What is the purpose of tale of two cities?

Answer 1

In this, his second historical novel, Dickens wished to '[depict] the plight of the French proletariatunder the brutal oppression of the Frencharistocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, and the corresponding savage brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution.' This book deviates from his usual "Dickensian" novel: it contains little or no comedy, no lovable and quirky characters, no charming little tag lines, it's even shorter than most of his books. And despite pretending to be about two cities, the cities themselves appear rather lackluster, with the action centering instead on a handful of major characters. The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle, a man Dickens admired, inspired Dickens and was the motivation for writing A Tale of Two Cities. Source: Wikipedia/Charles Dickens/A Tale of Two Cities