Let The Light Shine On:
An Essay About How Light Is A Motif In A Tale Of Two Cities And In My Life
Pine Point School
Ninth Grade English
December 6, 2011
By Schyler Davis
Have you ever walked down a street that is lit up at night or notice the light that shines through the windows? You can find light from stars, the sun, nightlights, lamps, certain rooms, and many other places, and it can represent love, hope, and freedom in your own life. In A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, he uses light as a motif, and I have noticed that the street lamps on my street are a symbol in my life. Next time you see a light, try to see if it is a symbol in your life, a symbol of love, a symbol of hope, a symbol of freedom.
In A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens uses light as a motif, as a positive symbol, a symbol of freedom, popularity, and hope. Monsieur Defarge, Mr. Lorry, and Miss Mannette found a shoemaker, Miss Mannette’s father, in a dark room, and Monsieur Defarge opened the door “to let in a little more light.” I think the light that shined through the door into the small, dark, dusty room could stand for freedom. Mr. Manette was locked away for 18 years making shoes, and then he was reunited with his daughter, and when she hugged him, her radiant hair mixed with his white hair, “which warmed and lighted it as though it were the light of freedom shining on him.” Also, In A Tale Of Two Cities, Tellson’s Bank “wanted no light.” To me, the light represents popularity, and Tellson’s didn’t need to be popular. The bank was elite, and the costumers knew it was best. Another example of light was when the mist “was dense enough to shut out everything from the light of the coach-lamps.” I believe that the light symbolizes hope, but that darkness can still block out the light because sometimes, as much as you hope something will work, it won’t, and there is nothing you can do to change that. Hope is very powerful, but not always as potent as you wish it could be. Charles Dickens used light in A Tale Of Two Cities as a wonderful motif to help you think a little deeper about the characters, about the story, about life.
In my life, the lamps on my street are a symbol of light, a light that makes my days shine brighter. When it becomes dark outside, the lights turn on, and when the lights turn on, they bring the night to life. I can see all the houses lined up on my street, the cats quietly walking, the leaves blowing through the air. I am suddenly aware of what it outside, and I feel secure. I like being able to see all that is out there because doing so makes me feel safe. Also, the lamp posts get decorated during Winter with dark red ribbon and reeves, and in Summer they are decorated with flower baskets of many colors, pink, red, purple,blue, and that makes me feel more festive. When the lamp posts are adorned, I really get in the spirit of the different holidays and seasons. I love how the decorations make my street look like a postcard, a postcard with a picture of a small, historical street that has brick sidewalks and lamp posts lined up along the side. Finally, I love to look out my bedroom window at night, to see the light shining. Staring at the light makes me go into another world, a world where all is possible, a place I love to imagine. The light lets me just think and make up little scenarios in my head of what I wish would happen in real life. In my life, light is a positive motif that brings out the joy, the love, the hope that all will be okay, and it surprises me that I haven’t thought about it until now.
Let the light shine bright in your life, let it bring out the joy, let it bring out the beauty. In A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens uses light as a motif, and in my life I have discovered the street lamps on my street are a symbol in my life. Next time you see any type of light from stars, the sun, nightlights, lamps, certain rooms, and many more places, try to relate them to your life, try to figure out what it could symbolize, try to make the light shine.
