These should be at least six or seven sentences and should be done by 8 pm on the Weds before the reading is due. Take time to log in and read what people have said.
Please contribute a quote journal. Pick one line from the text. (No more than two sentences.) Type it in with page number. Respond to the line. What made you choose it? Why might it be important? How does it connect to another passage?
Choose anything you like; consider focusing on these images and motifs: doubles, water, sun/light, stone.
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"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way" p. 1
I chose this sentence because it immediately pulled me into the story and made me want to figure out what the author was talking about. This sentence reads almost like a poem and just like a poem I feel like there are many hidden meanings. I think this represents and may be foreshadowing conflict later on in the story because after each statement there is another one contradicting it which shows a difference of opinion or ideas and usually when people don't agree it leads to fighting. I also think that the fact that the beginning of each phrase is stated twice is representative. I think this is representative of that fact that the characters may have to deal with two problems or conflicts at once. This could also be representative of the way the characters will come together in twos. For example Miss Manette and Dr. Manette. I also think this relates to when Miss Manette saw her father for the first time. She had so many mixed feelings that in a way it would make sense for her to be feeling this way at one time and a second later be feeling the exact opposite much like the way this passage continually contradicts itself.
"A memorable storm of thunder and lightning broke with that sweep of water, and there was not a moment's interval in crash, and fire, and rain, until after the moon rose at midnight." (p93-94)
This quote stood out while i was reading this section because not only did it describe the storm that was going on, it also seemed to fit well with some of the character's pasts. For example, Mr. Manette's time spent in prison was much like the storm. It was a horrible and scary experience for him (much like lightning and thunder can be), and his suffering was not over until Lucie came along to help him live a more normal life, to break the storm, like the moon. This storm was also like Mr. Darnay's trial. The possibility of an extremely cruel execution was hovering above him, and the prosecution's evidence was like the rain and thunder and lightning. In this case, Mr. Carton was like the moon, as he helped to save Mr. Darnay, and guide him safely out of the storm. This also can be an example of doubles, because the role that Lucie plays for Mr. Manette is very similiar to the role that Mr. Carton plays for Mr. Darnay.
“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 unlawful opener of a letter 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. Not that it did the least good in the way of prevention- it might almost have been worth remarking that the fact was exactly the reverse- but, it cleared off (as to this world) the trouble of each particular case, and left nothing else connected with it to be looked after.”(46) Wow this excerpt is terrifying, and truly shows how much death and murder is unfolding during these tense and revolutionary times. Not only were the taxes high and Laws unjust, but if a worker made a simple mistake in his or her workplace, English society would have them crippled or killed. Even though these idiotic laws have no immediate connection to the French or English Revolutions, I think this is a perfect example of some of the vulgarity and blood shed we will start to see in the future of the book, as the Revolution intensifies. It is apparent that quick decision deaths and murders were as common as Facebook and Cell phones in this day and would be an unfortunate and dumb way to have your life ended. Dickens gives us a straight forward window into this time period and is not afraid to describe the vulgar details that make this book interesting. This segment also reminds me of earlier in the book, when Dickens is describing Highwaymen and the guards willingness to murder on sight in order to protect the Dover mail from thieves. Read carefully for these action packed dramas that will keep you at the edge of your seat!
"over the prisoner's head there was a mirror, to throw the light down upon him.Crowds of the wicked and wretched had been reflected in it, and had passed from its surface and this earth's together." (pg 57)
In a book so clearly dark and menacing in nature, this small prtion shines out like the light it speaks of. In the Courtroom, a mirror hangs over the accused (in this case Mr. Darnay) to make them stand out from the rest of the people in the courtroom. Although the light was probably meant to illuminate the crimes of the accused by alientating him from the others in the courtroom, it does not serve it's purpose in this trial. Because the rest of the book is so gloomy, this rare bit of light shines on Darnay and speaks of his triumphant escape. Light usualy speaks of good happenings rather then bad ones, and combined with Darnay's confident air, lets the reader know he will be found innocent. The light will not make his crimes more apparent to the jury. Instead, it forms a halo of protection arounfd him, much like paintings of saints or angels from earlier time periods. It si a dramaticaly set stage. This is a strong example of symbolism used boldly by Dickens.
"Only his [Dr.Manette] daughter [Lucie] 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." (71)
This passage in Book 2 chapter 4 emphasizes two motifs in A Tale of Two Cities : doubles and light. Here, Dickens writes of Past and Present which are both in uppercase to show importance in ones life. But though this double is well used in this passage, the more significant of the two is the theme of light. Lucie is the one who helps Dr.Manette out of his "black" life of imprisonment. Dickens decribes her as the "golden thread" that pulls him back to a normal life. Also, how her beautiful face was "light". The use of "golden" and "light", especially contrasted with "black", expresses how in this passage and throughout the book light brings hope and power over ones life. Like how earlier in TOTC Dr.Manette's room is very dark, yet when Lucie arrives Mr.Defarge lets in more light. Light also expresses optimism, as Dickens tells how the golden thread brought back happiness from even Dr.Manette's dark past.
"why should you particularly like a man who resembles you? There is nothing in you to like; you know that. Ah, confound you! What a change you have made in yourself! A good reason for taking to a man, that he shows you what you have fallen away from, and what you might have been! Change places with him, and would you have been looked at by those blue eyes as he was, and commiserated by that agitated face as he was? Come on, and have it out it plain words! You hate the fellow." (pg. 76-77)
The quote in TOTC greatly emphasizes one of the major motifs in the book: the use of doubles. Previously in the story, Dickens conveys this theme by expressing the many opposites within characters and the two cities that the novel takes place in. For instance, in the opening of the book Dickens begins with, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." This quote immediately shows that the use of doubles plays a major part in the unfolding of the story. For the first time in the story so far, a new type of doubles have been introduced: hidden parallels. Carton points out that while he may have very similar physical characteristics as Darney, they are actually opposites in personality and other traits. Darney is the person that Carton always wanted to be, but never became, so he dislikes him for that. The connection between Carton and Darney uses both opposites and parallels. While they look alike, Darney reminds Carton of the type of person who he failed to become. Also, I think that this quote foreshadows something that will happen later on in the story. In this quote Carton says, "Change places with him, and would you have been looked at by those blue eyes as he was, and commiserated by that agitated face as he was?" This shows his longing to be like Darney, and I think that it is foreshadowing the way in which Carton will develop later on in the book.
"and being a responsible jury, must positively find the prisoner Guilty, and make an end of him whether they liked it or not.... That head Mr. Attorney-General concluded by demanding of them, in the name of everything he could think of with a round turn in it, and on the faith of his solemn asseveration that he already considered the prisoner as good as dead and gone.(p 59-60)
This quote stood out to me because after reading about all the bad things already happening in England and France, to see that the court would expect to already find someone guilty is surprising. If there is so much crime, i would think that the court would want to be sure to eliminate the person causing the crime, not an innocent person who is prosecuted just because the jury doesn't even bother to listen. Now a days, if you are a good jury, you listen to what the witnesses says and make a fair decision based on that. You don't already suspect what the outcome is going to be. Also, by saying the prisoner was "as god as dead and gone" is a bad thing for an attorney to think. If the outcome is already made up in the jury and judges mind, no one would bother listening to the witnesses and the accused. The most interesting thing to me about this quote is that the defendant ends up being innocent. And since the author writes that everyones minds were already made up, it comes as a surprise that he is proven innocent.
"Where does my father get all that iron rust from? He don't get no iron rust here!" p 52
okay. so I know this quote might not actually seem too significant but I definitely sense something here. I think that Dickens may be hinting at something here, whether it be foreshadowing or just trying to give us something obscure about Cruncher's life metaphorically or otherwise. This rust on his fingers thing seems a little out of the blue. I, like the son have no idea where it came from. Perhaps it is done purposely. It speaks about Cruncher as a person. It labels him as mysterious and far from normal. It is shown especially in the "he sure don't get no iron here" line. There's obviously something fishy about this guy. I'm very interested in seeing how it all ties in.
"...but when it was stirred and broken up-as it was now, in a moment, on speaking to his daughter-he became a handsome man, not past the prime of life.
His daughter had one of her hands drawn through his arm, as she sat by him, and the other passed upon it." p.57
As I read this passage, I felt like I finally understood what to expect from the relationship between Dr. and Lucy Manette. The fact that Dicken's describes Manette as "a handsome man, not past the prime of life," shows that the Doctor is a different person while with his daughter. It implies that she brings out the best in her father and makes him feel young again. This new demeanor may also be because Dr. Manette still views Lucie as his wife. Though he knows that she is his daughter because she calls him father, he may still be imagining that his wife is alive. This shows that Lucie will be Dr. Manette's window back to a time when he was young and happily married. The way Dickens describes Lucie's appearance makes her seem very meek and delicate. One of her arms is through her father's, which suggests that she is holding on to him, not wanting to let him go. Her other arm is resting on his arm which also makes it seem like she's holding on to him for support or protection. The fact that they are so close after only knowing each other for a short amount of time could be attributed to the fact that they have a natural attachment because they are related. It could symbolize the fact that they both need each other. I believe that Dr. and Lucie Manette's need for each other may play a large role in the story because it is emphasized so early in their relationship.
"Sadly, sadly, the sun rose; 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." (P.82) This is a very deep closing sentence that desribes Mr. Carton's emotional state. I chose this sentence because it's almost as if there is this one character (in this case Carton), who is struggling to keep himself happy with life and is losing the battle. Depression can be quite a war inside one's head to battle, and it's not always particularly easy. Carton is letting go, in a sense, and is letting the weight of life bear upon his shoulders. I feel this passage is important because it shows Mr. Carton's true self, rather than this all-mighty callous figure. This can be connected to Dr. Mannette because he had been imprisioned so long, that he'd lost all hope. He was "incapable of his own help and his own happiness", just like Carton. It could possibly be viewed as Dr. Mannette coming out of his depression, and Carton going through it.
" I know that when she is cinging to tou, the hands of baby, girl, and woman, all in one, are around your neck. I know that in loving you she sees and loves her mother at her own age, sees and loves you at my age, loves her mother broken hearted, loves you through your dreadful trial and in your blessed restoration." (pg 122)
Charles Darnay seems to be a very observant and undersatnding man. In this sentence explaining his insight on the love between Dr. Mannette and Lucie, he mentions three-way observations of his. Darnay speaks of Lucie in three ways, as a baby, a child and as a woman. Through the three stages of her life so far, Darnay recognizes the love and devotion the way it is for Lucie, and not just his perception. This is not the only situation in which Darnay is an observer of three things. In France, he is part of the corrupt nobility class, and the horrors they commited. In England, he has witnessed the law system from the point of an accused of treason. Also, in England, he has been observing as a commoner. Through these three different situations, he has seen and been able to observe three major levels of society present during the French revoution: the commoner, the nobility, the convicted. Through his experience, Darnay has become well rounded in experience, something he caries over into other aspects of his life such as love. He is a very interesting character, and one who sees much.
"Why does he make that abominable noise? Is it his child?" p.100
When I read this quotation, I got the chills. I could really picture Monsieur the Marquis dismissing this child that he has just had a part in killing. His remark seemed almost too cold for a person of his level of intelligence to make. I could not understand why a human life has so little value to so many people in this time period. Also, the way the man who disovers the child reacts when Monsieur the Marquis says this quotation is very strange. The second he is contradicted, the man backs down. He then cries to the other peasants on the road. There are many peasants and Monsieur the Marquis sis alone. They could have at least told him what he had done, but they back off in stead. I know that this is mostly because of the time and class difference, but I am surprised that none of the peasants tried to stand up to Monsieur the Marquis.
"...with a large stone court-yard before it, and two stone sweeps of staircase meeting in a stone terrace before the principal door. A stony business altogether with heavy stone balustrades, and stone urns, and stone flowers and stone faces of men, and stone heads of lions, in all directions"
p. 108
I chose this passage for two reasons. The first reason is that the writing is so descriptive and it put a really clear image in my mind. The second reason I chose this was because of the word "stone". It is repeated nine times in just two sentences. I think this is really important because in repeating this I think Charles Dickenson was trying to get a message across. I think the he was tying to show that the stone castle the the Marquis lived in reflected the Marquis' "stone" or cold heart/personality. And his cold personality turns out to be the cause of his death.
"'There is not... a face I can look at, in all this country round about us, which looks at me with any defference on it but the dark deference of fear and slavery.'" (112)
This quote stood out to me because it reminded me of exactly the stuff we were talking about in history. This is about the time of the enlightenment and I feel like most of the time when I think of the enlightenment I think of those from the 3rd estate but reading this kinda just reminded me how much a part of the nobles' lives the enlightenment was. To completey give up all you are to inherit because of what you see from a philosophy is a big deal. I don't think I realized the enormity of the impact of the Enlightenment until this piece of text.
"In the village, taxers and taxed were fast asleep. Dreaming, perhaps, of banquets, as the starved usually do, and of ease and rest..."(116)
Contrary to my last post about how light portrayed hope and power, chapter nine seems to be saying the opposite. While the people are sleeping at night (in the darkness) they do not have to deal with their depression and suffering which the face constantly during the day (in the light). Other parts of this chapter sway the reader to believe the nighttime is a time of peace. Not only that, but when the sun comes up things are described as "ghostly" and like "blood".
But by the end of the chapter, it is revealed that overnight a man named Jaques has killed Marquis and left a mysterious note. This shows how night may be a great time for dreams, but there is still no power and everyone is vulnerable.
“All its people were poor, and many of them were sitting at their doors, shredding spare onions and the like for supper, while many were at the fountain, washing leaves, and grasses, and any such small yieldings of the earth that could be eaten. Expressive sips of what made them poor, were not wanting; the tax for the state, the tax for the church, the tax for the lord, tax local and tax general, were to be paid here and to be paid there, according to solemn inscription in the little village, until the wonder was, that there was any village left unswallowed. Few children were to be seen, and no dogs. As to the men and women, their choice on earth was stated in the prospect--Life on the lowest terms that could sustain it, down in the little village under the mill”(Book Two,P 104)
This description of the poorest simplest people on earth opens my eyes to the rebellious and bloody French revolution, and the reasons behind the uprising. A simple community of poor lower-class citizens, were stripped of most rights and made to pay tax on everything. This impoverished scene that Monsieur gallantly drives through represents the two worlds coming together. The common folk were starving, as were Monsieur is traveling to his lavish palace with a feast awaiting him. He was born into great wealth and is somehow excemt from almost all tax that oppressed the majority of citizens in that time. These people are helpless to the Higharchy and Aristocrats and should not dare to stop paying the tax. The reasoning behind the great revolt at Basille is represented by these small towns, that finally started standing up for there rights. Oppression and poverty is a terrible thing that took many peoples lives, in there quest for equal rights in and a brighter future. These peasants were at the mercy of the Higharchy, but in just a few years and decades they would get a bloody playback.
"It lay back on the pillow on Monsieur the Marquis. It was like afine mask, suddenly startled, made angry, and petrified. Driven home into the heart of the stone figure attached to it, was a knife. Round its hilt was a frill of paper, on which was scrawled:
"Drive him fast to his romb. This, from Jacques." (118).
This passage was significant because it represents the death of Monsieur the Marquis. It stood out to me in the reading because the brutality of his murder was ridiculous. I do not understand how someone could get away with killing someone as rich and well-off as the Marquis. I found it very odd that the murderer was not caught. Also, the book has not fully discused the after-effects of his murder or gone into detail about the way his family and friends feel about his killing. I feel like this bloody murder is foreshadowing much more killing to come will lead to a lot of deaths.
"Now, from the days when it was always summer in Eden, to these days when it is mostly winter in fallen latitudes, the world of a man has invariably gone one way - Charles Darnay's way - the way of the love of a woman." (p. 119)
I chose this sentence because it is bringing up Charles Darnay again, but in a very different context. When the reader is first introduced to him, we see him as a man who's life is going miserably wrong. He is being charged for a crime that he did not do, and being treated horrible. Now we see that around him the world isn't in its happiest times. We see this from when it says, "to these days when it is mostly winter in fallen latitudes." This is saying that the worlds isn't summer-y and happy but more like winter. However, Charles Darnay has found love, and is in a very happy and satisfied position unlike his previous position of being put on trial unfairly. He is now happy, and life has turned in his favor to find him love. It is ironic, to this quote, through the comparison from before, that the woman he is in love with, he met at the time of his trial. He met Miss Mannette in such a hard time for him, and now when life turns his way he is still in love with that woman, and plans on marrying her. I like this quote because it really makes the reader think about how much has changed since the beginning of the book when everything was sad, to now, when Darnay is in love and going to propose.
“Not a voice, or a hand, or even an eye was raised. Among the men, not one. But the woman who stood knitting looked up steadily, and looked the Marquis in the face. It was not for his dignity to notice it; his contemptuous eyes passed over her, and over all the other rats; and he leaned back in his seat again, and gave the word “Go on!” pg. 102
The way Charles Dickens portrayed this quote really stood out to me. I think that Dickens is showing glimpses throughout the book that Madam Defarge’s knitting plays a significant factor in the story. I think that her knitting is foreshadowing events that will occur in the story. It may have somehow evidently lead to the Marqius’ death. In this quote Dickens expresses the way in which he looks over Madam Darfarge like all of the other “rats” standing there, but he does not realize that this is going to lead to his consequences. I think that Madam Defarges’ weaving in this quote among others represents and symbolizes the revengeful actions of the revolution during this time. She seems harmless and gentle as she quietly knits in the background, but underneath I think that she is foreshadowing and setting up events that will happen as the story proceeds. This symbol clearly has a significant role in how the rest of the story will be played out.
"On the tenth morning of his suspense, he was startled by the shining sun into the room where a heavy slumber had overtaken him when it was dark night." (p. 183)
Mr. Lorry was startled to see that it was already morning, when it been night the last time he was awake, as he was startled to see Dr. Manette up and doing his usual routine from before his relapse. The dark night was the time that Dr. Manette was making shoes again, and during it Mr. Lorry did not know what to do to make it light again. But just as the sun rises everyday, Dr. Manette also woke up from his slumber and started acting like himself. His behavior changed as quickly as it changes from night to day. Earlier Dr. Manette talked about the moon, and the sadness the light from the moon brought. Dr. Manette knew that his relapse would come, just as he knew that night would fall, so he also must have known that he would soon be better, just as the sun rises every morning. Sunlight is like a bright hope and happiness, and it was spread throughout the room, showing that even before it said that Dr. Manette was back to normal that something good was happening. Also, the sun rising means that it is a new day, and because it was the first thing described in the chapter, I thought it was like it was not just a new day, but a new beginning for Mr. Manette. Even though it was really hard for him that Lucie got msrried, he was still able to overcome his sadness and be able to see that it was a happy thing, like a new day.
"All women knitted. They knittedworthless things; but, the mechanical work was a mechanical sub substitute for eating and drinking; the hands moved for the jaws and the digestive apparatus: if the bony fingers had beem still, the stomachs would have beem more famine-pinched." (pg 171)
This passage is an interesting one for two reasons. Madame Defarge is the first woman who the reader sees who is actively aiding the revolution. Not only is her character easily woven into the story with a good role, but her presence shows how women helped during the French revolution. Madame Defarge is a secretive record keeper, keeping track of revolutionary progress and important information in the common task of knitting, as well as the woman in charge of a major meeting point (the wine shop) for the rebels. The other interesting piece of information one can take from this passage is just another well described view on how bad life was for the commoner in France at the time. Knitting was something all women did for need of something that would show for their work and struggles. Because tehy weren't getting the comforts one would expect in life, they turn to a useless hobby in which to invest themselves. If they stop distracting themselves with things llike knitting, their poverty sinks in and they can see it clearly. Who wouldn't rebel in such circumstances?
okay so I don't have my book with me right now but i still wanted to post SOMETHING.
I found Manette's relapse and then fast recovery puzzling. He said that he pulled himself together because he had expected it. I don't really understand how that works but I'll accept it. But then i was thinking about how he would just toil over his shoe maker's bench for hours and hours and then I found this strange but maybe valid connection. Maybe his expecting of this relapse connects back to the LeFarges and how they were just waiting for the revolution. then the actual toiling over the shoes could be like the peasants in france toiling for their freedom. They got a change in government relatively quickly like how Manette got over his illness quickly. I could be just making it up but it seems pretty intensional to me.
“Never did the sun go down with a brighter glory on the quiet corner in Soho, than one memorable evening when the Doctor and his daughter sat under the plane-tree together. Never did the moon rise with a milder radiance over great London, than on that night when it found them still seated under the tree, and shone upon their faces through its leaves.” Pg. 172
This quote expresses the theme of light verse dark. During this passage, it is clear that there is a very positive atmosphere - Dr. Manette is in a happy and peaceful state. Throughout the book, light has been portrayed as joy and times of happiness, and darkness has been associated with times of depression and misery. During Dr. Manette’s times of trouble previously in the story, the mood has been described in a way that conveys darkness. These passages in the story describe the way in which Dr. Manette had been encompassed in darkness. When his daughter released him from his misery, the mood of the book altered to a feeling of happiness, which is portrayed through the description of light. In this quote, the sun is described as going down brighter than it ever had before, and the rising moon shining with a radiant light. It is described in this way to show the joy that Manette and his daughter are sharing in the moment, just being with each other to fulfill their needs. Just a day later in the story, Dickens changes the mood of the book again when Manette relapses, by relating this familiar feeling to darkness once again. This quote is a strong example of Charles Dickens’ use of light and darkness to express the atmosphere of the story and Dr. Manettes’ changing conditions.
"Repression is the only lasting philosophy. The dark deference of fear and slavery, my friend," observed the Marquis, "will keep the dogs obedient to the whip, as long as this roof," looking up to it, "shuts out the sky." p.112
This quotation was yet another by Monsieur the Marquis that struck me as very selfish and cold. He is saying that the only way to have the lower class under control is to repress them and make them afraid. Her also compares them to dogs, saying that he will use violence to keep them under control. Although this quotation should have made me hate Monseigneur, I became more intrigued with the character the meaner he became. This shows how well Charles Dickens has developed every character in the story. I am usually one to root for the good guy, but the intriguing aspect of Monseigneur's character leaves me itching to see what he will do next. That is why I was so disappointed when he was killed. It was especially disappointing because the conversation from which my quotation was taken was the most fascinating yet. I thoroughly hope that Monseigneur will somehow appear later in the story.
" 'A fancy, then, my wise pet,' said Mr. Lorry, patting [Lucie's] hand. 'They are very numerous and very loud, though, are they not? Only hear them!' " (p. 198)
This excerpt seems not only to remark on Lucie's "fancy" but the footsteps heard while she sits and listens. Earlier in the chapter, the echoes seem to be affecting her for the worst, almost as if she has had too much time to think. For example, her baby boy died, a terrible loss especially on the mother. Also, she has become married and though it was stressed over and over again that it would only bring everyone closer together, it did take its toll on Dr.Manette who relapsed while Mr and Mrs Darnay were on their honeymoon and she seems to taken the change a bit badly. This quote adds to the ominous hints around Lucie and how she is slowly becoming depressed. Mr. Lorry is trying to warn Lucie to not get too engulfed in her thoughts while she listens to the echoes of the footsteps. Another hint is at the end of the chapter when it is said that hopefully Lucie does not fall into the same problems that France has.
"Saint Antoine's blood was up, and the blood of tyranny and domination by the iron hand was down, down on the steps of the Hotel De Ville where the governor's body lay- down on thesole of the shoe of madame defarge where she had trodden on the body to steady it for mutilation...For, they are headlong, mad, and dangerous; and in the years so long after the breaking of the cask at Defarge's wine-shop door, they are not easily purified when once stained red>" (P203-4)
In this section, Charles Dickens is connecting to the streets running red with blood as they did with wine in an earlier scene at the wine-shop. I find this interesting because it is quite a big connection, in my opinion. It shows the connection between ressurection ("recalled to life"), wine, and blood- all essential elements in the christian belief of jesus. This can be related to the French Revolution, where blood and wine ran in the streets, but for a recalling of life, or new beginning, to occur in the outcome.
“There was a screwing and complaining sound down below, and their bent figures were strained, as if by a weight. By slow degrees the weight broke away the earth upon it, and came to the surface. Young Jerry very well knew what it would be; but, when he saw it, and saw his honoured parent about to wrench it open, he was so frightened, being new to the sight, that he made off again, and never stopped until he had run a mile or more.”(148)
Why is Mr. Cruncher digging up a dead spy? This is scary and scandalous intrigues me into to finding out more about Mr. Cruncher and his real dirty jobs. Earlier in the book I could not grasp the significance of Mr. Cruncher, a simple handyman at Telson's bank to the development of the story. I know realize Mr. Cruncher is the perfect window into one Average citizens life during this time of rapid revolution. Cruncher is a crazy husband and father and is a terrible role model for Jerry, who has started to become aware of his fathers real professions. In those hard and desperate times it is evident that average joe’s like him had to find there weekly earnings any way possible. Mr. Cruncher makes it clear to his family that sometimes his corrupt work outside of the home is none of there business and should be ignored at all times. I predict that this abusive henchmen will play an interesting and significant role in the dirty work of this tale.
“There was a screwing and complaining sound down below, and their bent figures were strained, as if by a weight. By slow degrees the weight broke away the earth upon it, and came to the surface. Young Jerry very well knew what it would be; but, when he saw it, and saw his honoured parent about to wrench it open, he was so frightened, being new to the sight, that he made off again, and never stopped until he had run a mile or more.”(148)
Why is Mr. Cruncher digging up a dead spy? This is scary and scandalous intrigues me into to finding out more about Mr. Cruncher and his real dirty jobs. Earlier in the book I could not grasp the significance of Mr. Cruncher, a simple handyman at Telson's bank to the development of the story. I know realize Mr. Cruncher is the perfect window into one Average citizens life during this time of rapid revolution. Cruncher is a crazy husband and father and is a terrible role model for Jerry, who has started to become aware of his fathers real professions. In those hard and desperate times it is evident that average joe’s like him had to find there weekly earnings any way possible. Mr. Cruncher makes it clear to his family that sometimes his corrupt work outside of the home is none of there business and should be ignored at all times. I predict that this abusive henchmen will play an interesting and significant role in the dirty work of this tale.
"Never did the sun go down with such a brighter glory on the quiet corner in Soho, than one memorable evening when the Doctor and his daughter sat under the plane-tree together." (pg 172)
This opens chapter seventeen with a more gloomy feeling than what the reader has gotten from past chapters involving Lucie and her father. In the past chapters it has been about marriage. The other chapters also show the strong happy bond between long lost father and daughter. Now as this chapter opens, the reader gets the feeling that something is wrong. It seems much sadder and more distant between them. What Mr Darnay promised the doctor is that their marriage would only strengthen the bond between Lucie and Mr Mannette. However, from just the beginning of the chapter it seems like the marriage will in fact not strengthen, but loosen their relationship. After all the time Lucie spent trying to find her father, and everything they went through together, it would be a shame to have it all go to waste. Which is what impression the reader might get from reading that line. The theme of light also shows up. "Never did the sun go down with such a brighter glory" which is showing that the good (light) is going away (to dark). It brings up the reoccurring theme that once dark, something bad will happen.
"So wicked do destruction and secrecy appear to honest minds, tat Mr. Lorry and Miss Pross, while engaged in the commission of their deed in the removal of its traces, almost felt and almost looked like accomplices in a horrible crime.
p. 190
I chose this quote because I think it is one big metaphor. Mr. Lorry and Miss Pross are only burning the shoemaker's bench but it is made out to be a lot more. The bench is such a big part of Doctor Manette and his past. Because of this, when they burn it, it is as though they are burning a part of Dr. Manette. This might cause problems in the future. But on the other hand, this will probably turn out to be very helpful. If the doctor does at one point have another memory that triggers a relapse, his bench will not be there for him to hide away at.
"No man ever really loved a woman, lost her, and knew her with a blameless though an unchanged mind, when she was a life anda mother, but her children had a strange sympathy with him -- an instinctive delicacy of pity for him. What fine hidden sensibilities are touched in such a case, no echoes tell; but it is so, and it was so here." (page 195)
This passage stood out to me because it went over a part of Sydney Carton's life that was barely touched upon. Earlier in the novel, Mr. Carton expressed his love for Lucie when it was already too late. That is what the quotation is referring to. It is important because Sydney Carton is not recognized as a complete failure. Although he lose the woman he loved, he atleast got a strong friendship out of it. He is also a good friend of the family and Lucie's kids know and trust him. I chose this quotation also because it represents the idea of the "Two Cities" and the two completely different lives of those in both France and England. This passage intertiwnes the two cities and characters from each place and brings them together, showing their relationships as well. I thought it was interesting because there was much more to it than its guise.
"And all of us have like wonders hidden in our breasts, only needing circumstances to evoke them," (p 263).
I know this sentence isn't really about pairs or light or water, but i just thought that it was so perfect. It is an example of why Charles Dickens is such a brilliant writer, because he is able to put an entire theme (not sure if that is exactly the right word) into one sentence. What he writes here is true not only to the book, but I think it can also be applied to real life. When I read it I felt more connected to the book, as if it wasn't just a story, but a book about very realistic people who experience emotions similar to not only each other, but also to people today, although they are not in the same circumstance. In a way he also connects all the characters in the book in this one sentence. It made me think about how even though Mr. Darnay is the one in jail, Lucie and Little Lucie and Dr. Manette and all of their friends are going through the same emotions and worries and wonders as each other. It also put Mr. Darnay on the same level as all the other prisoners being tried, because even though in his eyes he had done nothing wrong, he was not the one deciding his fate, and he felt the same sense of helplessness as the other prisoners did. This sentence also made me think about how I would feel if I was in the situation that Mr. Darnay was. This was a sort of turning point in the book for me, where i started to view the characters more as real people in a bad situation/ bad time period in France, rather than just characters from a story who i thought i would never be able to connect to because our lives are so different. I think it is really important that this sentence, although it is short and easy to miss, is in the book. It will help make the story in a sense timeless, because people will be able to connect to it no matter what era it is or where they are living because of sentences like this one.
"So capriciously were the people moved, that tears immediately rolled down several ferocious countenances which had been glaring at the prisoner a moment before, as if with impatience to pluck him out into the streets and kill him." (pg. 265)
The citizens present at Darnay's trial were so moved by emotion that small facts would sway them completely, to liberate him by the end. throughout the novel, Dickens portrays the revolutionaries of France as savage animals moving as a group. In order to acomplish their goals, they revert to frenzied, thoughtless mob action.
That the fench are moved from murder to complete compassion for Darnay does not bode well though. Their changinging temperament condemns him yet again and the beast of a mob is unreasonable and wild with blood lust once again. Will their mood swings ever stop and reach a final verdict? Dickens does this to portray the feverish emotions instability and fear during the french revolution. He efficiently conveys this chaos as a truly frightening thing that unsettles the reader, worrying them over the fate of the favorite characters.
" 'I will do,' Defarge doggedly rejoined, 'nothing for you. My duty is to my country and the People. I am the sworn servant of both you, and against you. I will do nothing for you."
This quote, and I'm sure many others like it, left me very engaged because it adds even more complexity to the already complicated plot, and shows how interesting of a writer Dickens is. For the entire book, there are two main stories, with one in France with the Defarges and the other in England with Darnay, Lucie, and company. This part of the book is very important because this is the first real interaction, (besides Dr.Manette in his darker days) that the reader can see and monitor between the two main characters. This passage and chapter gives a different view of the characters. This is because before both groups of characters are generally good and have motives to their actions that are justifiable. But now, with this passage it can be detected that one of them is wrong (at least morally): the Defarges. After all, Darnay has not done anything wrong that should have him imprisoned, but Defarge won't help him get out of it. But then again, the Defarges are doing what they think is best. Dickens is trying to say that the French Revolution was a good idea, a good theory, and had to happen in some way, shape or form, but it was far too strict and harsh than necessary. Before, the old regime of France imprisoned Dr. Manette to practically insanity, but now the revolutionists in France are also putting innocent people in jail. Overall, they are contradicting themselves and this makes it hard for the reader to pick a side and decide what Dickens is trying tell us.
"'you will be careful to keep them [the mysterious substances] seperate? You know the consequences of mixing them?' 'perfectly'" -p 292
Okay so I chose this one because it just screamed 'look at me I'm foreshadowing' when I read it. Sydney carton is buying these unkown concauctions from this chemist who warns him not to mix them. that obviously points to the fact that carton will mix them. He's kind of like a little kid. when you tell a little kid not to do something, chances are they will especially idf they are the kind of little kid who enjoys pretending to be a secret agent and try to go around being sneeky, which is not too different from how i see carton right now. but some kind of mysterious chemical mixing is going to go on right? would Dickens really put in that line if it wasn't going to happen?
"Ah! But it's not my business. My work is my business. See my saw! I call it my little guillotine. La, la, la; La, la, la! And off his head comes!" p. 258
I chose this because I think its interesting that this man actually saws this aloud. The man is pretending that his saw is a guillotine. On top of that he is pretending to use it to chop off prisoners heads. Which basically means he is pretending to chop off Darnay's head right in front of his wife and daughter. Although he is unaware that Lucie's husband is in jail, the fact that he tells a woman and a child (back then) shows a new kind of violent character. I think this is important because I feel like he represents the people during the revolution that felt this way and were not afraid to show it.
"three years of tempest were consumed. Three more birthdays of little Lucie had been woven by the golden thread into the peaceful tissue of the life of her home." (pg. 217)
This quote relates back to Lucie in chapter twenty-one. When it says "Lucie had been woven by the golden thread," that is a lot like in chapter twenty-one when it says, "Ever busily winding the golden thread that bound them all together,...Lucie" on page 194. This is the first time the author shows Lucie metaphorically and literally putting things together. Now in chapter twenty-four the reader sees not only Lucie weaving but that it has made even a "peaceful tissue." She is really bringing her family and her life together in a time of chaos such as the French Revolution. It also shows that she is building up her life. After her son died she is trying to make the best of times. It is also interesting to compare her now to Madame Defarge. Defarge had been weaving all throughout the book and now she is taking it apart and starting chaos. Lucie on the other hand is putting things together. As both the Defarge's get more violent Lucie still seems to be in a calm stage of putting things back together, or weaving. This also gives the reader a sign of hope because it resembles good things being put back together.
"Take her, Charles! She is yours!" p.179
This quotation was heartbreaking. It made me very happy that Dr. Manette was so happy for his daughter in the previous pages but I believe that his true emotions are revealed in this quotation. He, of course, does not want his daughter to grow up. I think that this emotion is even greater for the doctor because he has only known her for a very short amount of time. The exclamation points at the end of every sentence in the quotation makes the doctor seem scared. He is afraid of losing his child, but I think he is more afraid of being alone again. We have already seen that he goes back into his shoe-making stupor whenever he is depressed. If he loses, or is even moved away from the thing he loves most (Lucie), it could take a toll on his sanity.
“All the air around was so thick and dark, the people were so passionately revengeful and fitful, the innocent were so constantly put to death on vague suspicion and black malice, it was impossible to forget that many as blameless as her husband and as dear to others as he was to her, every day shared the fate from which he had been clutched.” P. 268
This quote really stood out to me. This passage in the story really portrays what was going on in this time period. During the French Revolution and the time of the Reign of Terror, innocent people were being murdered in mass amounts. People’s loved ones were being taken away from them every day, just as Lucie’s husband had been. As her husband is being released, Lucie is realizing that many like him had been brought into the same condition, but were found guilty and killed.
This quote also expresses the theme of light vs. dark. At the beginning of the passage it says, “All the air around was so thick and dark, the people were so passionately revengeful and fitful.” It is clear that darkness is being used as a symbol to show that it was a time of trouble for these characters, not of happiness. In previous sections of the story, light has been used to express happy times, whereas here the opposite is being portrayed. The use of darkness helps to convey the state that the country during this time period is in.
"He had never seen the instrument that was to terminate his life. How high was it from the ground, how many steps it had, where he would be stood..." (p 326)
I chose this sentence because it seemed like something that many people would wonder in real life- what their death would be like. In Mr. Darnay's case, he knows how and when he is going to die, but like other people he still has wonder of exactly what it would be like. I was a little surprised that he had never seen a guillotine before, seeing as how it was so popular in France at this time. It's not as if he would have had a dress rehearsal of his death, but I figured he would know a little bit about what was going to happen. Even though he knew how he was going to die, he still didnt know the exact details, and this makes him just like everyone else when they die. This also made me sympathize with Darnay even more, because it really expressed how nervous he was feeling. To know how you are going to die and still be so uncertain, that seems almost worse than just not knowing at all.
"Sometimes, we strike into the skirting mud, to avoid the stones that clatter us and shake us; sometimes we stick in ruts and sloughs there. The agony of our impatience is then so great, that in our wild alarm and hurry we are getting out and running-hiding-doing anything but stopping." (p. 334)
I really enjoyed this passage because though it is a fairly clear metaphor for what Lucie and Co (Lucie, Darnay, Lorry, Manette, Carton). experienced, it is extremely poetic and intriguing. Dickens uses the actual ride back home from the perilous France to explain what the last days have meant to Lucie and Co. The times were so utterly desperate that they acted desperately as well. Lucie never lost hope or gave up (to relate to this passage, never stopped) by standing out near the prison in rain or shine to give her husband hope. Manette never stopped acting by supporting Darnay non-stop in court, trying so hard to save him that it drove him mad. And of course, Carton, so controlled to do what was best by the sadness he saw in Lucie and the hysteria in all of France, decided to sacrifice himself in place of Darnay. This passage explains them all clearly without directly saying it.
"...with the vigorous tenacity of love, always so much stronger than hate" p. 345
I really liked this sentence because it told a lot about the characters and the revolution at the same time. Charles Dickens says this while Miss Pross and Madame Defarge are fighting. Miss Pross is fighting for Lucie and the Manettes therefore she is fighting for love. On the other hand, Madame Defarge is fighting for hate because all she wants is to see the Manette's die. Miss Pross ends up winning because she is the one who is fighting for love, which is the stronger of the two. Miss Pross' and Madame Defarge's fighting is also a metaphor for the revolution because one side is intense and strong while the other side is reserved and polite.
"Why stop? There is great force in that. Why stop?"
"Well, well," reasoned Defarge, "but one must stop somewhere. After all, the question is still where?"
"At extermination," said madame. (p.317)
Madame Dafarge is truly a crazy radical who will do whatever it takes for her country. She has lost any true values of humanity that she once had and has gotten too carried away in the Guillotine. Murdering thousands of these aristocrats daily for pure pleasure does not accomplish equality in France. This interesting window into the mind sets of these angry rebellious Jouqes also displays just how furious and corrupt France was during it’s Revolution. Yes Madame defarge is a murderous drunk, but has been driven to her evil state of mind by years and years of oppression. The killings that went on during this time is not justified but has some reasoning in the sense that this “extermination” Defarge tells about was the only system the peasants new. After years of oppression there were left with no choice but to carry our a Radical cleansing of the system witch unfortunately lead to thousands of innocent deaths but resulted in a fresh start for France.
“In the black prison of the Conciergerie, the doomed of the day awaited their fate. They were in number as the weeks of the year. Fifty-two were to roll that afternoon on the life-tide of the city to the boundless everlasting sea. Before their cells were quit of them, new occupants were appointed; before their blood ran into the blood spilled yesterday, the blood that was to mingle with theirs to-morrow was already sat apart.” P. 323
While reading the final chapters of the book, this passage really jumped out at me. I think that it perfectly describes the mood of this time and explains what was happening to Darnay, as well as the general people of France who were about to meet the same fate as him. First of all, by calling the prison the “black prison” sets the mood for what this time was like. Just like in other numerous parts of the book, darkness is being used to portray the feeling of misery that all of those doomed to die (and their families) are feeling. Also, this passage expresses the large amounts of people that were be killed by the guillotine. It describes how the blood of the murdered each day runs into each other. This shows how often people were being executed. Here it also says that there are 52 people being killed in that one day. This is compared to the amount of weeks in a year, expressing how large of a number this is for people to be killed by. This passage also shows the anxiety that the people are feeling waiting for their deaths. The first sentence of this quote says, “The doomed of the day awaited their fate.” This short phrase clearly expresses the way in which they had to handle what was right before them. All that the prisoners could do was wait until it was their turn to be taken to the guillotine. This one section stood out to me because of the way in which it addresses and expresses all of these topics.
"and never no more will I interfere with Mrs. Cruncher'd flopping, never no more!"(pg 340)
Jerry Cruncher has always hung around the edges of the plot, without contributing much untill he goes to France. As a fairly simple character, it doesn't take as much for him to reach that place where he has seen things bad enough to make him greatfull for what he has. This small moment of realization is a reminder of how tender humans can be, and how eveyone has different limits. Cruncher had not been in the center of action long when he reached that limit where his life was changed suddenly from what he'd experienced recently. It is slower coming on in other characters, such as Miss Pross who went longer under pressure before she killed Madame Defarge and went deaf. Whether it was shock, or physical harm that ruined her hearing, she was left effected by the trying events she had been involved in. Dr. Manette is another story completely, having suffered so much more. When ever something is too much for him to handle, his mind shuts down to protect itslf and heal from what it has witnessed. These episodes show the effects of longterm strain. Everyone shows effects (carton's drinking) after any hard part of theri life, though each person reacts differently. It is not recognized as a pattern being used by Dickens untill Cruncher makes it obvious, his sequence of action being more condensed in time, therefore more obvious. No one is immune to hard cricumstances, and Crucner's quick conclusion reminds the reader hwo humans react to tension.
"Then, issuing from the obscure corner from which he had never moves, Sydney Carton came and took her up. Only her father and Mr. Lorry were with her. His arm trembled as it raised her, and supported her head. Yet there was an air about him that was not all of pity - that had a flush of pride in it." (Pg. 313)
This quote stood out because it brings up the relationship of Sydney Carton and Lucie once again. The last memorable moment between them was before she married Charles Darnay, when he confessed his love for her. That was when he said, "I shall sink lower, and be worse." This small gesture of kindness shows that Mr. Carton can be better. The fact that he had pride in his look should make the reader think less of him. However, he confessed his love for Lucie and then let her marry Mr. Darnay. He was last seen outside Lucie's house and walking the path that Lucie walks. He is truly in love with her and his sense of pride is accepted because of his love for her. Also, he is doing an act of kindness to comfort the one he loves, even though she is sad about another person that she loves. He has the right to be proud. He has been a character overshadowed by others through out this book. But now, he is taking control, and helping the one he loves. Their last meeting together she listened and helped him when he was distressed, and now it is his turn to help her when she is distressed. These two characters balance each other out in what they do for each other.
"Why stop? There is great force in that. Why stop?"
"Well, well," reasoned Defarge, "but one must stop somewhere. After all, the question is still where?"
"At extermination," said madame. (p.317)
I believe this gives us true insight on Madame defarge as a character. sure we saw some (or a lot) of this in the chapter where she goes all scary and knife weilding. But this is different. it is one thing to get caught up in the wild frenzy of a mob but completely another to totaly believe what a mob is doing and think it is right and have outward support for it. it shows how radical madame Defarge really is. going deeper into that, one wonders where those thoughts at such an extreme level came from. she was obviously oppressed and sick and tired of being oppressed but to what extent? I wonder if she felt any opression directed only at her or if it was more a steady build up over time. i wish the story went into more depth here!
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