A Tale of Two Cities: pg. 297-335

I. WANT. THIS. BOOK.

The way Dickens writes is so real to me and I can envision the story within my head (much like a movie or much like I was there myself). I can almost hear the roar of the people and see the horror that must be patent on the Doctor’s face as Darnay is convicted.

In the beginning of this section, I found it interesting how everything ties together in this book. The Doctor had even seen Charles as a little child when he was with his mother. I wonder, though, if there was any significance to the sister of the seventeen year old who was killed. I’m not sure if there is, but maybe we’ll find out because it mentioned her more than once. [One quick hunch: maybe it's Madame Defarge, because the peasant boy said that he sent his sister far away and wasn't Madame from some far shores or something? Didn't it talk of her walking on the beach?]

I’d also like to mention the swords of the peasant boy and the Marquis brother. Dickens states in the Doctor's letter that "'My glance had fallen but a few moments before, on the fragments of a broken sword, lying among the hay. That weapon was a gentleman's. In another place, lay an old sword that seemed to have been a soldier's.'" The unbroken sword must have belonged to the peasant boy because he was still human and strong-willed to the end. The singular time I can remember the elder Marquis brother as being slightly human was when he looked curiously at the strength "in these common bodies," wherein, the Doctor's reply began the Marquis's suspicion of him and sealed his fate as being captured and taken to the Bastille. [But why did the Marquis brothers get Manette in the first place if they didn't care about the brother and sister?]

Madame Defarge is becoming more and more cruel as she loses her humanity in her thirst for blood and revenge. She has become blind to the reason they started this Revolution, which seemed to be to stop the heartless treatment of the people, because now she is the bestial one who is causing most of this maliciousness. In a way, I’m almost eager to see how she reacts when she has a hard time finding the dear Doctor’s family. At least her husband still seems to have a conscience, as we find that he doesn't want to go on with the violence towards the Evremonde's family. I suppose the reason for his not wanting to harm the Doctor was because he was once a servant in his household. What I want to know, is how he became the one to make Manette make shoes, because didn't the book say something about that somewhere?

Well, the book isn’t quite finished yet, but Carton gets my vote for best character. I absolutely love Carton. The scene that enticed me the most (one of many) was when Carton was being prepared to face the Guillotine and encountered that girl with the “patient” eyes. The language and the description of their movements was touching. The part I most remember is probably those few paragraphs where Dickens wrote:

"As the patient eyes were lifted to his face, he saw a sudden doubt in them, and then astonishment. He pressed the work-worn, hunger-worn young fingers, and touched his lips.
'Are you dying for him?' she whispered.
'And his wife and child. Hush! Yes.'
'O you will let me hold your brave hand, stranger?'
'Hush! Yes, my poor sister; to the last.'"

I was reminded of how Carton is a Christ figure when she asked, "You are dying for him?" as he prepares to lay down his life for Darnay and his family. I just want to give props to A-jac for remembering that Darnay and Carton look similar way back from the trial and for predicting how Carton would save Darnay. I figured some sort of switch would occur, but I'd forgotten how similar they looked (which Dickens reminds us of when Carton is in the wine shop and Madame Defarge takes second glances at him). But, yes, A-jac got it to a T.

One thing that I’m sure Darnay will look back upon in guilt is that he “never once thought of Carton.” He couldn’t remember this brave man who took his place in death. This also somewhat reflects how Sydney is a Christ figure (in a sense) because we don’t always remember Jesus and how He willingly gave His life for ours. Humans can sometimes feel a similar guilt when they realize all He’s done and how little we seem to look back and remember. (Although, Darnay didn’t realize that Carton was going to do such a thing, I would still feel guilty later about not even thinking of a person who cared enough for me and my family to die in my place.)

I guess the question got answered about the chemicals Carton purchased because he used their fumes to knock out Darnay. (I could almost hear that certain movie music as Carton restrained Darnay and made the switch, as Dickens writes so visually.) But one of the most saddening parts was when Darnay was beginning to come to again in the carriage and was speaking Carton’s name, still asking him what was in his hand, while Carton was probably already dead in his place.

Well, now that this is getting extremely long, I just have one more question: What about Miss Pross and Mr. Cruncher? When it mentioned the carriage leaving Parris, the book didn’t state them as being in there. What has become of them? Has Miss Pross stayed behind for her brother? Maybe the next few chapters will clear this up…