Love seems to always be present in novels, whether it is by accident or fate. In book two, we start to notice Mr. Darnay’s attraction towards Lucie. Lucie’s attraction isn’t as aggressive, but she feels sympathy or compassion towards the prisoner. Walking into the court room, Mr. Darnay is described as “Ogreish” and “inhumane” (65).While being one of the witnesses against Charles Darney in the treason trial, Lucie is reluctant to accuse the prisoner of any wrong doing. “When the gentlemen came aboard says Lucie, and the judge states do you mean the prisoner?” (73)While being questioned, Lucie is unwilling to confront him as a “prisoner”, out of fear of the false persona attached with that name. When Lucie describes how Darnay advised her on saving her father she states “he did it for me. He expressed great gentleness and kindness, and I’m sure he felt it” (74). To me, this was the beginning of their relationship or spark of love at first sight. She then attributes Mr. Darnay with the type of characteristics a husband and wife would posses such as “was open in confidence with me, was kind, and good” (74). At the end of her statement as she begins to cry she says, “I may not repay him by doing harm today” (74). Her feelings towards Mr. Darnay, whether sympathetic or out of genuine love for the new friend, are evident as she shies away from doing any harm to him.
Why would she want a “prisoner” she was supposed to be against to be found innocent? I believe it is because she begins to feel something for the tall, handsome man. After Lucie passes out, Mr. Darnay tells Mr. Carton, “I am deeply sorry to have been the cause of it. Could you please tell her so for me, with my fervent acknowledgements?”(81) His concern for Lucie is present, which also signifies the forming emotional connection between the two. He cared enough to make sure she was alright, and that his message was delivered. Later at the congratulatory, Mr. Darnay “had kissed her hand fervently and gratefully”(82). After Mr. Lorry takes Mr. Darnay out to eat dinner, the first toast that comes to mind is “Miss Mannette, Miss Manette” (87). Throughout chapter 4, she can’t seem to leave his mind and her name rides on the tip of his tongue. In chapter 5, as Miss Pross talks about the 100 people showing up, “Mr. Darnay presented himself. He was only one” (104). The echoes sound all around and Lucie tells Darnay,” I have imagined them the footsteps of the people who are to come into my life” (107). To me, this is an indirect way of stating that Darnay was now coming into her life, most likely forming a serious relationship between the two. If this relationship is not strong enough to be love, I still believe they will be allies throughout the book.
In the trial, Sydney Carton is Charles Darnay's savior. But as soon as they leave the courtroom, Mr. Carton's feelings become clear. Carton seems to utterly despise Mr. Darnay. Carton is displayed almost as Darnay's doppelganger, even though Darnay was originally the one who is assumed evil.. He is a rude drunkard who has no respect whatsoever for Mr. Darnay. After Darnay thanks Carton for saving him from a hanging and mutilization, Carton responds rudely, "I don't know why I did it"(88). He procedes to ask him, "Do you think I particularly like you" (88)? When Darnay responds to this frank question, Carton decides, "I don't think I do." WHACK. The man is so blunt with a gentleman he doesn't even know, and he's already decided after a few hours of his company that he hates Darnay. He is judgemental and rude towards Darnay, but through all the insults, Darnay "keeps his cool" and turns the other cheek.The one who was first suspected an evildoer was freed by a comment from a man who looks almost exactly like him, but is the opposite in personality;awful, rude, and judgemental.
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In Book Two, chapter three, 'The Disappointment,' the audience of Mr. Darney's trial is described metaphorically as flies. Throughout the trial, Dickens thickens this imagery through description by painting a picture of the 'buzz [that] arose in the court as if a cloud of great blue-flies were swarming about the prisoner, in anticipation of what he was soon to become (69).' Four times during the court session Dickens mentions that 'the buzz of the great flies was loud again (73).' The first hum resulted from a comment about 'a true Briton,' the next two were in response to the movements and emotions of Lucie Manette, and the fourth came from a pause in the assembly. At each time, the words of 'buzzing' and 'swarming,' were present. Another interesting piece to bring into this puzzle is Emily Dickinson's poem 'I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died.' The first four lines are such:
I heard a fly buzz when I died; The stillness round my form Was like the stillness in the air Between the heaves of storm.
In her poem, the fly foreshadows death, just as in 'A Tale of Two Cities.' Through class discussion, we know that the pre-revolution phase is occurring, and the tension between classes is building. The lines discussing 'the stillness / [that] Was like the stillness in the air / Between the heaves of a storm' is parallel to the 'stillness' in the time before the French Revolution. In this time of stillness, everything is quite just before all of chaos breaks loose, or in this poem 'the heaves of storm.' When the court session concludes, 'the crowd came pouring out with a vehemence' 'and a loud buzz swept into the street as if the baffled blue-flies were dispersing in search of other carrion (82).' This forceful emotion of the crowd, 'in search of other carrion' foreshadows the heightened passions of the people and the dead bodies that will soon line the streets of the city.
Chapter 5 is titled “The Jackal” and there are many references to the jackal and the lion; Sydney Carton is the jackal, and Stryver is the lion. Old beliefs stated that the jackal would kill the food that the lion would then consume, the jackal taking place of the lion’s provider. I thought it interesting that Carton is, in theory, the Stryver’s ‘provider’. Why would this be so? Obviously, Stryver is a successful lawyer and I think that a lot of it has to do with Carton. When the two are reminiscing on their old school days, Stryver questions Carton, “how do I do what I do?.” Carton replies with, “Partly through paying me to help you, I suppose. But it’s not worth your while to apostrophize me, or the air, about it; what you want to do, you do. You were always in the front rank, and I was always behind” (Chapter 5, page 79). It’s this last line that really has me thinking about their relationship because it seems that Carton replies with an air of jealously and a sense that he is the one that put Stryver in the front rank. Stryver works this leadership to his advantage and makes Carton feel bad about himself. He holds himself to be role model that Carton should follow; “Carton, your way is, and always was, a lame way. You summon no energy and purpose. Look at me” (Chapter 5, page 79). I feel that this relationship has been going on for quite some time because the way Carton describes himself seems like he has felt this for some time; “I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me” (Chapter 5, page 75). So, although Carton has helped Stryver be on top, Stryver belittles Carton and makes him feel bad for himself. I hope that we get to learn more about Stryver and Carton’s relationship because I know there is something more to see.
Book two begins a long, rough storm, both figuratively and literally, that will be the background to the rest of the book. Dickens uses the start of the storm as foreshadowing the start of the revolution in chapter six, as Mr. Carton “gets out of the house [and] the air is cold and sad, the dull sky overcast “(Ch. 5, 80). He uses pathetic fallacy to “set the scene” for the rebellion, creating anxiety through the atmosphere of the oncoming storm. The storm’s “first spray has begun to overwhelm the city,” creating an unbearable feeling of tension before the storm hits. Figuratively, the storm becomes a symbol for the revolution that’s about to break out, so saying that it “has begun to overwhelm the city” hints at the beginnings of a revolt. Later in book two, Dickens again uses pathetic fallacy to create a tense mood, the background to a revolt. According to Dr. Manette, “The rain-drops are still falling, large, heavy, few, and slowly,” hinting at an approaching revolution (Ch. 6, 91). The rain-drops symbolize the few angry citizens bold enough to speak out, and as others begin to join in, the rain-drops fall more steadily, heavier. “People [sit] in a dark room, watching and waiting for lightning, [as] they always do” (Ch. 6, 91). Once they have been ignited by lightning, the true storm will begin. The pathetic fallacy here also creates a backdrop of the revolution, foreshadowing the future in this book. As the story goes on, the storm will hit harder and stronger, until a full-on fight between commoners and nobility has begun.
When we first meet Sydney Carton, he comes across as lazy and careless; but I think this is all just an act. Carton is introduced during the trial by doing nothing but staring at the ceiling and fixing his wig. His characterization leads us to believe he is lethargic; “something especially reckless in his demeanour,… gave him a disreputable look” (3, 79). He is portrayed as the “idlest and most unpromising of men” (5, 90) and his “manner was so careless as to be almost insolent” (3, 81). As his character is slowly revealed, we see that he actually cares about other people more than he would like us to see; “when Miss Manette’s head dropped upon her father’s breast, he was the first to see it, and to say audibly: ‘Officer! Look to that young lady. Help the gentleman to take her out. Don’t you see she will fall!’” (3, 80). After the trial, he questions about Lucie to make sure she has recovered, letting us see his compassionate side. Carton does Mr. Stryver’s legal work for him, creating points to argue in order to win cases. In this situation, when no one else is able to see him, we perceive the intelligence and congeniality of Mr. Carton. Although he is paid for his work, he has previously done the same thing when he was younger; “even then, I did exercises for other boys, and seldom did my own… It was my way I suppose” (5, 93). Underneath his exterior impression of laziness and his carefree mannerisms, he cares about other people more than himself and shows this through quiet, “under the table” acts.
While in court, Mr. Darnay and Mr. Carton’s similar appearance is brought to sight. Although they look alike physically, they are opposites on the mentally and emotionally; “so like each other in feature, so unlike each other in manner” (3, 81). They are also self-identified as counterparts; “this is a strange chance that throws you and me together. This must be a strange night to you, standing alone here with your counterpart on these street-stones” (4, 87). Carton is perceived by the reader solely on the exterior behaviors instead of his subtle selfless acts while Darnay is seen as a kind man who has gotten himself into a bad situation with the law. If they truly are counterparts as they say they are, then on the inside Mr. Darnay is an uncaring, selfish man who puts up a front to possibly get the heart of Lucie. I believe that while at the moment the reader believes that Mr. Darnay is the better man, the table will soon turn to reveal Mr. Carton as the kinder, yet more timid man.
Lucie Manette has huge effects on people. She recalled her father back to life, she is admired by Miss. Pross, and draws the attention of anyone who is around her. Even though he tries to resist, Mr. Carton is one of those people who are drawn to her. The description on the book states how Mr. Carton is enmeshed through his love for Lucie. In the book, it doesn't seem like Mr. Carton likes Lucie, which sparked the following question. Why does Mr. Carton acts like he does not care or Lucie?
The main source of my question derived from the following dialouge between Mr. Carton and Mr. Stryver. "She pretty!" "Is she not?" "No." "Why, man alive, she was the admiration of the whole Court!" "Rot the admiration of the whole Court! Who made the Old Bailey a judge of beauty? She was a golden-haired doll!" Chapter 5, 94)
I was utterly confused because, it seemed like not only did Mr. Carton not like Lucie, but also he despised her. Yet, Mr. Carton came to visit Lucie and Dr. Manette at their home some months later. I realized Mr. Carton was trying not to like Lucie. I believe Mr. Carton does not believe he is good enough for Lucie, which is a reason why he is trying to push her off.
Mr. Carton is disreputable, not liked by many, and he is a follower. Mr. Carton wishes his life was different, and it is shown through this passage.
"Waste forces within him, and a desert all around, this man stood still on his way across a silent terrace, and saw for a moment, lying in the wilderness before him, a mirage of honourable ambition, self-denial, and perseverance....waters of Hope sparkled in his sight." "Climbing to a high chamber in a well of houses, he threw himself down in his clothes on a neglected bed, and its pillow was wet with wasted tears." (Chapter 5, 95)
Mr. Carton wishes his life was better, but he does not believe it will get better which is a reason why he cries at night. Even though he does not believe he is good enough for Lucie, he can not stay away from her.
Toward the beginning of chapter one, “Five Years Later”, I was excited; Dickens was giving me a better look into the look into Jerry Cruncher’s life. The character had intrigued me in the first book after he brought the message to Mr. Lorry because he seemed a mystery. I was already aware that distrust was one part of France’s unsavory condition, but Dickens revealed the mystery of the Cruncher family life I got a deeper look at the country’s state. There is a deep cynicism in the way Cruncher treats his wife, illuminating the fact the distrust is not only between careful businessmen or suspicious nighttime mail coach drivers, but also in the home. Jerry Cruncher finds his wife praying in the corner when he wakes one morning and immediately believes she is praying against him. When told, “I was praying for you”, he is so doubtful of his wife’s truthfulness that he answers “You weren’t” (Chpt. 1, pg. 60). Cruncher even encourages a cynical relationship between mother and son and encourages his son to “keep a eye upon [his] mother now and then, and if [he sees] any signs of more flopping, give {Jerry Cruncher] a call” (Chpt. 1, pg. 60). This scene was shocking to me. I never pictured the relationships in families to be comparable to those between swindling and honest businessmen and coach drivers and possible highway thieves.
Jackals are negative creatures. They scavenge dead bodies and travel alone. In Egyptian mythology, the jackal led souls to the land of the dead. As a dream symbol, the jackal can signify transformation. It is also slang for a low and devious person, or someone who performs tasks for others. On page 95, it says "Sadly, sadly, the sun rose; and it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions, incapable of their directed exercise, incapable of his own help and his own happiness, sensible of the blight on him, and resigning himself to let it eat him away." Jackals consume dead and rotting things, and the fact he is being eaten away could be another representation of his relation to the actual creature.
I agree with Betsy when she states that in Chapter five Carton is Stryver's "provider". Stryver is a big successful lawyer, whereas Carton is his assistant. However, I also believe that since Stryver is the "lion" he controls Carton, or "the jackal." Not only does Carton provide for him, but he is dominated by him. Since he is of a lower class, Carton feels inferior to Stryver. For example on page 90 it says, "although Sydney Carton would never be a lion, he was an amazingly good jackal, and that he rendered suit and service to Stryver in that humble capacity." Carton acknowledges that Stryver is his superior and acts as though he is a servant. The fact he is referred to as a "jackal" could be foreshadowing that death follows him and seeks him. Since a jackal is usually involved in death, Carton could play a part in the death of others or even himself, he could cause death by completing a task for his superior, or the "lion", Stryver.
"The baffled blue-flies were dispersing" (3,82) from the court at the end of chapter 3, disappointed at the lack of condemnation and gore. The people's obsession with, and lust for killing is disturbing of course. I also think that it is a manifestation of the general restlessness of the public in this time of poverty and desperation. The people feel betrayed by their country, which is not caring for them properly and they wish to see justice and release their feelings of anger. This oppression is perhaps misdirected towards the prisoner, and the 'blue-flies' are highly disappointed to see him acquitted. It is somewhat surprising though, that this assumed traitor of England is not at all pitied by any of the onlookers. The corrupted justice system of England seems to be accepted without question. The people seem to even enjoy the quick, brutal jurisdiction of the law, so long as it is not a loved one that is subjected to it. This insight into the tendencies of the English people, added to the scope of crime and disorder in the country, set a background in which distrust is easily bred.
"Buzz swept into the street as if the baffled blue-flies were dispersing in search of other carrion" (Ch. 3,82). Throughout the novel, the general public has shown foreshadowing and has been compared to things that pertain to carnage and war. During the trial scene when they were compared to blue-flies. They were compared to something that swarmed around something slain. Like in Lord of the Flies, flies tend to congregate around something that has died, however in this case they were floating over Charles Darnay waiting for his corpse to be presented to them. Even though in this case the victim escaped, the blue-flies kept buzzing in search of other prey. The crowd is attracted to death and has amazing blood lust, just like in the first book when they were racing for the wine, a symbol for blood. They are out for blood, just like Jack and the other Hunters in Lord of the Flies. The lust for carnage and blood only fuels the fire that will lead to the French Revolution within the citizens.
The crowd also shows other foreshadowing, especially to the French Revolution. Close to the end of chapter six a storm rages through the Manette's neighborhood. People were racing to get home and away from the rain, but "The footsteps were incessant, and the hurry of them became more and more rapid. The corner echoed and re-echoed with the thread of feet; some, as it seemed, under the windows; some, as it seemed, in the room; some coming, some going, some breaking off, some stopping altogether; all in the distant streets, and not one within sight" (Ch. 6, 107). This is foreshadowing to the storming of the Bastille. Only Mr. Carton is able to put emotion to their footsteps. "'And I hear them! I ask no questions and make no stipulations. There is a great crowd bearing down upon us, Miss Manette, and I see them!"..."'And I hear them!' He added again, after a peal of thunder. 'Here they come, fast, fierce, and furious'" (Ch. 6, 107). The crowd may just seem to be running from shelter for the rain, however I believe that they are running the diction shows that they are running for much more. They are running for the end of oppression. Even though this is not the storming of the Bastille, it is definitely foreshadowing for the storm of emotion and uprising to come.
Off of May May's comment, Mr. Carton is ironically the antagonist of Mr. Darnay. We expect that because he looks exactly like the kind and caring Mr. Darnay, he would have the same characteristics as him, but we soon find out that he is the complete opposite. Mr. Carton, we see, hates Mr. Darnay and he reminds him of “…a handsome fellow, and I thought I should be the same sort of fellow, if I had had any luck.”(91) Mr. Carton knows he could have done better in life and by seeing the successful and well dressed Darnay, he is reminded of the life he could have had and he despises him for it. He believes that “You [Mr. Stryver] have fallen into your rank, and I have fallen into mine.”(94) At the end of the chapter we see that he “saw for a moment, …, a mirage of honourable ambition, self-denial, and perseverance.”(95) He thinks he is okay with drinking his life away, but then we see that he hates what his life has become and what he has become and even sleeps on a pillow “wet with tears.”(95) Then we see that he is also extremely jealous of Darnay’s affection with Lucie and with her liking him back. We see that he tries to deny Miss Manette of her beauty but then we see that he likes to hang out at the Manette’s house. I think that a later contribution to the story will be the competition between Darnay and Carton.
The description of Tellson’s Bank also describes Mr. Lorry. The image of Tellson’s Bank in Book Two was the drastic opposite to the stereotypical corporate bank that I imagined. Although Tellson’s Bank was barely mentioned in Book One, the notion that the bank was very wealthy and well-known was emphasized by Mr. Lorry: “I belong to Tellson’s Bank. You must know Tellson’s Bank in London,” (Book 1, 2, 12). The only detail that came with Tellson’s Bank when it was first mentioned was its popularity. The reputation of Tellson’s Bank led to the belief that it was a big corporate, impersonal bank. The image of Tellson’s Bank is supported as Mr. Lorry mentions its work overseas: “We are quite a French house, as well as an English one,” (Book 1, 4, 21). I thought the business must be very large to be able to expand and cater to both powerful countries. Like the commercial image of Tellson’s Bank portrayed in Book One, Mr. Lorry is shown to always be attached to business without any personal feelings: “Regard it as a matter of business-business that must be done,” (Book 1, 4, 27).
Book Two overthrows both images of Tellson’s Bank and Mr. Lorry. Tellson’s Bank is described to be a very personal, small business: “It was very small, very dark, very ugly, very incommodious,” (Book 2, 1, 55). The concrete details of Tellson’s Bank are the opposite of a successful, wealthy business. I imagined the bank to be modern and only cater to the needs of the upper class, but “it was an old-fashioned place,” (Book 2, 5, 55). Just as Tellson’s Bank was portrayed to be more interested in personal relationships with their clients instead of strictly business, so was Mr. Lorry. Throughout Book Two, the reader was able to see more of his personal life instead of “matter[s] of business,” (Book 1, 4, 27): “After several relapses into business absorption, Mr. Lorry had become the Doctor’s friend and the quiet street-corner was the sunny part of his life,” (Book 2, 6, 96). The description of Tellson’s Bank gives a deeper view to the personality of Mr. Lorry who is so dedicated to his work that he cannot see the dividing line between personal and business matters.
“Recalled to Life” can be both a good and a bad thing. In Dr. Manette’s case, being recalled to life is a good thing because it saved him from a life of imprisonment. But for Darnay, Dr. Manette being recalled to life could have been a bad thing. Because Dr. Manette was rescued from prison, he was able to be a witness at Darnay’s trial. Even though Dr. Manette didn’t accuse Darnay of anything, he could have, and then Darnay would have been killed. “The Judge, whose eyes had gone in the general direction, recalled them, leaned back in his seat and looked steadily at the man whose life was in his hand, as Mr Attorney-General rose to spin the rope, grind the axe, and hammer the nails into the scaffold.” (Ch. 2, 67). When the Judge recalls Dr. Manette and Lucie, he is not only recognizing them as witnesses, but he is also acknowledging that they will help declare Darnay guilty. They won’t recall Darnay to life, but they will send him to his death. When the Attorney-General rose to spin the rope, grind the axe, and hammer the nails into the scaffold he is referring to Darnay’s punishment. Darnay’s sentence is that he will be half hanged, sliced before his own face, burnt while he looks on, his head cut off, and then he will be cut into quarters. The “spin of the rope” refers to Darnay being hanged, and the “grind of the axe” refers to when he will be sliced before his own face, head cut off, and cut into quarters. These things show not only the harsh punishments, but also the corrupt legal system of England. Everyone, including the Judge and the Attorney-General, knows that Darnay will be found guilty.
“Only his daughter had the power of charming this black brooding from his mind. She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery: and the sound of her voice, the light of her face, the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with him almost always. Not absolutely always, for she could recall some occasions on which her power had failed; but they were few and slight, and she believed them over.” (2.4, 83)
This passage in Book the Second, chapter 4, Congratulatory, caught my eye when reading this book. Talking about Lucie Manette, Dickens describes her like an angel. What comes to mind when thinking about angels is always knowing what we do, and keeping an eye on us, to make sure we do not get off track. Similarly, Dr. Manette says that she “united him to a Past beyond his misery and to a Present beyond his misery.” This links her with his past and her present, and saying “beyond” hints at a future as well, just like an angel being there always. “The sound of her voice, the light of her face, and the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with him almost always” describe Lucie in the most beautiful, angelic way possible, as if nothing she could ever do could be bad or wrong. That she will always be there, holding his hand, her light drawing him back from the darkness, “of charming this black brooding form his mind”. Then, he brings her back to earth by saying “for she could recall some occasions on which her power had failed” making the reader remember that she is indeed human. Also, describing her as a “golden thread” hints that she will weave all of the pieces, all the different stories from this book together in some way, and because he added “golden” it makes her seem more holy, more pure. A thread is also usually one piece, and this is singular, saying that she is the only one, as Dr. Manette declares, “only his daughter had the power.” This leads to believe that no one else in the book has this kind of power like Lucie does, that she is the only “good” one and that in the end, her light will bring everyone back together somehow.
Revolutions require blood. Throughout the beginning of Book the Second, there are many occasions when a revolution is being hinted at and the characters are found bloodthirsty. One of those occasions is in the third chapter, A Disappointment. The court spectators are "a cloud of great blue-flies [that] were swarming about the prisoner" (Ch 3, 69). The term blue-flies is a referral to the color of blood in the veins as well as a death omen. Throughout the chapter, the "blue-flies" are "swarming" and "buzzing" around the prisoner, someone they are sure will be convicted and soon face torture. By creating a sense of excitement amongst the spectators, Dickens begins to allude to the blood shed that is soon to happen. The enthusiasm of blood shed that the prisoners show also exemplifies the inhumane and animalistic demeanor of the people in England during the time. By using the court spectators as a metaphor to the social disagreements building up, Dickens beings hinting towards a revolution and the blood accompanying it that will soon outbreak. The "loud buzz [that] swept into the street" (Ch 3, 82) helps the reader imagine the vast amount of people who are ready for the blood to flow.
In other words, Dickens uses a metaphor and descriptive writing to depict an image to his readers of the ruthless and inhumane manner of the English people to foreshadow the revolution and bloodshed to come.
"But indeed, at that time, putting to death was a recipe much in vogue with all trades and professions, and not least of all with Tellson's. Death is Nature's remedy for all things, and why not Legislation's? Accordingly, the forger was put to Death; the utterer of a bad note was put to Death; the purloiner of forty shillings and sixpence was put to Death; the holder of a horse at Tellson's door, who made off with it, was put to Death; the coiner of a bad shilling was put to Death; the sounders of three-fourths of the notes in the whole gamut of Crime, were put to Death" (Book 2, 1, 56).
Dickens uses sarcasm in this passage to powerfully convey the injustice of the current legal system during this era. From the opening chapter of the book, Dickens uses a sarcastic tone in describing the horribly unjust punishment of a youth as "humane." In the above passage, Dickens uses the same sarcastic tone as in his opening to further portray the injustice of the legal system that we continue to see throughout the book. Understanding the harshness of the legal system is crucial in understanding the time period in which the book is set. Dickens chose irony, specifically sarcasm, as his primary tool in conveying this. It is very apparent in the passage above.
The passage begins with “but indeed, at that time,” explicitly reminding the reader to keep the setting in mind. He continues by saying “putting to death was a recipe much in vogue with all trades and professions.” His sarcasm is apparent here in his casual reference to the popularity of putting people to death during this era. The word “recipe” is also very powerful here. He is saying that death became a popular recipe for all people. This is ironic because, while he speaks casually of putting people to death, in reality, he does not think lightly of the subject at all; he is totally against it.
He goes on, “Death is Nature’s remedy for all things, and why not Legislation’s?” If everyone is going to die anyway, why not make it the final punishment for all crimes? Dickens uses this absurd and sarcastic statement to powerfully convey the conditions of the law. With his sarcastic and austere tone, Dickens allows the reader to be more powerfully affected than if he had simply stated the cruel punishments the French witnessed.
Dickens then goes on to list transgressions of various people, ranging in severity, but all resulting in the same punishment: death. He also repeats the word “Death” six times throughout this sentence. In doing this, Dickens continues to build upon the powerful affect of his austere tone in the previous few sentences regarding death.
Sarcasm is a language that I can understand. Luckily for me, sarcasm is used throughout the First and Second Book. From France rolling “with exceeding smoothness down hill, making paper money and spending it” to England’s scarce “amount of order and protection to justify national boasting”(Chap 1,6), and like Caroline said, it is made clear that Dickens, even in the first chapter, has taken a satirical view on the corruption found within the French and English governments. Even with the harsh living conditions described in the first chapter of the book, Dickens’ application of sarcasm only increases the severity of the circumstances of each government and the daily life of their citizens.
In the chapter A Sight, Dickens embarks on the analyzation of the justice, or lack thereof, system of England. He begins with the Lord Chief Justice who “in a black cap pronounced his own death as certainly as his prisoners.” (Chap 2,63) In this example, the judges are dying from illnesses brought into the courts by the prisoner’s miserable conditions. But this is also a sarcastic way of saying the justice system is so diseased, so corrupted that not even death can stop it. The punishments used by the courts are extremely cruel, but Dickens refers to them in a nonchalant manner, like the “whipping post, another dear old institution, very humanizing and softening to behold in action.” (Chap 2,63) The satirical tone that is found in many instances throughout the book is the reader’s window to Dickens’ true stance on the government dealings of the period.
Sydney Carton will do your homework but he is not, nor will he ever be, a man of business. Mr. Lorry questions just this and is met with a reply that "(Mr. Carton) has no business!" (Dickens 2, 4, 141) (and is not one to deny it). It is clear that Mr. Lorry pities Mr. Carton lack of ambition, and to anger Mr. Lorry, Mr. Carton mockingly agrees with Mr. Lorries pities.
Sydney's true business, however, is not revealed until later in Book the Second when he arrives, questionably still intoxicated, to Mr. Stryver's house around ten at night. They talk, joke, calling each other by their nicknames, Stryver the "lion" and Carton the "jackal" until they, at last, decide to "get to work" (Dickens 2, 5, 150). Although the details of Sydney's work for Stryver are murky, several clues suggest that his jobs are related to Stryver's law cases. Upon entering the house and before Sydney begins his work for the night, Stryver hands him a pile of papers and refers to him as "Memory" (Dickens 2, 5, 151) perhaps suggesting that Sydney is doing vital memory work for the cases. When they get to chatting about Mr. Darnay's case, the truth comes out; that Sydney came up with the idea of Darnay's and his own resemblance and solved the case, and most likely every other of Stryver's cases, only to receive next to none of the acknowledgement. In any other person, such lack of credit could be the cause of Sydney's drinking habits, but as Mr. Stryver claims, it is simply the "old seesaw Sydney. Up one minute and down the next; now in spirits and now in despondency." And although he is described as moody now and moody as a boy, Sydney Carton also remembers that, even then, "(he) did exercises for other boys, and seldom did (his) own" (Dickens 2, 5, 154).
Mr. Carton is not a man of business. In chapter 5, he helps Stryver with his law work, but is drunk and drinks continuously while reading documents for Stryver to go over.
When questioned by Jarvis Lorry, he says, “’Business! Bless you, I have no business’” (84). He readily admits to having no business and seems unashamed of the fact:
“’If you had,’ pursued Mr. Lorry, ‘perhaps you would attend to it.’” “’Lord love you, no – I shouldn’t,’ said Mr. Carton (85).”
If he had a business, it would most likely be getting drunk. He goes to work drunk and at the local pub, everyone knows who he is. “…The jackal, with knitted brows and intense face, so deep in his task, his eyes did not even follow the hand that reached for his glass – which often groped about, for a minute or more before the glass found his lips” (90).
He does help Stryver, but when he does it seems to be merely reading documents – which are then double checked by Stryver – or something as simple as staring at the ceiling, which in this case just happened to save a life – a life he realizes he hates:
“’Do you think I particularly like you?’” “’Really, Mr. Carton,’ returned the other, oddly disconcerted, ‘I have not asked myself the question.’” “’But ask yourself the question now.’” “’You have acted as if you do; but I don’t think you do.’” “’I don’t think I do,’ said Carton” (87).
“Those were drinking days, and most men drank hard. So very great is the improvement Time has brought about in such habits, that a moderate statement of the quantity of wine and punch which one man would swallow in the course of a night, without any detriment to his reputation as a perfect gentlemen, would seem, in these days, a ridiculous exaggeration.”(Ch 5, 89).
Wine equals blood. In the first book we saw that wine equals blood. In the second book, Dickens starts to incorporate the people drinking more wine. At the end of chapter four, Congratulatory, Mr. Carton has been drinking heavily. Then, in this paragraph and the beginning of chapter 5 Dickens brings up drinking again. He purposely talks about wine and drinking here and more in book two to foreshadow the blood that will flow later in the book.
Also in this paragraph, time is capitalized. I originally thought this was personification of time to emphasize that things like time play an important role in our lives. Continuing with this idea, at the end of chapter five I marked that Dickens capitalized other words throughout book two including: hope, death, and fate. Time passes too quickly, hope gives us reason to live, fate is your life already determined, and death is inevitable. These four words being capitalized leads me to believe that they will be motifs in the book and that maybe Dickens is connecting each of these ideas with a character. Each of these words may be its own “thread.” Time could be Dr. Manette since he has spend so much of his life locked away and knows that every second is valuable. Lucie could easily be connected with hope since it is mentioned throughout the book that Lucie is a sign of life or hope for her father. “Only his daughter had the power of charming this lack brooding from his mind.” (Ch 4, 83). Fate could be connected with Mr. Carton because even though he saved Darnay’s life during his trial, he later says that he doesn’t particularly like Darnay. “Do you think I particularly like you?” (Ch 4, 88). If Carton represents fate, he would not like Darnay because he escaped his fate. A character to represent death has not been clearly presented but from what we have read so far it is likely that when the revolution starts and blood starts to flow, a character that represents death will emerge.
Book the Second begins with a drastic trial. Charles Dickens uses his diction to cause the readers to automatically feel sympathy towards Mr. Darnay. In chapter two, a man tells Jerry, the messenger, of the cruel and inhumane punishment he expected the accused to receive. “He’ll be drawn on a hurdle to be half hanged/ sliced before his own face/ his insides will be taken out and burnt while he looks on, and then his head will be chopped off”(Book 2,2,64). The human instinct is, hopefully, to feel a sorrow and connection to the accused once the reader has learned of this cruel and unusual punishment! Dickens then continuous to tell the reader that the accused (not yet found guilty) was “being mentally hanged, beheaded, and quartered” by each member of the “wicked” crowd (Book 2, 2, 66). Moreover, when Miss Manette is questioned by the Judge, he tells her to call the accused man “prisoner,” instead of his title as a gentleman. At this point, the reader is clearly supposed to view Mr. Darnay as the victim the crowd and the jury as the criminals.
Above, Olivia describes Mr. Darnay to be “kind and caring.” With this description it is no doubt that the reader can relate with this good man. However, I cannot help bbut wonder if Dickens uses his word choice to ask the reader to contemplate the possibility that Mr. Darnay is, guilty of treason or another sort of After the accused was acquitted, the current protagonists all gather outside to talk with Mr. Darnay. During the conversation, Doctor Manette looks upon Darnay and freezes. “His face had become frozen, as it were, in a very curious look at Darnay: an intent look, deepening into a frown of dislike and distrust, not even unmixed with fear. With this strange expression on him his thoughts wandered away” (Book 2,4,85) Also, Mr. Carton, as previously mentioned in multiple posts such as May May’s, does not appear to like let alone trust Mr. Darnay. Like Brighton, I believe that the tables may turn and that Mr. Darnay may not always be viewed as the innocent, caring man. Therefore the readers may assume that Mr. Darnay will soon become the criminal once more.
Adding on to Katy Beth and using the same passage, Dickens has described Lucie as a spiritual figure that has a sort of “healing power.” In Book the Firth, she saved her father from imprisonment and now in Book the Second, she’s still helping him recover from the past. “Lucie had the power of charming this black brooding mood from [Dr. Manette’s] mind.” (Book 2, 4, 94) She also helped Mr. Darnay during the trial when he testified in the hopes of him being released. Dr. Manette is drawn to her, as are other people, like Mr. Darnay when “[he] kissed her hand fervently and gratefully.” (Book 2, 4, 94) To me, Lucie could be compared to Jesus. Jesus healed many people and everyone else was drawn to him. Also we could look at the bible verse John 8:12 to compare Lucie to Jesus.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Dickens specifically says that “the light of her face had a strong influence on [Dr. Manette]. The light that jesus describes himself with is the same as the light lucie is described with. That is why she has such a impact on many people in the book.
In a Tale of Two Cities’ the calm response to cruelty stood out to me. What I have read is laced with terrible punishments, tortures, and death. All of them are described simply, as if they are in the norm and not inhumane whatsoever. “Under the guidance of her Christian pastors, she entertained herself, besides, with such humane achievements as sentencing a youth to have his hands cut off, his tongue torn out with pincers, and his body burned alive, because he had not kneeled down in the rain to do honour to a dirty procession of monks which passed within his view, at a distance of some fifty or sixty yards.” (Chap 1, 6) France is described as if it is a strong religious country, and still so much violence comes from it and England. Religion usually brings peace, but not in this novel. Here, religion means power, and defying the power means a painful death. It seems that England’s harsh way of punishing people has become normal to everyone, so there is no reason to object to it. This combined with the coming Revolution seems to be a reason for people’s acceptance of such harsh treatment. Could it also be fear, fear to speak justice and ignore cruelty?
At the beginning of Chapter One, Book two, Jerry Cruncher acts very coldly towards his wife, practically abusing her verbally because she refuses to stop praying. "And what do you suppose, you conceited female, that the worth of your prayers may be?" Jerry ironically asserts on page 58. He sees his wife's prayers as prayers against him instead of for him, as if they would harm him. This leaves me with the following question: What has happened in Jerry Cruncher's past that would make him so against religion or Godly help? Though I cannot say for certain, my guess is that the monarchs are to blame. The King and Queen at that time claim their leadership by divine right. The power has never been seriously questioned because they have led the people to believe God assigned them their roles and tells them what to do when in reality, it is their excuse to claim all the wealth in their nation while peasants, like Jerry Cruncher, suffer, Little do they know, the people are losing faith in God because they have been told it was He who made them suffer. Instead of feeling blessed, the people feel cursed, causing them to turn away from religion and in turn, turn away from the government, causing the French Revolution.
Charles Dickens used repetition to catch the reader's attention in Book 2, "The Golden Thread." The ongoing pain of Mr. Manette is shown through Miss Pross because she had, "a perception of the pain of being monotonously haunted by the sad idea, in her repetition of the phrase, walking up and down, which testified to her possessing such a thing." (6, 102)After Mr. Manette was reminded of life a prison, he began pacing. Miss Pross told of how he was often "walking up and down, walking up and down, in his room." (6, 102) This repetition of "walking up and down,"(6, 102) appears more than four times on the page. It is assumed that Mr. Manette is pacing at the dinner party in relation to the time he spent in prison, pacing. The repetition implies that the pacing, like the pain, is ongoing. With the same idea, Dickens used the repetition of "footsteps," or words relating to it, to imply the ongoing pain. In Chapter 6, 'Hundreds of People," Mr. Lorry looks for the makers of the "steps he heard, [and] he fancied they would never approach." (6, 102) This implies that although steps can be made and it may appear that they be going somewhere, there might never be any progression or movement. As the years go by, Mr. Manette can be found walking, but he is only stuck pacing back and forth, not making any progression and always being reminded of his years in prison. "The footsteps were incessant, and the hurry of them became more rapid. The corner echoed and re-echoed with the tread of feet; some, as it seemed, under the windows; some, as it seemed, in the room; some coming, some going, some breaking off, some stopping all together; all in the distant streets, and not one within sight." This implies that the ongoing steps and progression are appearing to exist everywhere, but in reality there are none at all, thus there is no progression.
In a legal view, Dickens is trying to convey that during this time period, everyone who is convicted is charged. In the court room Jerry speaks with a man who says, "Oh! They'll find him guilty. Don’t you be afraid of that," (2, 64) even though there was no evidence given against the prosecuted. Therefore, Dickens is saying that with every legal case, unless the legal system in France begins to take steps that go somewhere, the convicted will live a life with ongoing pain and never move away from it. The steps that the French government and legal system that Dickens is implying must be made, are the changes that come from the French Revolution. The footsteps are also referred to as belonging to the people who will come into Lucie and Mr. Manette's life. Those footsteps would represent revolutionaries and the French Revolution will begin because of that progress.
“Over the prisoner’s head, there was a mirror, to throw the light down upon him. Crowds of the wicked and the wretched have been reflected in it, and had pasted from its surface and this earth’s together. Haunted in a most ghastly manner that abominable place would have been, if the glass would ever have rendered back its reflections, as the ocean is one day to give up its dead. Some passing thought of the infamy and disgrace for which it had been reserved, may have struck the prisoner’s mind. Be that as it may, a change in his position making him conscious of a bar of light across his face, he looked up; and when he saw the glass his face flushed, and his right hand pushed the herbs away” (Ch.2, 66).
The mirror is an important object in this passage, because it means freedom for the Darnay. I find it interesting that the object that brings Darnay freedom and recalls him to life, is described as an object that imprisons and controls him. The mirror casts a bar across Darnay’s face. This is like the bars of a prison. The light from the mirror is described as being “thrown” down upon Darnay. “Throw” is a very forceful word. Why did Dickens choose to use the word “throw” instead of saying “the light reflects off of the mirror”? The mirror also controls Darnay and forces his face to flush. Why would Dickens describe the wonderful object that recalls Darnay to life as controlling, forceful, and imprisoning?
Maybe the mirror is described this way because Darnay already feels like a dead man, but does he feel dead because of the biased legal system or because he knows that he really is guilty? Just like Sarah C. said, why would Manette be so terrified of Darnay if Darnay is an innocent man?
Love seems to always be present in novels, whether it is by accident or fate. In book two, we start to notice Mr. Darnay’s attraction towards Lucie. Lucie’s attraction isn’t as aggressive, but she feels sympathy or compassion towards the prisoner. Walking into the court room, Mr. Darnay is described as “Ogreish” and “inhumane” (65).While being one of the witnesses against Charles Darney in the treason trial, Lucie is reluctant to accuse the prisoner of any wrong doing. “When the gentlemen came aboard says Lucie, and the judge states do you mean the prisoner?” (73)While being questioned, Lucie is unwilling to confront him as a “prisoner”, out of fear of the false persona attached with that name. When Lucie describes how Darnay advised her on saving her father she states “he did it for me. He expressed great gentleness and kindness, and I’m sure he felt it” (74). To me, this was the beginning of their relationship or spark of love at first sight. She then attributes Mr. Darnay with the type of characteristics a husband and wife would posses such as “was open in confidence with me, was kind, and good” (74). At the end of her statement as she begins to cry she says, “I may not repay him by doing harm today” (74). Her feelings towards Mr. Darnay, whether sympathetic or out of genuine love for the new friend, are evident as she shies away from doing any harm to him.
ReplyDeleteWhy would she want a “prisoner” she was supposed to be against to be found innocent? I believe it is because she begins to feel something for the tall, handsome man. After Lucie passes out, Mr. Darnay tells Mr. Carton, “I am deeply sorry to have been the cause of it. Could you please tell her so for me, with my fervent acknowledgements?”(81) His concern for Lucie is present, which also signifies the forming emotional connection between the two. He cared enough to make sure she was alright, and that his message was delivered. Later at the congratulatory, Mr. Darnay “had kissed her hand fervently and gratefully”(82). After Mr. Lorry takes Mr. Darnay out to eat dinner, the first toast that comes to mind is “Miss Mannette, Miss Manette” (87). Throughout chapter 4, she can’t seem to leave his mind and her name rides on the tip of his tongue. In chapter 5, as Miss Pross talks about the 100 people showing up, “Mr. Darnay presented himself. He was only one” (104). The echoes sound all around and Lucie tells Darnay,” I have imagined them the footsteps of the people who are to come into my life” (107). To me, this is an indirect way of stating that Darnay was now coming into her life, most likely forming a serious relationship between the two. If this relationship is not strong enough to be love, I still believe they will be allies throughout the book.
In the trial, Sydney Carton is Charles Darnay's savior. But as soon as they leave the courtroom, Mr. Carton's feelings become clear. Carton seems to utterly despise Mr. Darnay. Carton is displayed almost as Darnay's doppelganger, even though Darnay was originally the one who is assumed evil.. He is a rude drunkard who has no respect whatsoever for Mr. Darnay. After Darnay thanks Carton for saving him from a hanging and mutilization, Carton responds rudely, "I don't know why I did it"(88). He procedes to ask him, "Do you think I particularly like you" (88)? When Darnay responds to this frank question, Carton decides, "I don't think I do."
ReplyDeleteWHACK. The man is so blunt with a gentleman he doesn't even know, and he's already decided after a few hours of his company that he hates Darnay. He is judgemental and rude towards Darnay, but through all the insults, Darnay "keeps his cool" and turns the other cheek.The one who was first suspected an evildoer was freed by a comment from a man who looks almost exactly like him, but is the opposite in personality;awful, rude, and judgemental.
Lesson 5:
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In Book Two, chapter three, 'The Disappointment,' the audience of Mr. Darney's trial is described metaphorically as flies. Throughout the trial, Dickens thickens this imagery through description by painting a picture of the 'buzz [that] arose in the court as if a cloud of great blue-flies were swarming about the prisoner, in anticipation of what he was soon to become (69).' Four times during the court session Dickens mentions that 'the buzz of the great flies was loud again (73).' The first hum resulted from a comment about 'a true Briton,' the next two were in response to the movements and emotions of Lucie Manette, and the fourth came from a pause in the assembly. At each time, the words of 'buzzing' and 'swarming,' were present. Another interesting piece to bring into this puzzle is Emily Dickinson's poem 'I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died.' The first four lines are such:
ReplyDeleteI heard a fly buzz when I died;
The stillness round my form
Was like the stillness in the air
Between the heaves of storm.
In her poem, the fly foreshadows death, just as in 'A Tale of Two Cities.' Through class discussion, we know that the pre-revolution phase is occurring, and the tension between classes is building. The lines discussing 'the stillness / [that] Was like the stillness in the air / Between the heaves of a storm' is parallel to the 'stillness' in the time before the French Revolution. In this time of stillness, everything is quite just before all of chaos breaks loose, or in this poem 'the heaves of storm.' When the court session concludes, 'the crowd came pouring out with a vehemence' 'and a loud buzz swept into the street as if the baffled blue-flies were dispersing in search of other carrion (82).' This forceful emotion of the crowd, 'in search of other carrion' foreshadows the heightened passions of the people and the dead bodies that will soon line the streets of the city.
Chapter 5 is titled “The Jackal” and there are many references to the jackal and the lion; Sydney Carton is the jackal, and Stryver is the lion. Old beliefs stated that the jackal would kill the food that the lion would then consume, the jackal taking place of the lion’s provider. I thought it interesting that Carton is, in theory, the Stryver’s ‘provider’. Why would this be so?
ReplyDeleteObviously, Stryver is a successful lawyer and I think that a lot of it has to do with Carton. When the two are reminiscing on their old school days, Stryver questions Carton, “how do I do what I do?.” Carton replies with, “Partly through paying me to help you, I suppose. But it’s not worth your while to apostrophize me, or the air, about it; what you want to do, you do. You were always in the front rank, and I was always behind” (Chapter 5, page 79). It’s this last line that really has me thinking about their relationship because it seems that Carton replies with an air of jealously and a sense that he is the one that put Stryver in the front rank. Stryver works this leadership to his advantage and makes Carton feel bad about himself. He holds himself to be role model that Carton should follow; “Carton, your way is, and always was, a lame way. You summon no energy and purpose. Look at me” (Chapter 5, page 79). I feel that this relationship has been going on for quite some time because the way Carton describes himself seems like he has felt this for some time; “I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me” (Chapter 5, page 75).
So, although Carton has helped Stryver be on top, Stryver belittles Carton and makes him feel bad for himself. I hope that we get to learn more about Stryver and Carton’s relationship because I know there is something more to see.
Book two begins a long, rough storm, both figuratively and literally, that will be the background to the rest of the book. Dickens uses the start of the storm as foreshadowing the start of the revolution in chapter six, as Mr. Carton “gets out of the house [and] the air is cold and sad, the dull sky overcast “(Ch. 5, 80). He uses pathetic fallacy to “set the scene” for the rebellion, creating anxiety through the atmosphere of the oncoming storm. The storm’s “first spray has begun to overwhelm the city,” creating an unbearable feeling of tension before the storm hits. Figuratively, the storm becomes a symbol for the revolution that’s about to break out, so saying that it “has begun to overwhelm the city” hints at the beginnings of a revolt.
ReplyDeleteLater in book two, Dickens again uses pathetic fallacy to create a tense mood, the background to a revolt. According to Dr. Manette, “The rain-drops are still falling, large, heavy, few, and slowly,” hinting at an approaching revolution (Ch. 6, 91). The rain-drops symbolize the few angry citizens bold enough to speak out, and as others begin to join in, the rain-drops fall more steadily, heavier. “People [sit] in a dark room, watching and waiting for lightning, [as] they always do” (Ch. 6, 91). Once they have been ignited by lightning, the true storm will begin. The pathetic fallacy here also creates a backdrop of the revolution, foreshadowing the future in this book.
As the story goes on, the storm will hit harder and stronger, until a full-on fight between commoners and nobility has begun.
When we first meet Sydney Carton, he comes across as lazy and careless; but I think this is all just an act. Carton is introduced during the trial by doing nothing but staring at the ceiling and fixing his wig. His characterization leads us to believe he is lethargic; “something especially reckless in his demeanour,… gave him a disreputable look” (3, 79). He is portrayed as the “idlest and most unpromising of men” (5, 90) and his “manner was so careless as to be almost insolent” (3, 81). As his character is slowly revealed, we see that he actually cares about other people more than he would like us to see; “when Miss Manette’s head dropped upon her father’s breast, he was the first to see it, and to say audibly: ‘Officer! Look to that young lady. Help the gentleman to take her out. Don’t you see she will fall!’” (3, 80). After the trial, he questions about Lucie to make sure she has recovered, letting us see his compassionate side. Carton does Mr. Stryver’s legal work for him, creating points to argue in order to win cases. In this situation, when no one else is able to see him, we perceive the intelligence and congeniality of Mr. Carton. Although he is paid for his work, he has previously done the same thing when he was younger; “even then, I did exercises for other boys, and seldom did my own… It was my way I suppose” (5, 93). Underneath his exterior impression of laziness and his carefree mannerisms, he cares about other people more than himself and shows this through quiet, “under the table” acts.
ReplyDeleteWhile in court, Mr. Darnay and Mr. Carton’s similar appearance is brought to sight. Although they look alike physically, they are opposites on the mentally and emotionally; “so like each other in feature, so unlike each other in manner” (3, 81). They are also self-identified as counterparts; “this is a strange chance that throws you and me together. This must be a strange night to you, standing alone here with your counterpart on these street-stones” (4, 87). Carton is perceived by the reader solely on the exterior behaviors instead of his subtle selfless acts while Darnay is seen as a kind man who has gotten himself into a bad situation with the law. If they truly are counterparts as they say they are, then on the inside Mr. Darnay is an uncaring, selfish man who puts up a front to possibly get the heart of Lucie. I believe that while at the moment the reader believes that Mr. Darnay is the better man, the table will soon turn to reveal Mr. Carton as the kinder, yet more timid man.
Lucie Manette has huge effects on people. She recalled her father back to life, she is admired by Miss. Pross, and draws the attention of anyone who is around her. Even though he tries to resist, Mr. Carton is one of those people who are drawn to her. The description on the book states how Mr. Carton is enmeshed through his love for Lucie. In the book, it doesn't seem like Mr. Carton likes Lucie, which sparked the following question. Why does Mr. Carton acts like he does not care or Lucie?
ReplyDeleteThe main source of my question derived from the following dialouge between Mr. Carton and Mr. Stryver.
"She pretty!"
"Is she not?"
"No."
"Why, man alive, she was the admiration of the whole Court!"
"Rot the admiration of the whole Court! Who made the Old Bailey a judge of beauty? She was a golden-haired doll!"
Chapter 5, 94)
I was utterly confused because, it seemed like not only did Mr. Carton not like Lucie, but also he despised her. Yet, Mr. Carton came to visit Lucie and Dr. Manette at their home some months later. I realized Mr. Carton was trying not to like Lucie. I believe Mr. Carton does not believe he is good enough for Lucie, which is a reason why he is trying to push her off.
Mr. Carton is disreputable, not liked by many, and he is a follower. Mr. Carton wishes his life was different, and it is shown through this passage.
"Waste forces within him, and a desert all around, this man stood still on his way across a silent terrace, and saw for a moment, lying in the wilderness before him, a mirage of honourable ambition, self-denial, and perseverance....waters of Hope sparkled in his sight."
"Climbing to a high chamber in a well of houses, he threw himself down in his clothes on a neglected bed, and its pillow was wet with wasted tears."
(Chapter 5, 95)
Mr. Carton wishes his life was better, but he does not believe it will get better which is a reason why he cries at night. Even though he does not believe he is good enough for Lucie, he can not stay away from her.
Toward the beginning of chapter one, “Five Years Later”, I was excited; Dickens was giving me a better look into the look into Jerry Cruncher’s life. The character had intrigued me in the first book after he brought the message to Mr. Lorry because he seemed a mystery. I was already aware that distrust was one part of France’s unsavory condition, but Dickens revealed the mystery of the Cruncher family life I got a deeper look at the country’s state.
ReplyDeleteThere is a deep cynicism in the way Cruncher treats his wife, illuminating the fact the distrust is not only between careful businessmen or suspicious nighttime mail coach drivers, but also in the home. Jerry Cruncher finds his wife praying in the corner when he wakes one morning and immediately believes she is praying against him. When told, “I was praying for you”, he is so doubtful of his wife’s truthfulness that he answers “You weren’t” (Chpt. 1, pg. 60). Cruncher even encourages a cynical relationship between mother and son and encourages his son to “keep a eye upon [his] mother now and then, and if [he sees] any signs of more flopping, give {Jerry Cruncher] a call” (Chpt. 1, pg. 60). This scene was shocking to me. I never pictured the relationships in families to be comparable to those between swindling and honest businessmen and coach drivers and possible highway thieves.
Jackals are negative creatures. They scavenge dead bodies and travel alone. In Egyptian mythology, the jackal led souls to the land of the dead. As a dream symbol, the jackal can signify transformation. It is also slang for a low and devious person, or someone who performs tasks for others. On page 95, it says "Sadly, sadly, the sun rose; and it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions, incapable of their directed exercise, incapable of his own help and his own happiness, sensible of the blight on him, and resigning himself to let it eat him away." Jackals consume dead and rotting things, and the fact he is being eaten away could be another representation of his relation to the actual creature.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Betsy when she states that in Chapter five Carton is Stryver's "provider". Stryver is a big successful lawyer, whereas Carton is his assistant. However, I also believe that since Stryver is the "lion" he controls Carton, or "the jackal." Not only does Carton provide for him, but he is dominated by him. Since he is of a lower class, Carton feels inferior to Stryver. For example on page 90 it says, "although Sydney Carton would never be a lion, he was an amazingly good jackal, and that he rendered suit and service to Stryver in that humble capacity." Carton acknowledges that Stryver is his superior and acts as though he is a servant. The fact he is referred to as a "jackal" could be foreshadowing that death follows him and seeks him. Since a jackal is usually involved in death, Carton could play a part in the death of others or even himself, he could cause death by completing a task for his superior, or the "lion", Stryver.
"The baffled blue-flies were dispersing" (3,82) from the court at the end of chapter 3, disappointed at the lack of condemnation and gore. The people's obsession with, and lust for killing is disturbing of course. I also think that it is a manifestation of the general restlessness of the public in this time of poverty and desperation. The people feel betrayed by their country, which is not caring for them properly and they wish to see justice and release their feelings of anger. This oppression is perhaps misdirected towards the prisoner, and the 'blue-flies' are highly disappointed to see him acquitted. It is somewhat surprising though, that this assumed traitor of England is not at all pitied by any of the onlookers. The corrupted justice system of England seems to be accepted without question. The people seem to even enjoy the quick, brutal jurisdiction of the law, so long as it is not a loved one that is subjected to it. This insight into the tendencies of the English people, added to the scope of crime and disorder in the country, set a background in which distrust is easily bred.
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ReplyDelete"Buzz swept into the street as if the baffled blue-flies were dispersing in search of other carrion" (Ch. 3,82). Throughout the novel, the general public has shown foreshadowing and has been compared to things that pertain to carnage and war. During the trial scene when they were compared to blue-flies. They were compared to something that swarmed around something slain. Like in Lord of the Flies, flies tend to congregate around something that has died, however in this case they were floating over Charles Darnay waiting for his corpse to be presented to them. Even though in this case the victim escaped, the blue-flies kept buzzing in search of other prey. The crowd is attracted to death and has amazing blood lust, just like in the first book when they were racing for the wine, a symbol for blood. They are out for blood, just like Jack and the other Hunters in Lord of the Flies. The lust for carnage and blood only fuels the fire that will lead to the French Revolution within the citizens.
ReplyDeleteThe crowd also shows other foreshadowing, especially to the French Revolution. Close to the end of chapter six a storm rages through the Manette's neighborhood. People were racing to get home and away from the rain, but "The footsteps were incessant, and the hurry of them became more and more rapid. The corner echoed and re-echoed with the thread of feet; some, as it seemed, under the windows; some, as it seemed, in the room; some coming, some going, some breaking off, some stopping altogether; all in the distant streets, and not one within sight" (Ch. 6, 107). This is foreshadowing to the storming of the Bastille. Only Mr. Carton is able to put emotion to their footsteps. "'And I hear them! I ask no questions and make no stipulations. There is a great crowd bearing down upon us, Miss Manette, and I see them!"..."'And I hear them!' He added again, after a peal of thunder. 'Here they come, fast, fierce, and furious'" (Ch. 6, 107). The crowd may just seem to be running from shelter for the rain, however I believe that they are running the diction shows that they are running for much more. They are running for the end of oppression. Even though this is not the storming of the Bastille, it is definitely foreshadowing for the storm of emotion and uprising to come.
Off of May May's comment, Mr. Carton is ironically the antagonist of Mr. Darnay. We expect that because he looks exactly like the kind and caring Mr. Darnay, he would have the same characteristics as him, but we soon find out that he is the complete opposite. Mr. Carton, we see, hates Mr. Darnay and he reminds him of “…a handsome fellow, and I thought I should be the same sort of fellow, if I had had any luck.”(91) Mr. Carton knows he could have done better in life and by seeing the successful and well dressed Darnay, he is reminded of the life he could have had and he despises him for it. He believes that “You [Mr. Stryver] have fallen into your rank, and I have fallen into mine.”(94) At the end of the chapter we see that he “saw for a moment, …, a mirage of honourable ambition, self-denial, and perseverance.”(95) He thinks he is okay with drinking his life away, but then we see that he hates what his life has become and what he has become and even sleeps on a pillow “wet with tears.”(95)
ReplyDeleteThen we see that he is also extremely jealous of Darnay’s affection with Lucie and with her liking him back. We see that he tries to deny Miss Manette of her beauty but then we see that he likes to hang out at the Manette’s house. I think that a later contribution to the story will be the competition between Darnay and Carton.
The description of Tellson’s Bank also describes Mr. Lorry. The image of Tellson’s Bank in Book Two was the drastic opposite to the stereotypical corporate bank that I imagined. Although Tellson’s Bank was barely mentioned in Book One, the notion that the bank was very wealthy and well-known was emphasized by Mr. Lorry: “I belong to Tellson’s Bank. You must know Tellson’s Bank in London,” (Book 1, 2, 12). The only detail that came with Tellson’s Bank when it was first mentioned was its popularity. The reputation of Tellson’s Bank led to the belief that it was a big corporate, impersonal bank. The image of Tellson’s Bank is supported as Mr. Lorry mentions its work overseas: “We are quite a French house, as well as an English one,” (Book 1, 4, 21). I thought the business must be very large to be able to expand and cater to both powerful countries. Like the commercial image of Tellson’s Bank portrayed in Book One, Mr. Lorry is shown to always be attached to business without any personal feelings: “Regard it as a matter of business-business that must be done,” (Book 1, 4, 27).
ReplyDeleteBook Two overthrows both images of Tellson’s Bank and Mr. Lorry. Tellson’s Bank is described to be a very personal, small business: “It was very small, very dark, very ugly, very incommodious,” (Book 2, 1, 55). The concrete details of Tellson’s Bank are the opposite of a successful, wealthy business. I imagined the bank to be modern and only cater to the needs of the upper class, but “it was an old-fashioned place,” (Book 2, 5, 55). Just as Tellson’s Bank was portrayed to be more interested in personal relationships with their clients instead of strictly business, so was Mr. Lorry. Throughout Book Two, the reader was able to see more of his personal life instead of “matter[s] of business,” (Book 1, 4, 27): “After several relapses into business absorption, Mr. Lorry had become the Doctor’s friend and the quiet street-corner was the sunny part of his life,” (Book 2, 6, 96). The description of Tellson’s Bank gives a deeper view to the personality of Mr. Lorry who is so dedicated to his work that he cannot see the dividing line between personal and business matters.
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ReplyDelete“Recalled to Life” can be both a good and a bad thing. In Dr. Manette’s case, being recalled to life is a good thing because it saved him from a life of imprisonment. But for Darnay, Dr. Manette being recalled to life could have been a bad thing. Because Dr. Manette was rescued from prison, he was able to be a witness at Darnay’s trial. Even though Dr. Manette didn’t accuse Darnay of anything, he could have, and then Darnay would have been killed.
ReplyDelete“The Judge, whose eyes had gone in the general direction, recalled them, leaned back in his seat and looked steadily at the man whose life was in his hand, as Mr Attorney-General rose to spin the rope, grind the axe, and hammer the nails into the scaffold.” (Ch. 2, 67). When the Judge recalls Dr. Manette and Lucie, he is not only recognizing them as witnesses, but he is also acknowledging that they will help declare Darnay guilty. They won’t recall Darnay to life, but they will send him to his death. When the Attorney-General rose to spin the rope, grind the axe, and hammer the nails into the scaffold he is referring to Darnay’s punishment. Darnay’s sentence is that he will be half hanged, sliced before his own face, burnt while he looks on, his head cut off, and then he will be cut into quarters. The “spin of the rope” refers to Darnay being hanged, and the “grind of the axe” refers to when he will be sliced before his own face, head cut off, and cut into quarters. These things show not only the harsh punishments, but also the corrupt legal system of England. Everyone, including the Judge and the Attorney-General, knows that Darnay will be found guilty.
“Only his daughter had the power of charming this black brooding from his mind. She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery: and the sound of her voice, the light of her face, the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with him almost always. Not absolutely always, for she could recall some occasions on which her power had failed; but they were few and slight, and she believed them over.” (2.4, 83)
ReplyDeleteThis passage in Book the Second, chapter 4, Congratulatory, caught my eye when reading this book. Talking about Lucie Manette, Dickens describes her like an angel. What comes to mind when thinking about angels is always knowing what we do, and keeping an eye on us, to make sure we do not get off track. Similarly, Dr. Manette says that she “united him to a Past beyond his misery and to a Present beyond his misery.” This links her with his past and her present, and saying “beyond” hints at a future as well, just like an angel being there always. “The sound of her voice, the light of her face, and the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with him almost always” describe Lucie in the most beautiful, angelic way possible, as if nothing she could ever do could be bad or wrong. That she will always be there, holding his hand, her light drawing him back from the darkness, “of charming this black brooding form his mind”. Then, he brings her back to earth by saying “for she could recall some occasions on which her power had failed” making the reader remember that she is indeed human.
Also, describing her as a “golden thread” hints that she will weave all of the pieces, all the different stories from this book together in some way, and because he added “golden” it makes her seem more holy, more pure. A thread is also usually one piece, and this is singular, saying that she is the only one, as Dr. Manette declares, “only his daughter had the power.” This leads to believe that no one else in the book has this kind of power like Lucie does, that she is the only “good” one and that in the end, her light will bring everyone back together somehow.
To build upon Emma:
ReplyDeleteRevolutions require blood. Throughout the beginning of Book the Second, there are many occasions when a revolution is being hinted at and the characters are found bloodthirsty. One of those occasions is in the third chapter, A Disappointment. The court spectators are "a cloud of great blue-flies [that] were swarming about the prisoner" (Ch 3, 69). The term blue-flies is a referral to the color of blood in the veins as well as a death omen. Throughout the chapter, the "blue-flies" are "swarming" and "buzzing" around the prisoner, someone they are sure will be convicted and soon face torture. By creating a sense of excitement amongst the spectators, Dickens begins to allude to the blood shed that is soon to happen. The enthusiasm of blood shed that the prisoners show also exemplifies the inhumane and animalistic demeanor of the people in England during the time. By using the court spectators as a metaphor to the social disagreements building up, Dickens beings hinting towards a revolution and the blood accompanying it that will soon outbreak. The "loud buzz [that] swept into the street" (Ch 3, 82) helps the reader imagine the vast amount of people who are ready for the blood to flow.
In other words, Dickens uses a metaphor and descriptive writing to depict an image to his readers of the ruthless and inhumane manner of the English people to foreshadow the revolution and bloodshed to come.
"But indeed, at that time, putting to death was a recipe much in vogue with all trades and professions, and not least of all with Tellson's. Death is Nature's remedy for all things, and why not Legislation's? Accordingly, the forger was put to Death; the utterer of a bad note was put to Death; the purloiner of forty shillings and sixpence was put to Death; the holder of a horse at Tellson's door, who made off with it, was put to Death; the coiner of a bad shilling was put to Death; the sounders of three-fourths of the notes in the whole gamut of Crime, were put to Death" (Book 2, 1, 56).
ReplyDeleteDickens uses sarcasm in this passage to powerfully convey the injustice of the current legal system during this era. From the opening chapter of the book, Dickens uses a sarcastic tone in describing the horribly unjust punishment of a youth as "humane." In the above passage, Dickens uses the same sarcastic tone as in his opening to further portray the injustice of the legal system that we continue to see throughout the book. Understanding the harshness of the legal system is crucial in understanding the time period in which the book is set. Dickens chose irony, specifically sarcasm, as his primary tool in conveying this. It is very apparent in the passage above.
The passage begins with “but indeed, at that time,” explicitly reminding the reader to keep the setting in mind. He continues by saying “putting to death was a recipe much in vogue with all trades and professions.” His sarcasm is apparent here in his casual reference to the popularity of putting people to death during this era. The word “recipe” is also very powerful here. He is saying that death became a popular recipe for all people. This is ironic because, while he speaks casually of putting people to death, in reality, he does not think lightly of the subject at all; he is totally against it.
He goes on, “Death is Nature’s remedy for all things, and why not Legislation’s?” If everyone is going to die anyway, why not make it the final punishment for all crimes? Dickens uses this absurd and sarcastic statement to powerfully convey the conditions of the law. With his sarcastic and austere tone, Dickens allows the reader to be more powerfully affected than if he had simply stated the cruel punishments the French witnessed.
Dickens then goes on to list transgressions of various people, ranging in severity, but all resulting in the same punishment: death. He also repeats the word “Death” six times throughout this sentence. In doing this, Dickens continues to build upon the powerful affect of his austere tone in the previous few sentences regarding death.
Sarcasm is a language that I can understand. Luckily for me, sarcasm is used throughout the First and Second Book. From France rolling “with exceeding smoothness down hill, making paper money and spending it” to England’s scarce “amount of order and protection to justify national boasting”(Chap 1,6), and like Caroline said, it is made clear that Dickens, even in the first chapter, has taken a satirical view on the corruption found within the French and English governments. Even with the harsh living conditions described in the first chapter of the book, Dickens’ application of sarcasm only increases the severity of the circumstances of each government and the daily life of their citizens.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter A Sight, Dickens embarks on the analyzation of the justice, or lack thereof, system of England. He begins with the Lord Chief Justice who “in a black cap pronounced his own death as certainly as his prisoners.” (Chap 2,63) In this example, the judges are dying from illnesses brought into the courts by the prisoner’s miserable conditions. But this is also a sarcastic way of saying the justice system is so diseased, so corrupted that not even death can stop it. The punishments used by the courts are extremely cruel, but Dickens refers to them in a nonchalant manner, like the “whipping post, another dear old institution, very humanizing and softening to behold in action.” (Chap 2,63) The satirical tone that is found in many instances throughout the book is the reader’s window to Dickens’ true stance on the government dealings of the period.
Sydney Carton will do your homework but he is not, nor will he ever be, a man of business. Mr. Lorry questions just this and is met with a reply that "(Mr. Carton) has no business!" (Dickens 2, 4, 141) (and is not one to deny it). It is clear that Mr. Lorry pities Mr. Carton lack of ambition, and to anger Mr. Lorry, Mr. Carton mockingly agrees with Mr. Lorries pities.
ReplyDeleteSydney's true business, however, is not revealed until later in Book the Second when he arrives, questionably still intoxicated, to Mr. Stryver's house around ten at night. They talk, joke, calling each other by their nicknames, Stryver the "lion" and Carton the "jackal" until they, at last, decide to "get to work" (Dickens 2, 5, 150). Although the details of Sydney's work for Stryver are murky, several clues suggest that his jobs are related to Stryver's law cases. Upon entering the house and before Sydney begins his work for the night, Stryver hands him a pile of papers and refers to him as "Memory" (Dickens 2, 5, 151) perhaps suggesting that Sydney is doing vital memory work for the cases. When they get to chatting about Mr. Darnay's case, the truth comes out; that Sydney came up with the idea of Darnay's and his own resemblance and solved the case, and most likely every other of Stryver's cases, only to receive next to none of the acknowledgement. In any other person, such lack of credit could be the cause of Sydney's drinking habits, but as Mr. Stryver claims, it is simply the "old seesaw Sydney. Up one minute and down the next; now in spirits and now in despondency." And although he is described as moody now and moody as a boy, Sydney Carton also remembers that, even then, "(he) did exercises for other boys, and seldom did (his) own" (Dickens 2, 5, 154).
Mr. Carton is not a man of business. In chapter 5, he helps Stryver with his law work, but is drunk and drinks continuously while reading documents for Stryver to go over.
ReplyDeleteWhen questioned by Jarvis Lorry, he says, “’Business! Bless you, I have no business’” (84). He readily admits to having no business and seems unashamed of the fact:
“’If you had,’ pursued Mr. Lorry, ‘perhaps you would attend to it.’”
“’Lord love you, no – I shouldn’t,’ said Mr. Carton (85).”
If he had a business, it would most likely be getting drunk. He goes to work drunk and at the local pub, everyone knows who he is. “…The jackal, with knitted brows and intense face, so deep in his task, his eyes did not even follow the hand that reached for his glass – which often groped about, for a minute or more before the glass found his lips” (90).
He does help Stryver, but when he does it seems to be merely reading documents – which are then double checked by Stryver – or something as simple as staring at the ceiling, which in this case just happened to save a life – a life he realizes he hates:
“’Do you think I particularly like you?’”
“’Really, Mr. Carton,’ returned the other, oddly disconcerted, ‘I have not asked myself the question.’”
“’But ask yourself the question now.’”
“’You have acted as if you do; but I don’t think you do.’”
“’I don’t think I do,’ said Carton” (87).
“Those were drinking days, and most men drank hard. So very great is the improvement Time has brought about in such habits, that a moderate statement of the quantity of wine and punch which one man would swallow in the course of a night, without any detriment to his reputation as a perfect gentlemen, would seem, in these days, a ridiculous exaggeration.”(Ch 5, 89).
ReplyDeleteWine equals blood. In the first book we saw that wine equals blood. In the second book, Dickens starts to incorporate the people drinking more wine. At the end of chapter four, Congratulatory, Mr. Carton has been drinking heavily. Then, in this paragraph and the beginning of chapter 5 Dickens brings up drinking again. He purposely talks about wine and drinking here and more in book two to foreshadow the blood that will flow later in the book.
Also in this paragraph, time is capitalized. I originally thought this was personification of time to emphasize that things like time play an important role in our lives. Continuing with this idea, at the end of chapter five I marked that Dickens capitalized other words throughout book two including: hope, death, and fate. Time passes too quickly, hope gives us reason to live, fate is your life already determined, and death is inevitable. These four words being capitalized leads me to believe that they will be motifs in the book and that maybe Dickens is connecting each of these ideas with a character. Each of these words may be its own “thread.” Time could be Dr. Manette since he has spend so much of his life locked away and knows that every second is valuable. Lucie could easily be connected with hope since it is mentioned throughout the book that Lucie is a sign of life or hope for her father. “Only his daughter had the power of charming this lack brooding from his mind.” (Ch 4, 83). Fate could be connected with Mr. Carton because even though he saved Darnay’s life during his trial, he later says that he doesn’t particularly like Darnay. “Do you think I particularly like you?” (Ch 4, 88). If Carton represents fate, he would not like Darnay because he escaped his fate. A character to represent death has not been clearly presented but from what we have read so far it is likely that when the revolution starts and blood starts to flow, a character that represents death will emerge.
Book the Second begins with a drastic trial. Charles Dickens uses his diction to cause the readers to automatically feel sympathy towards Mr. Darnay. In chapter two, a man tells Jerry, the messenger, of the cruel and inhumane punishment he expected the accused to receive. “He’ll be drawn on a hurdle to be half hanged/ sliced before his own face/ his insides will be taken out and burnt while he looks on, and then his head will be chopped off”(Book 2,2,64). The human instinct is, hopefully, to feel a sorrow and connection to the accused once the reader has learned of this cruel and unusual punishment! Dickens then continuous to tell the reader that the accused (not yet found guilty) was “being mentally hanged, beheaded, and quartered” by each member of the “wicked” crowd (Book 2, 2, 66). Moreover, when Miss Manette is questioned by the Judge, he tells her to call the accused man “prisoner,” instead of his title as a gentleman. At this point, the reader is clearly supposed to view Mr. Darnay as the victim the crowd and the jury as the criminals.
ReplyDeleteAbove, Olivia describes Mr. Darnay to be “kind and caring.” With this description it is no doubt that the reader can relate with this good man. However, I cannot help bbut wonder if Dickens uses his word choice to ask the reader to contemplate the possibility that Mr. Darnay is, guilty of treason or another sort of After the accused was acquitted, the current protagonists all gather outside to talk with Mr. Darnay. During the conversation, Doctor Manette looks upon Darnay and freezes. “His face had become frozen, as it were, in a very curious look at Darnay: an intent look, deepening into a frown of dislike and distrust, not even unmixed with fear. With this strange expression on him his thoughts wandered away” (Book 2,4,85) Also, Mr. Carton, as previously mentioned in multiple posts such as May May’s, does not appear to like let alone trust Mr. Darnay. Like Brighton, I believe that the tables may turn and that Mr. Darnay may not always be viewed as the innocent, caring man. Therefore the readers may assume that Mr. Darnay will soon become the criminal once more.
Adding on to Katy Beth and using the same passage, Dickens has described Lucie as a spiritual figure that has a sort of “healing power.” In Book the Firth, she saved her father from imprisonment and now in Book the Second, she’s still helping him recover from the past. “Lucie had the power of charming this black brooding mood from [Dr. Manette’s] mind.” (Book 2, 4, 94) She also helped Mr. Darnay during the trial when he testified in the hopes of him being released. Dr. Manette is drawn to her, as are other people, like Mr. Darnay when “[he] kissed her hand fervently and gratefully.” (Book 2, 4, 94) To me, Lucie could be compared to Jesus. Jesus healed many people and everyone else was drawn to him. Also we could look at the bible verse John 8:12 to compare Lucie to Jesus.
ReplyDeleteWhen Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Dickens specifically says that “the light of her face had a strong influence on [Dr. Manette]. The light that jesus describes himself with is the same as the light lucie is described with. That is why she has such a impact on many people in the book.
In a Tale of Two Cities’ the calm response to cruelty stood out to me. What I have read is laced with terrible punishments, tortures, and death. All of them are described simply, as if they are in the norm and not inhumane whatsoever. “Under the guidance of her Christian pastors, she entertained herself, besides, with such humane achievements as sentencing a youth to have his hands cut off, his tongue torn out with pincers, and his body burned alive, because he had not kneeled down in the rain to do honour to a dirty procession of monks which passed within his view, at a distance of some fifty or sixty yards.” (Chap 1, 6) France is described as if it is a strong religious country, and still so much violence comes from it and England. Religion usually brings peace, but not in this novel. Here, religion means power, and defying the power means a painful death.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that England’s harsh way of punishing people has become normal to everyone, so there is no reason to object to it. This combined with the coming Revolution seems to be a reason for people’s acceptance of such harsh treatment. Could it also be fear, fear to speak justice and ignore cruelty?
At the beginning of Chapter One, Book two, Jerry Cruncher acts very coldly towards his wife, practically abusing her verbally because she refuses to stop praying. "And what do you suppose, you conceited female, that the worth of your prayers may be?" Jerry ironically asserts on page 58. He sees his wife's prayers as prayers against him instead of for him, as if they would harm him. This leaves me with the following question: What has happened in Jerry Cruncher's past that would make him so against religion or Godly help? Though I cannot say for certain, my guess is that the monarchs are to blame.
ReplyDeleteThe King and Queen at that time claim their leadership by divine right. The power has never been seriously questioned because they have led the people to believe God assigned them their roles and tells them what to do when in reality, it is their excuse to claim all the wealth in their nation while peasants, like Jerry Cruncher, suffer, Little do they know, the people are losing faith in God because they have been told it was He who made them suffer. Instead of feeling blessed, the people feel cursed, causing them to turn away from religion and in turn, turn away from the government, causing the French Revolution.
Charles Dickens used repetition to catch the reader's attention in Book 2, "The Golden Thread." The ongoing pain of Mr. Manette is shown through Miss Pross because she had, "a perception of the pain of being monotonously haunted by the sad idea, in her repetition of the phrase, walking up and down, which testified to her possessing such a thing." (6, 102)After Mr. Manette was reminded of life a prison, he began pacing. Miss Pross told of how he was often "walking up and down, walking up and down, in his room." (6, 102) This repetition of "walking up and down,"(6, 102) appears more than four times on the page. It is assumed that Mr. Manette is pacing at the dinner party in relation to the time he spent in prison, pacing. The repetition implies that the pacing, like the pain, is ongoing. With the same idea, Dickens used the repetition of "footsteps," or words relating to it, to imply the ongoing pain. In Chapter 6, 'Hundreds of People," Mr. Lorry looks for the makers of the "steps he heard, [and] he fancied they would never approach." (6, 102) This implies that although steps can be made and it may appear that they be going somewhere, there might never be any progression or movement. As the years go by, Mr. Manette can be found walking, but he is only stuck pacing back and forth, not making any progression and always being reminded of his years in prison.
ReplyDelete"The footsteps were incessant, and the hurry of them became more rapid. The corner echoed and re-echoed with the tread of feet; some, as it seemed, under the windows; some, as it seemed, in the room; some coming, some going, some breaking off, some stopping all together; all in the distant streets, and not one within sight."
This implies that the ongoing steps and progression are appearing to exist everywhere, but in reality there are none at all, thus there is no progression.
In a legal view, Dickens is trying to convey that during this time period, everyone who is convicted is charged. In the court room Jerry speaks with a man who says, "Oh! They'll find him guilty. Don’t you be afraid of that," (2, 64) even though there was no evidence given against the prosecuted. Therefore, Dickens is saying that with every legal case, unless the legal system in France begins to take steps that go somewhere, the convicted will live a life with ongoing pain and never move away from it. The steps that the French government and legal system that Dickens is implying must be made, are the changes that come from the French Revolution. The footsteps are also referred to as belonging to the people who will come into Lucie and Mr. Manette's life. Those footsteps would represent revolutionaries and the French Revolution will begin because of that progress.
“Over the prisoner’s head, there was a mirror, to throw the light down upon him. Crowds of the wicked and the wretched have been reflected in it, and had pasted from its surface and this earth’s together. Haunted in a most ghastly manner that abominable place would have been, if the glass would ever have rendered back its reflections, as the ocean is one day to give up its dead. Some passing thought of the infamy and disgrace for which it had been reserved, may have struck the prisoner’s mind. Be that as it may, a change in his position making him conscious of a bar of light across his face, he looked up; and when he saw the glass his face flushed, and his right hand pushed the herbs away” (Ch.2, 66).
ReplyDeleteThe mirror is an important object in this passage, because it means freedom for the Darnay. I find it interesting that the object that brings Darnay freedom and recalls him to life, is described as an object that imprisons and controls him. The mirror casts a bar across Darnay’s face. This is like the bars of a prison. The light from the mirror is described as being “thrown” down upon Darnay. “Throw” is a very forceful word. Why did Dickens choose to use the word “throw” instead of saying “the light reflects off of the mirror”? The mirror also controls Darnay and forces his face to flush. Why would Dickens describe the wonderful object that recalls Darnay to life as controlling, forceful, and imprisoning?
Maybe the mirror is described this way because Darnay already feels like a dead man, but does he feel dead because of the biased legal system or because he knows that he really is guilty? Just like Sarah C. said, why would Manette be so terrified of Darnay if Darnay is an innocent man?