Charles Dickens’s "A Tale of Two Cities" and Christopher Nolan’s "The Dark Knight Rises": A Comparison

master's thesis

• Author: Mislav Gleich
• Mentor: Tatjana Jukić-Gregurić (mentor)
• Committee member: Borislav Knežević (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Martina Domines Veliki (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Tatjana Jukić-Gregurić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2022-02-22, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics

Abstract

This paper offers a thorough comparison of Charles Dickens’s "A Tale of Two Cities" (1859) and Christopher Nolan’s "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012). Due to the fact that the latter is based on the former, there are a number of similarities between the two works. Aside from clear Dickensian references and allusions in "Rises," the film draws heavily from the novel in terms of its portrayal of a city on the brink of a revolution. Paris and Gotham are “twin cities” in many regards, including class disparity and the infuriation of the poor. The French Revolution and Bane’s revolution are analogous to one another: both seemingly stem from class disparity, their leaders have personal vendettas against the rich, they have led to the liberation of prisons (the Bastille and Blackgate), and have brought about a period of terror filled with executions, unjust laws, kangaroo courts, etc. Still, they differ in their respective sizes, duration, and the number of followers (the French Revolution being much larger and longer than Bane’s). Nolan draws heavily from Dickens in terms of characters. Talia al Ghul and Bane are modelled after Madame Defarge and Monsieur Defarge, respectively (while Bane can also be seen as the embodiment of revolution itself). Nolan and Dickens are also ambivalent when it comes to the political messages of their works. They seemingly stand on the side of the poor, but seem to be critical of revolutions. The central theme of "A Tale" and "Rises" is that of rebirth, which is explored through characters (most importantly Dr Manette and Wayne) and cities (Paris and Gotham).

• Keywords: Charles Dickens; Christopher Nolan; class disparity; poverty; revolution; film
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:726740
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation, TEFL; Course: Literature and Culture; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-02-23 11:30:36