What is is that made Charles Dickens write A Tale of Two Cities?

Charles Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities to portray a time period that he knew best.  He was one of the most well-known English novelists of the 19th century, and "dedicated this novel to his friend, Lord John Russell, champion of political reform and religious emancipation."  During the French Revolution, the people in England fretted that a similar revolution would erupt there.  What led me to these conclusions?


1. The exposition at the beginning of the novel.  The first chapter describes the religious tensions occurring in England at the time, as well as the political turmoils occurring in France.  This validates why Dickens would dedicate this novel to Lord John Russell.


2.  "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief….."  The literary technique seen here is anaphora, as the statement "it was the" is repeated at the beginning of each new thought.  This is repeated to create emphasis, and contrast the different atmospheres seen between England and France at this time.


3.  In chapter five, a casket of wine is spilt in front of a wine shop, and all of the people in the streets dive toward the spilt wine to start drinking it.  This characterized the poverty in France during the revolution, an example of indirect characterization.