Book III - Chapter VII. A Knock at the Door Practice Quiz — A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Book III - Chapter VII. A Knock at the Door
What does Doctor Manette declare at the opening of Book III, Chapter 7?
"I have saved him." He is confident that he has successfully secured Darnay's release from prison.
Why does Lucie tremble despite Darnay's release?
She knows that innocent people are constantly put to death on vague suspicion, and she cannot forget that others as blameless as Darnay share that fate daily.
What Republic ordinance affects the Manette household?
Every house must have the name of every inmate inscribed on the door or doorpost in letters of a certain size—leading them to add "Charles Evrémonde, called Darnay" to their door.
Why does the Manette household live frugally in Paris?
To avoid attracting notice and envy, because it is the safest way of life under the Republic, and because Darnay had to pay heavily for food, guards, and poorer prisoners during his imprisonment.
Who handles the daily shopping for the Manette household?
Miss Pross carries the money and Jerry Cruncher carries the basket. They shop every evening in small quantities at various shops.
How does Miss Pross communicate with French shopkeepers?
She speaks no French, so she states a noun without articles, looks around for the item if misunderstood, grabs it, and bargains by holding up one fewer finger than the merchant.
What is Miss Pross's political declaration in this chapter?
She declares herself a loyal subject of King George III and recites lines from "God Save the King," showing her defiant English patriotism.
What question does Miss Pross ask Doctor Manette before leaving to shop?
She asks whether there is any prospect of getting out of France. He replies that it would still be dangerous for Charles.
What fairy tale does Doctor Manette tell little Lucie?
A story about a great and powerful Fairy who opened a prison wall and freed a captive who had once done the Fairy a service—an allegory for Manette's rescue of Darnay.
What startles Lucie as the family sits by the fire?
She thinks she hears strange feet upon the stairs. Her father dismisses it, saying "the staircase is as still as Death."
What happens immediately after Manette says the staircase is "as still as Death"?
A blow is struck upon the door, and four rough men in red caps, armed with sabres and pistols, enter the room.
What do the four armed men demand?
They demand "the Citizen Evrémonde, called Darnay" and declare that he is again a prisoner of the Republic, summoned to appear before the Tribunal the next day.
Who has denounced Darnay to the Section of Saint Antoine?
Citizen and Citizeness Defarge, plus one unnamed third party whose identity is withheld.
What cryptic response does the man from Saint Antoine give Doctor Manette?
When Manette asks who the third denouncer is, the man replies: "Do you ask, Citizen Doctor?" then says he will be answered tomorrow and falls silent.
What does Manette's reaction to the arrest reveal?
He is "turned into stone"—standing frozen with the lamp as if he were a statue. This shows his shock and foreshadows his helplessness against the third denunciation.
What is the dramatic irony of Manette's confidence in this chapter?
He proudly believes he has saved Darnay and that his Bastille suffering gives him unassailable authority, but it is his own Bastille letter that will be used to condemn Darnay.
What does the chapter title "A Knock at the Door" symbolize?
It symbolizes the inescapability of Revolutionary violence and how political terror invades even the most intimate domestic spaces.
How does Dickens use Jerry Cruncher's name on the doorpost?
Jerry's name is inscribed per the Republic's ordinance, showing how the state monitors and controls citizens—every resident must be publicly identified.
What structural technique does Dickens use in this chapter?
He juxtaposes domestic warmth and tenderness (fireside scenes, fairy tales, comedic shopping) with sudden political violence (the arrest), heightening the shock.
What do the "dreadful carts" rolling through the streets represent?
The tumbrils carrying condemned prisoners to the guillotine—a constant background presence that prevents Lucie from feeling safe despite Darnay's release.