English Language & Usage Asked by Trismegistos on December 1, 2020
Charles Dickens’ “Tale of Two Cities” starts with the words:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
I have a problem with understanding the last part of that, ie
the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
What does he mean by “for good or for evil” and “in the superlative degree of comparison only”? I understand every single word he says but not that part.
Basically, what he had just finished saying. That people of the day were not ambivalent about their opinion of the times. They loved it or they hated it. There was no middle ground.
By "superlative degree of comparison" he means using the extreme form of the adjective, typically using the -est (fastest) or pairing with the word most (most expensive).
So when he says, "for good or for evil" he means people would only have used these extreme forms to describe the period. But that some would have thought things the best they could be and others would have thought the complete opposite.
Correct answer by Sam on December 1, 2020
I think that the "for good or for evil" portion could just as well have been written "for better or for worse." However, Dickens wants the superlative, not the comparative degree, so the "noisiest authorities" of the time believed that whatever was occurring could only be compared in the highest degree—thus lending the highest degree of importance to the events of the time.
Answered by Larry Adams on December 1, 2020
What Dickens means here is that the people of that era, were not unresolved about their point of view of the times. They either profited from it, or lost from it. They either loved or condemned it. There really wasn't a happy medium. Additionally, Dickens also wanted the superlative, not the comparative degree. So, in that way, he gives the highest degree of importance to the situation of that era.
Answered by Spencer Kenimer on December 1, 2020
The OP does not ask or say specifically, but I wonder whether the odd use of "received" has contributed to her difficulty. Dickens seems to be using it to mean "assessed". So: "insisted on its being assessed only in the strongest possible terms of either approval or disapproval"?
Answered by David Pugh on December 1, 2020
In making a comparison of the good aspects and bad aspects, the fake news of the time had to blow everything out of proportion.
Answered by Alan on December 1, 2020
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