The Light and The Dark

In chapter 6, Dickens creates a hopeful mood for the future of Lucie and the shoemaker, Dr. Manette, through the use of light and darkness. Defarge says, “I want to let a little more light in here” (Dickens 30). The shoemaker agrees skeptically. This insignificant event symbolized the course in which events of his future will occur. The shoemaker will likely slowly let Lucie into his life and along with her will come life changing improvements. Lucie is portrayed as the light in his life that will bring him out of his dark imprisonment and depression. Along with the light comes a sense of strong hope. Dickens also writes, “Darkness had fallen on him in its place” (Dickens 32). This statement reflects upon how Mr. Manette has spent the last years of his life. The darkness that falls on him symbolizes the dreadful years he spent in prison that changed him for the worse. He used to be a man who worked as a doctor and spent his off hours with the woman he loved, but now he must hold onto any shred of sanity he has left by wasting his days making shoes. The last quote really sets a hopeful mood for Lucie and Dr. Manette to help each other thrive to success in life. It reads, “The darkness deepened as they both lay quiet, until a light gleamed through the chinks in the wall” (Dickens 36). The light that gleams through the wall is a sign that though they are in a hard situation, there is hope that things will get better. By comparing Lucie to a light that will brighten her father’s dark life, the author shows hope foreshadows a breakthrough within the relationship.