlock is a beautiful, but emotionally cold, aristocrat who keeps inside her fatal secret. In A Tale of Two Cities, Stryver is the ambitious lawyer working his way up the social ladder. Another example is Lucie, whose name comes from the Latin word for “light.” Notice how often Dickens refers to her as a bright and shining example to inspire the other characters. As you read, look for the meanings of other symbolic names in A Tale of Two Cities. What does the name “Cruncher” suggest to you? What English words does Charles Darnay’s real name, Evremonde, sound like? And what might Dickens be suggesting by naming one of his...