A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (Book the Third The Track of a Storm Ch. 1-5)
The Darnay/Manette family do several arguably stupid things. The revolution continues and increases in violence.
Chapter 1 - In Secret
France has been remade as Republic One and Indivisible, of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, or Death.
Charles Darnay seems sincerely surprised that he's thrown in prison. He's in solitary confinement in the infamous prison for aristocrats, La Force. On the way to his cell, Darnay is welcomed by a group of genteel men and women. So strangely clouded were these refinements by the prison manners and gloom, so spectral did they become in the inappropriate squalor and misery through which they were seen, that Charles Darnay seemed to stand in a company of the dead. Ghosts all! The ghost of beauty, the ghost of stateliness, the ghost of elegance, the ghost of pride, the ghost of frivolity, the ghost of wit, the ghost of youth, the ghost of age, all waiting their dismissal from the desolate shore, all turning on him eyes that were changed by the death they had died in coming there.
His predicament recalls his father-in-law's imprisonment to his mind.
Chapter 2 - The Grindstone
The French branch of Tellson's has moved into the ornate home of the chocolate-swilling Monseigneur who fled the country dressed as his cook. Mr. Lorry is staying there as he carries on business for his firm. Dr. Manette and Lucie surprise him. They've followed Charles and, using the respect accorded to a former Bastille prisoner, they've learned that Charles has been arrested. And they've brought the kid and Miss Pross (who apparently doesn't speak or understand French) with them.
People crowd into the courtyard to sharpen their weapons on a grindstone. They're preparing to kill prisoners. Dr. Manette accompanies them in an attempt to spare his son-in-law's life.
Chapter 3 - The Shadow
Mr. Lorry helps the Manettes obtain a lodging because he feels duty bound not to risk the bank's property by harboring them.
Defarge, his wife, and the grocer's wife known as The Vengeance come to see the Manettes. They bring messages from Dr. Manette and Charles. Lucie tries to appeal to the knitting Mme. Defarge to be merciful to her husband. She has no idea who she's dealing with, even when The Vengeance and Mme. Defarge point out that, in their experience, wives and mothers have not been shown mercy.The shadow attendant on Madame Defarge and her party seemed to fall so threatening and dark on the child, that her mother instinctively kneeled on the ground beside her, and held her to her breast. The shadow attendant on Madame Defarge and her party seemed then to fall, threatening and dark, on both the mother and the child.
Although Mr. Lorry tries to comfort Lucie, he is as uneasy as she is.
Chapter 4 - Calm In Storm
Dr. Manette becomes a supervising physician to several of the Parisian prisons. He's able to see Charles and assure Lucie that he's alive and well. Nearly eighteen years after his imprisonment, he's beginning to feel strong and purposeful again. A year and three months pass. Above all, one hideous figure grew as familiar as if it had been before the general gaze from the foundations of the world- the figure of the sharp female called La Guillotine.
It was the popular theme for jests; it was the best cure for headache, it infallibly prevented the hair from turning grey, it imparted a peculiar delicacy to the complexion, it was the National Razor which shaved close: who kissed La Guillotine, looked through the little window and sneezed into the sack. It was the sign of the regeneration of the human race. It superseded the Cross. Models of it were worn on breasts from which the Cross was discarded, and it was bowed down to and believed in where the Cross was denied.
Chapter 5 - The Wood-Sawyer
The Manettes stay in Paris and Lucie behaves like a faithful dog. Two hours every day regardless of the weather she waits outside Charles's prison just in case he can snatch a chance to look at her. When the weather is good, she brings their child. This is supposed to be moving, but all I can think is: What kind of selfish fool wouldn't prefer his family safely in England?
A wood-sawyer notices Lucie's daily walk, but assures her that it's none of her business. He jokes about his saw being like the guillotine. Lucie gives him money for drink. It's very tense.
On the street corner, Lucie and her child see a mob perform the dance known as the Cargamole. The crowd sings and dances to the popular revolutionary tune with no other accompanying music. It's capricious, haphazard, a storm of red caps and rags, a ferocious beat like gnashing of teeth in unison, a ghastly apparition of a dance figure gone raving mad, more terrible than a fight, etc. Basically, Dickens uses the scene to describe the whole revolutionary mob, originally instigated to fight for their rights and devolving into vengeful violence: "It was so emphatically a fallen sport-a something, once innocent, delivered over to all devilry-a healthy pastime changed into a means of angering the blood, bewildering the senses, and steeling the hearts. Such grace as was visible in it, made it the uglier, showing how warped and perverted all things good by nature were become."
Mme. Defarge passes by like a dark shadow on the white road. I realize Lucie is supposed to be this wonderful creature of light and sweetness with Mme. Defarge as the shadowy threat to Lucie's future happiness . . . but, meh, I know which character I prefer.
Chapter 1 - In Secret
France has been remade as Republic One and Indivisible, of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, or Death.
Charles Darnay seems sincerely surprised that he's thrown in prison. He's in solitary confinement in the infamous prison for aristocrats, La Force. On the way to his cell, Darnay is welcomed by a group of genteel men and women. So strangely clouded were these refinements by the prison manners and gloom, so spectral did they become in the inappropriate squalor and misery through which they were seen, that Charles Darnay seemed to stand in a company of the dead. Ghosts all! The ghost of beauty, the ghost of stateliness, the ghost of elegance, the ghost of pride, the ghost of frivolity, the ghost of wit, the ghost of youth, the ghost of age, all waiting their dismissal from the desolate shore, all turning on him eyes that were changed by the death they had died in coming there.
His predicament recalls his father-in-law's imprisonment to his mind.
Chapter 2 - The Grindstone
The French branch of Tellson's has moved into the ornate home of the chocolate-swilling Monseigneur who fled the country dressed as his cook. Mr. Lorry is staying there as he carries on business for his firm. Dr. Manette and Lucie surprise him. They've followed Charles and, using the respect accorded to a former Bastille prisoner, they've learned that Charles has been arrested. And they've brought the kid and Miss Pross (who apparently doesn't speak or understand French) with them.
People crowd into the courtyard to sharpen their weapons on a grindstone. They're preparing to kill prisoners. Dr. Manette accompanies them in an attempt to spare his son-in-law's life.
Chapter 3 - The Shadow
Mr. Lorry helps the Manettes obtain a lodging because he feels duty bound not to risk the bank's property by harboring them.
Defarge, his wife, and the grocer's wife known as The Vengeance come to see the Manettes. They bring messages from Dr. Manette and Charles. Lucie tries to appeal to the knitting Mme. Defarge to be merciful to her husband. She has no idea who she's dealing with, even when The Vengeance and Mme. Defarge point out that, in their experience, wives and mothers have not been shown mercy.The shadow attendant on Madame Defarge and her party seemed to fall so threatening and dark on the child, that her mother instinctively kneeled on the ground beside her, and held her to her breast. The shadow attendant on Madame Defarge and her party seemed then to fall, threatening and dark, on both the mother and the child.
Although Mr. Lorry tries to comfort Lucie, he is as uneasy as she is.
Chapter 4 - Calm In Storm
Dr. Manette becomes a supervising physician to several of the Parisian prisons. He's able to see Charles and assure Lucie that he's alive and well. Nearly eighteen years after his imprisonment, he's beginning to feel strong and purposeful again. A year and three months pass. Above all, one hideous figure grew as familiar as if it had been before the general gaze from the foundations of the world- the figure of the sharp female called La Guillotine.
It was the popular theme for jests; it was the best cure for headache, it infallibly prevented the hair from turning grey, it imparted a peculiar delicacy to the complexion, it was the National Razor which shaved close: who kissed La Guillotine, looked through the little window and sneezed into the sack. It was the sign of the regeneration of the human race. It superseded the Cross. Models of it were worn on breasts from which the Cross was discarded, and it was bowed down to and believed in where the Cross was denied.
Chapter 5 - The Wood-Sawyer
The Manettes stay in Paris and Lucie behaves like a faithful dog. Two hours every day regardless of the weather she waits outside Charles's prison just in case he can snatch a chance to look at her. When the weather is good, she brings their child. This is supposed to be moving, but all I can think is: What kind of selfish fool wouldn't prefer his family safely in England?
A wood-sawyer notices Lucie's daily walk, but assures her that it's none of her business. He jokes about his saw being like the guillotine. Lucie gives him money for drink. It's very tense.
On the street corner, Lucie and her child see a mob perform the dance known as the Cargamole. The crowd sings and dances to the popular revolutionary tune with no other accompanying music. It's capricious, haphazard, a storm of red caps and rags, a ferocious beat like gnashing of teeth in unison, a ghastly apparition of a dance figure gone raving mad, more terrible than a fight, etc. Basically, Dickens uses the scene to describe the whole revolutionary mob, originally instigated to fight for their rights and devolving into vengeful violence: "It was so emphatically a fallen sport-a something, once innocent, delivered over to all devilry-a healthy pastime changed into a means of angering the blood, bewildering the senses, and steeling the hearts. Such grace as was visible in it, made it the uglier, showing how warped and perverted all things good by nature were become."
Mme. Defarge passes by like a dark shadow on the white road. I realize Lucie is supposed to be this wonderful creature of light and sweetness with Mme. Defarge as the shadowy threat to Lucie's future happiness . . . but, meh, I know which character I prefer.