The French Revolution was a chaotic and destructive time. This is clearly illustrated in the book A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. In this novel there are many examples of inhumanity, especially during the revolutionaries' attacks on anyone deemed traitors or aristocrats. Men were very cruel to their fellow man, even creating the monstrous guillotine to kill people faster and more efficiently. Charles Dickens portrays such violence of the French Revolution very well with the symbols of blue flies, storm and red wine. For example, blue flies represent people's bloodlust. During the first trial of Charles Darnay, “a buzz arose in the court as if a cloud of great blue flies were swarming around the prisoner, in anticipation of what he would soon become” (Dickens 50). When this quote is said, Charles Darnay, a prisoner at the time, is tried for treason, with the death penalty. People seem to gravitate towards the prisoner, just as flies would gravitate towards a corpse. Not only that, a "hum" can also be heard in the courtroom, which could represent the whispers of the spectators. After Darnay was acquitted, it is said that "the crowd poured out with a vehemence that almost knocked him off his feet, and a loud buzz went through the street as if the bewildered blue flies were dispersing in search of more carrion" (59 ). These people are confused, probably because they were disappointed by the prisoner's sudden acquittal. The use of the word “carrion” enhances the metaphor of flies; these people are suddenly looking for new victims. Furthermore, the fact that they exit the classroom with vehemence and passion clearly shows their morbid fascination with death. Secondly, the m...... middle of paper ......and are all metaphors used to show the inhumanity these men had towards other men during the French Revolution. The blue flies, used to represent the fascination with death that most of the peasants seemed to have, clearly show how these people are anxious for the death of an innocent man. The storm metaphor, with its swift and merciless lightning and thunderous thunder, shows how brutal and monstrous these revolutionaries are with their thundering cannons as they kill innocent victims. Last but not least, the metaphors of wine and wine stains represent how everyone is guilty of this bloodshed and the creation of the guillotine monster. Overall, Charles Dickens uses these metaphors very well to portray the violence of war, and with that, the inhumanity that man feels to man. Works CitedDickens, Charles. A tale of two cities. Np: Dover, 1999. Print.