A Tale of Two Cities: Title Explanation

            Superficially, it can be explained that this novel is set in and is about London and France during 1775, the time of the American Revolution.  The title, not directly stating the names of the two cities corresponds with the indirect tone that Dickens sets in the introduction of the novel.  This helps create a sense of the past, since this novel was written 67 years after the historical events it is based on.  The title, in a way, reminds the reader that the novel is, in fact, a tale or story, and not a non-fiction historical account.  A historically based fictional tale is a great medium for communicating the themes and lessons of the time period and history it is based upon.