Many individuals base their lives on their religious beliefs, and Charles Dickens explains his religious beliefs in A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens uses spiritual allusions in his novel as evidence by James Weigel's commentary "If the terrors of the revolution take a political form, the hope that Dickens holds out in this novel have distinct religious qualities" (16). Charles Dickens manifests his religious views through symbolism, references to sacraments, and the themes of resurrection and personal sacrifice. First, Dickens uses many symbols throughout the novel to explore his religious views. His belief in traditional Christianity is characterized by many references. Dickens refers to many characters throughout the novel as allusions to Jesus Christ. "In London, Jerry Cruncher, a 'resurrection man' with the same initials of Jesus Christ, performs a parody of the Easter story when he digs up Cly's grave only to find the tomb empty" (Davis 380). Through his account of Cruncher's actions, Dickens affirms his belief in Christ's victory over death by rising from the tomb after his crucifixion. A second reference to Jesus Christ is displayed through Sydney Carton. There are instances in the story where Carton quotes Jesus Christ. An example is before he dies by the guillotine and "[...] meditates on the biblical promise 'I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (Davis 380). When Carton dies he is "re-enacting figuratively the expiatory death of Christ" (Weigal 16). because the themes of the two stories (Christ's crucifixion and Carton's execution) are so similar. Another symbol used in the novel is the guillotine. The revolutionaries believe that the "guillotine-the symbol of unpitying vengeance - replaces the cross - the symbol of redeeming love - on every breast" (Alter 19). Both the guillotine...