Dickens ‘Tale of Two Cities’ among classics offering timeless allegories
“Classics are books that everyone has, but no one reads.”
—Mark Twain
Mark Twain, with his world-class wit, gives voice to many thoughts across our culture about those old, dusty books.
Many of these books, in their umpteenth editions, only see the light of day in classrooms and perhaps the occasional reading group. They are years, decades, centuries past their prime. Although big time hits when they were published, and despite the insistence of bookworms everywhere, these stories have been pushed to the edge of obscurity by popular culture.
We currently obsess over “Best Seller Lists” that change weekly, and rarely give any thought to visiting works penned by the likes of Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens, Voltaire, Plato, Aristotle, Bronte, Joyce, Stevenson, Rousseau, Thoreau, Fitzgerald, Poe, Tolstoy, and even the quotable Twain himself. The selection of “classics” by these literary giants, as well as by many other men and women, are often confined to one or two shelving units in a bookstore.
It’s too bad.
These books have gained the title “classics” for a reason. A classic is something to be revisited, in addition to being revered. They are more than organizations of words on a page in a matter we call profound. Classics offer lessons that apply to our lives time and time again.
Too often we become set in our ways, losing sight of actual problems we face and settling on a perceived “solution.” Our options evaporate because we do not need options. Have you ever been reminded of another way to approach a problem by quietly observing someone else approaching the same problem? This is the essence of classic literature.
These stories are entertaining allegories, reminders of different options that we can use to face an array of real world problems and issues.
Take, for instance, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The book is a classic “classic.” Dickens paints a beautifully worded picture of revolution-era France. At the beginning of the book, the protagonists are the revolutionaries of the late 18th century. They are fighting the over reaching hand of the monarchy, and the reader pities the poor living conditions of the working class.
In the latter half of the novel, the role almost switches. Although the regime falls, and the republic is created, there is an overreaction. The “Reign of Terror,” which made famous the killing machine called the guillotine, takes innocent life after innocent life, trying to purge the nation of the upper class and all those associated with it. The life, although without intrusive government, is a life of fear and needless suffering.
Economic parallels abound. What do our financial debates boil down to today?
Generally, one side, reasonably, wants less government interference in our economy. How can one go forward and grow with chains in the form of taxes and regulations attached by the government?
The other side suggests that a purge of government regulation would produce a “Reign of Terror”—albeit one reversed from Dickens’ notebook—in which the rich would be preying on the poor by unfairly using money to make money, at the expense of the masses.
Dickens reminds us here that moderation is the key. He demonstrates the fears and downfalls of both systems. Whether it be too much control or too little, both systems fail, as shown by the mood of the reading throughout.
There is no place for radicals in economics, just as there is no place for a guillotine in modern day France. The closer we can get our differing opinions to each other, the happier we will become and the farther we will advance.
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You can follow Colin Criss on Twitter @ADKCurrent
