The Hero

Dear Deagles:

Although Carton plays the role of the hero at the end of the story, he is not the classic hero we often see in literature.

The classic hero usually has these attributes:

-He is the chosen one--designated from an early age, via tribal custom or religious beliefs, to be a leader/hero (think about Superman). In other words, he is considered special from an early age/maybe even birth (think Lion King).

-He may be strong or very smart.

-He is noble/brave

-He undergoes a journey that starts with him pursuing one thing.

-He fails in attaining that one thing.

-He realizes he needs to pursue something else more valuable/worthy.

-He overcomes many hardships while pursuing this secondary goal.

-He attains that secondary goal, or achieves some kind of understanding in the pursuit of that secondary goal.


Carton is certainly not considered special at the beginning of this story.


He comes closer to being an anti-hero. An anti-hero is someone who does not come across as the chosen one, who is not strong or exceptionally wise. He can be very common.

The anti-hero may even appear as bad to many people (think Batman: the Dark Knight).

Since Carton is lazy, drinks too much at beginning of story he could be close to an anti-hero. Still, he doesn't quite fit that bill. He really doesn't undergo a journey of any sort.

He is more of a Byronic romantic hero. He does things because of his love for Lucie, coming from his position as somewhat of an outsider, and because he wants redemption for his wasted life.

Go and look on the Internet for the concept of the Byronic hero, classic hero, and anti-hero to see if Carton fits the bill of either of these literary types.

Tis a Far, Far Better Thing...

Dear Deagles:

In my opinion, the end of A Tale of Two Cities is one of the greatest endings, if not the best ending, of any book I've ever read. Sydney Carton's heroism is so noble, so selfless. It is really touching.

I really liked the way he comforted the innocent seamstress who was unjustly condemned to be executed just because she worked for an aristocrat. (To be truthful, I had seen this scene in the movie version of A Tale of Two Cities and I was really touched at that time as well) His act really embodies the redemption he was seeking. One can see this in biblical allusion terms--Carton acts nobly like Jesus who comforts the thieves who were also executed with him via Crucifixion.

Those last words.."Tis a far, far better thing I do"...is one of the greatest lines in the history of English literature.

They don't make heroes like that anymore!

I have put a YouTube link (right hand margin) to a 1930's version of the novel. Carton is played by the dashing Ronald Coleman, one of Hollywood's most famous leading men. Take a look. Its an interesting scene.

Happy Bastille Day

Dear Deagles:

Happy Bastille Day!

Vive le France!!

Dear Deagles:

I like this photo I found while goofing off on the internet. It is titled "Maria Antoinette looking at the Guillotine."

I thought it very apropos to this blog site, especially on the eve of Bastille Day.

essential questions part II

Dear Deagles (combination of the words Decathlete and Eagle):

Here is a list of essential questions you should be able to answer upon finishing the book:

1. Who kills Madame Defarge?

2. How many times in the book is Charles Darnay imprisoned in the book?

3. Why was Dr. Manette imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years?

4. What serves as evidence that Dr. Manette goes mad again at the end of the story?

5. Who does Carton blackmail to gain access to Charles Darnay?

6. How does Jerry Cruncher help Sydney Carton/Darnay near the end of the story?

Le Marsellaise; French National Anthem

Dear Decaths:

You can't talk about the French Revolution, or Bastille Day, without talking about Le Marsellaise--France's national anthem.

The song was written during the French Revolution.

It is quite the stirring song!

If you've seen the greatest movie of all time...Casablanca...then you probably remember that great scene where everyone (except the Germans) joins in a rousing version of Le Marseillaise.

Go to the right hand margin of this blog site, under interesting web sites, and see this film clip on YouTube. It is so moving you will probably want to run away from home and join the French Foreign Legion, or at least run to your local supermarket and buy some smelly French cheese and crackers.

Worried

Okay Kiddos:

I am worried that no one has been making any entries on my blog. Here are the top reason why this might be occurring:

1. You are still mourning the death of Michael Jackson.

2. " " of Billy Mays.

3. You went on vacation to a place that has no Internet.

4. " " and your parents left you there.

5. Your family has an age-old grudge against Charles Dickens.

6. You actually liked the Reign of Terror and refuse to read A Tale of Two Cities because it gives mob violence a bad name.

7. You're trying to build dramatic suspense and will start making entries the night before school begins.

8. You thought Mr Boulton said "Procrasti-thon Team.

9. You misinterpreted the meaning of that T.V. commercial that says "What goes in A Tale of Two Cities" stays in A Tale of Two Cities."

10. Devore...Defarge...what the heck! You just don't like any French people!

Coincidences

Okay kiddies:

Here's the problem I have with A Tale of Two Cities. There are so many coincidences!!!!

Think about it. Darnay just happens to be riding in the carriage when Dr Manette is returning from his confinement. And Darnay just happens to be the son of one of the aristocrats who were responsible for the death of Defarge's sister. And Dr. Manette just happens to be the doctor who is summoned to Darnay's father/uncle's house.

Then there's Jerry Cruncher who just happens to have dug up the grave of Roger Cly and is able to counter the claims of Barsad!!

And Carton just happens to look like Darnay!!!

And then Miss Pross just happens to find her long lost brother Solomon in Paris!!!!

I'm surprised Dickens didn't have Mr. Lorry turn out to be Napoleon's illegitimate brother to give the story even MORE drama!!!!

What do you students think? Does the preponderance of coincidences bother you? Or does it make for a great story?

Heroism

Dear Decathletes:


As we near the end of A Tale of Two Cities we see Carton get ready for his heroic act. He will seek to redeem his wasted life (as he sees it) by some action that will require sacrificing his life.

He says two significant things on his way to take the place of his "double" Charles Darnay.

First, on page 318 he recalls the words that had been read at his father's grave..."I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die." These words from the Bible fall in line with one of the themes of the book, that being seeking redemption through sacrifice of life, which will eventually result in a resurrection.

Carton is the individual manifestation of this theme. But Dickens also is writing about the country of France, and how this country is seeking redemption--people will die in order to pursue this redemption--in the hopes that a new France will be resurrected.


Second, on page 341 he says his goodbye to Lucie as she is asleep. He mouths the words "A life you love."

Does anyone want to explain the significance of those words? Are they subject to interpretation?

Carton also symbolically shows us how he is a changed man from the "jackal"described earlier in the book. On page 343 please take note of the fact that "For the first time in many years, he had no strong drink." He has stopped his partying ways! It's time to be a hero.

The noble part of this man is starting to come out. He wants to make something of his life. And he is willing to do it for his love, Lucie, whose window he looks up at on page 351...Note how Dickens writes of that scene.... "He entered the court-yard and remained there for a few moments alone, looking up at the light in her window. Before he went away, he breathed a blessing toward it."

Lucie is symbolized by light in a chapter titled "Darkness."

Another Allusion

Dear Eagles:

In a previous entry, I explained how Dickens uses a Greek allusion to the Three Furies. I forgot to mention one other allusion to Greek Mythology. That is an allusion to the Gorgon's Head. The Gorgon's Head was a vicious monster with sharp fangs. Her power was so strong that anyone who looked at her would turn to stone.

Dickens uses this allusion to describe the Marquis de Evermonde. As mentioned previously, this character is extremely evil. Dickens really went out of his way to come up with an evil character to represent the aristocracy. But he was trying to make a point about the role of the aristocracy and how their irresponsible behavior led the peasants to revolution. And by making him so evil, he makes the nephew, Charles Darnay, husband of Lucie, seem like a really nice guy. Additionally, by making him so evil early in the book, he sets us up for the climax of the story, duirngwhich the marquis' previous evil behavior is revealed.

I hope I am making the case that we have to pick up on Greek and biblical allusions when reading literature.

Bastille Day preparations

Dear Eagles:

Bastille Day will soon be upon us!!! Bastille Day is July 14.

And so I ask the inevitable question....how will you personally celebrate Bastille Day?

Will you wave a French flag?

Will you text in French?

Will you eat a croissant?

Will you write Mr Boulden an email in French?

Will you finish A Tale of Two Cities?

Bastille Day is really big news in France. There is a parade that goes down the Champ Elyse--the famous Paris boulevard. Unlike most other parades it is a military parade, full of French pomp. Considering the fact the French haven't won a war since the days of Napoleon a French military parade is quite remarkable.

Go to the web site that I posted under interesting web sites (right hand column) and take a look at clips from a previous year's parade.

The Novel's Climax/Irony

Dear Decathletes:

Please take some time and closely read Chapter 10, The Substance of the Shadows, 323-338. The climax of A Tale of Two Cities occurs in this chapter. The outcome of Charles Darnay is decided in these pages.

It all goes back to Dr. Manette and his 18 year confinement in the Bastille. Seems he left an incriminating note in his cell- a note that was later retrieved by Monsieur Defarge when the Bastille was stormed. The note incriminates his son-in-law Charles Darnay.

Remember from one of my more recent entries, this event is foreshadowed earlier in the book when Darnay, Dr. Manette and Lucy discuss how they found a note from a former prisoner in the Tower of London.

There is definitely quite a bit of foreshadowing in this book!

Different subject: Isn't it ironic that Gabelle writes to Darnay to help him get out of prison, and when Darnay goes to Paris to help him he himself gets thrown into prison?

How about this irony? Dr. Manette makes shoes in prison, and continues to make them after release, still imprisoned in his mind...and then Dickens uses the motif of footsteps to represent the mobs of the French Revolution? Get it? Shoemaker? Footsteps?

Mas Foreshadowing y Allusions

Eagles:

One more thing about foreshadowing, as well as allusions.

On pages 115 and 117, Dickens makes an allusion to Greek mythology by writing about The Greek Furies (they are depicted in the above painting).

The Greek Furies were the Goddesses of vengeance. They punished criminals, especially murderers. They represented conscience.

On page 115 Dickens uses the Furies to describe how whip of the the Marquis de Evermonde was cracking as rode on his carriage.

On page 117 Dickens refers to gnats as the Furies. Again he is referring to the marquis' carriage.

Reference to the Furies serves as effective foreshadowing for what is come when the Revolution finally gets going--especially the Reign of Terror. When Dickens gets to that part notice how he frequently uses words like fever, cauldron, fire and even fury to describe what is going on.

Also notice how the Greek Furies are women. The Greek Furies allusion works so well in this story because they represent Madame Dafarge and The Vengeance.

By the way, has anybody spotted any other interesting allusions (references to history, mythology, religion, culture, etc)?

Foreshadowing

Dear Decathletes

Before I proceed to discuss the events of the last 100 pages, I want to go over an event from earlier in the book. Go to page 101. On that page Dr. Manette, Lucie, and Charles Darnay talk about the Tower of London (if are talking about twins then we can view the Bastille and the Tower of London as "doubles"--Darnay had spent time in the Tower and Manette in the Bastille). In any event, Darnay explains how the workmen in the Tower had once found the letters D.I.C. written once upon a time on a corner stone, probably by a prisoner. The letters had later been interpreted as to be read as DIG. When the workers dug there they discovered the remains of a letter inside a leather pouch. They couldn't determine what had been written, but they were amazed that a prisoner had written something and hidden it from the guards.

After he tells the story Dr Manette appears very disturbed.

Dickens doesn't reveal in that passage why Dr. Manette gets all excited. But what he is trying to do is express foreshadowing of what will come later.

Once you get to the last part of the book you will understand the significance of that foreshadowing on page 101.

Analysis of a Passage

Dear Decathletes:

Go to page 318 and read this passage, and what comes before and after (to understand the context of the passage):

"Long ago, when he had been famous among his earliest competitors as a youth of great promise, he had followed his father to the grave. His mother had died, years before. These solemn words, which had been read at his father's grave, arose in his mind as he went down the dark streets, among the heavy shadows, with the moon and the clouds sailing on high above him. "I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believith in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die."

Based on what we have read so far, and what I have pointed out in my previous entries, what is the significance of this passage in terms of understanding the story?

Doubles Motif

Dear Decathletes

In one of my earlier entries I mentioned the "Doubles" motif that is used extensively in A Tale of Two Cities. Let's take this time to review the "Doubles" we have seen so far.

First, of course, are the two cities--Paris and London.

Second, are the two characters, Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay--they look very similar, like twins.

Third, are the two brothers, the Marquis de Evermonde, the uncle of Charles Darnay, and Darnay's own father, first mentioned when Charles speaks to his uncle at the country estate. Beginning on page 324, they operate together in an important scene. Dickens writes from Dr. Mannette's point of view about the two characters...

"I observed they that they were both wrapped in cloaks, and appeared to conceal themselves. As they stood side by side near the carraige door, I also observed that they both looked of about my age, or rather younger, and that they were great alike, in stature, manner, voice, and (as far as I could see) in face too"

Of course, the similarity between Darnay and Carton will play an extremely crucial role at the end of the novel!!!! Dickens spends all the rest of the novel getting us ready for that scene!!!

The Three Jacques

Dear Olympian Eagles:

Did you catch how Dafarge refers to the three guys in his wine shops as the three Jacques? He refers specifically to Jacque number one, two and three.

Just wanted to make sure you understand that the term Jacque refers to French peasants. Calling them all the same name gives them a sense of anonymity--that's how the aristocrats saw them (one peasant looks the same as the other). But once Defarge conspires with the three Jacques, the name Jacque is also used to keep identities secret.

So the use of the name Jacque in A Tale of Two Cities has two purposes.

Shawdows and Darkness

Dear Decathletes:

Shadows and darkness are motifs used throughout A Tale of Two Cities.

We see a reference to "shadows" on page 272.

Dickens writes on this page..."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.

Chapter 10 of Book the Third is actually titled "The Substance of the Shadow."

Shadows and darkness are naturally associated with prisons, foreboding, and evil.

Can we find other instances of references to "shadows"?

A Pun?

Dear Decathletes:

Go to page 279. Dickens writes "Still, the doctor walked among the terrors with a steady head."

Is this a pun?

The Great Fear

Decathletes:

There is a period of the French Revolution--after the storming of the Bastille but before the Reign of Terror--that is called the Great Fear. During this period, the peasants in the countryside burned down a number of estates owned by the aristocracy. We see this period in A Tale of Two Cities when the estate of the Marquis St Evermonde--the uncle of Charles Darnay--is burned down by a mob. This is a key event in the story because it results in the servant Gabelle writing to Charles Darnay asking for his help. This, in turn, results in Darnay returning to Paris and getting imprisoned.

Emigres, Jacobins, Girodins, and Sansculottes

Decathletes:

Let's talk a little about the French Revolution itself so we can further understand A Tale of Two Cities.

First, when Charles Darnay returns to France in the middle of the French Revolution he is accused of being an "emigre" and put in prison awaiting trial. An emigre in this case was a French aristocrat that had gone into self-exile to avoid being put to death by the revolutionaries--they were allied with the King. Hence, when Darnay comes back to France he is seen as an emigre who sides with the King. They didn't believe his story of him going back to check on the condition of Gabelle, the former servant of his uncle.


Second, the revolutionary forces that led the French Revolution were mainly composed of the Girodins and the Jacobins. The Girodins were the forces of moderation; they wanted to control the anarchy that became rampant during the Revolution. They became ascendant in the early years of the revolution.

The Jacobins, on the other hand, were the extremists. Beginning in 1793, they become ascendant, and take over the leadership of the Revolution. They form the Committe of Public Safety. They and their leader Robespierre begin the Reign of Terror, in which they tried to violently purge anyone suspected of threatening the Revolution.

Both the Jacobins and the Girodins were composed of well-educated, middle and upper middle class people--many of them intellectuals.

One sub-group that supported the Jacobins were the Sans-culottes who were working class/poor and largely uneducated people. (the name "sans-culottes" means without knee breeches--the wearing of knee breeches was associated with the upper and middle classes) The sans-cullottes wore full-length pants or pantaloons. The Sans-Cullotes group enthusiastically supported the Reign of Terror. They wanted revenge against the nobles, and that pent-up demand for vengeance exploded during the Reign of Terror. You can place Mr and Mrs Defarge, the Vengeance and the Wood-Sawyer in the sans-cullotes group.

Charles Darnay

Dear Decathletes:

As we move into the last 100 pages of the book, I want to make sure we all know why Charles Darnay is arrested and placed in Le Force when he enters France during the Reign of Terror. Here are some possible reasons:

1. He punched an obnoxious French mime street performer.
2. He uttered the words "Real men don't eat quiche."
3. He joked about the Guillotine by saying "Yeah, I'm sure it slices and dices, but it ain't no Sham Wow."
4. He joked about Paris by saying, "Yeah, its a nice city, but it ain't no TJ."
5. When he said "I like the King" the mob thought he was referring to the King of France, when in actuality he was referring to the Michael Jackson, the King of Pop.

Redemption and Resurrection Part Deaux

Hey Decathletes:

I hope you are all ready to celebrate the 4th of July! Remember, if there hadn't been a 4th of July there would have never been a French Revolution! We inspired the French to throw off the shackles of tyranny. But we did it in a more peaceful manner.

Let's go back to that theme of Redemption and Resurrection, specifically Resurrection. It pops up throughout A Tale of Two Cities. We see it in Jerry Cruncher's night job. He robs graves of their corpses...thus he is referred to as a "Resurrection Man."

The Guillotine is referred to (on page 278) by such nicknames as the "National Razor which shaved close" and "the sharp female". But Dickens also writes of how it "superceded the Cross" and how it was considered as the sign of the regeneration of the human race." In writing this Dickens wants to emphasize how the Cross had traditionally been seen as regenerative because according to the Bible Jesus had died on the Cross and had then been resurrected from the dead; but now the Guillotine served that same purpose--some people died so that the country of France could be resurrected again.

Regarding the Guillotine, go back and re-read pages 277-279 and pay attention to Dickens' description of the deadly "terrors" that overtook revolutionary France. As he writes the Guillotine "hushed the eloquent, struck down the powerful, abolished the beautiful and the good." It was as if the mobs really thought they could purify their country by putting everyone through this terror. Horribly, other people have tried this very thing in recent history. The Khemer Rouge killed about a million of their fellow Cambodians in the mid-1970 in an attempt to purge their country of Western influence.

Dear Decathletes:

One of my previous entries made indirect reference to it, but I want to address this particular motif once more--the motif of "footsteps."

Chapter 21 (starting on page 216) is titled Echoing Footsteps. Dickens frequently uses "footsteps" as a symbol of the French revolutionary mobs. On page 216 he writes "Headlong, mad, and dangerous footsteps to force their way into anybody's life, footsteps not easily made clean again if once stained red, the footsteps raging in Saint Antoine afar off, as the little circle sat in the dark London window."

He closes out this chapter (about the storming of the Bastille) with the quote I mentioned previously..."Now, Heaven defeat the fancy of Lucie Darnay, and keep these dangerous feet far out of her life! For they are headlong, mad and dangerous."

We will see more references to "footsteps" in the last fifty pages of the book,w hen all the characters and the action moves to Paris. Remember this when we get to that point in the book.

Lucie

Dear Decathletes:

We have previously discussed how Dickens always comes up with original names for his characters--like Jerry Cruncher.

Sometimes he uses a name to tell the reader something about the significance of the character's role in the novel. Accordingly, has anybody given any thought to the meaning of Lucie Manette's name? (I am specifically referring to her first name).

Use your linguistic skills and see if you can identify and significance.

The Vengeance

Dear Decathletes:

Let's talk about a minor character of A Tale of Two Cities. That character is The Vengeance.

Whenever I think of the French Revolution I always think about the above famous painting. It's called Liberty Leading the People.

When I think of our own American Revolution I always think about the participation of males, and how they led the revolution and the fighting. But when it comes to the French Revolution I always think of women participating; maybe that's because of this famous painting. But after reading A Tale of Two Cities I will think even more so about the participation of women, primarily because of the characters of Madame Defarge, and The Vengeance. Defarge is a cold, calculating woman, but in my opinion, The Vengeance represents the out of control passion of the mobs. These two characters work together in a couple of scenes in the book.

The Vengeance shows up in another scene with another strange character--the Wood-sawyer. Let me draw your attention to the Wood-sawyer beginning on page 281. In this section of the book, Lucie attempts to see her imprisoned husband from the street; she hopes to see him when he is next to the prison window. As she waits on the street, she eventually talks with the Wood-sawyer, who explains to her that his saw is named "My Little Guillotine," and that he pretends that when he saws the wood the logs fall like heads chopped off by a real guillotine. "And off her head goes" We later find out he has also named his saw "Little Sainte Guillotine."



He certainly is a creepy character!! (I guess another reason I think of women and the French Revolution is because the Guillotine is always referred to as a female. They addres it as a "her, or as 'the great sharp female.'" Did anyone notice that?)



The Wood-sawyer appears even creepier when Lucie sees him dancing with the Vengeance and many other peasants, as they dance the Carmagnole. See this web site to find out more info on this dance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmagnole. That whole Carmagnole is equally creepy. It's like a scene where the crazies have taken over the world. What do you think? Am I wrong?



You can also go to this web site to see a YouTube video called The Carmagnole. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UexdWkqkrp0

Any thoughts on the purpose of the Wood-sawyer character, or the scene with peasants dancing the Carmagnole?

Essential Questions

Dear Decathletes:

Hope you are keeping up on your reading.

Here are some essential questions from Book the Second that you need to review to make sure you understand what is going on.

1. There is somewhat of a love triangle going on in this novel. Who is involved in this triangle?

2. Why does Mr. Lorry have to go back to Paris?

3. Why does Charles Darnay have to go back to Paris?

4. What does Charles Darnay choose to renounce when he talks with his uncle the Marquis Evremonde?

5. What does Jerry Cruncher do for a living at night, besides working as a jack-of all trades for Mr Lorry?

6. Dr Manette still spends time making shoes at night, just like he did when he was imprisoned. What does this action represent?

7. What happens to Charles Darnay's uncle?

8. What is the significance of Mr. Stryver's name?

Red Caps

The red cap, or Liberty Cap, used by the French Revolutionaries is referred to in A Tale of Two Cities. It was also called the Phrygian Cap. When the revolutionaries broke into the King's palace they made the King wear the cap.

Synecdoche, Waves, and wine/blood

Dear Decathletes:

Here is an important literary term that I want you to be aware of...the literary term is called "Synecdoche." This word is pronounced "si-neck-duh-kee."

The definition for Synecdoche" is... "a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part, the special for the general or the general for the special."

We see Dickens' use of Synecdoche on page 216 where he writes..."a tremendous roar arose from the throat of Saint Antoine, and a forest of naked arms struggled in the air...all the fingers clutched convulsively..."

As you can from that passage, different parts of the human body are used to represent the entire mob that is taking action to prepare for the storming of the Bastille.

Regarding the description of the mob, Dickens uses "the sea" as a metaphor. He writes of how the "living sea rose, wave after wave, depth upon depth, and overflowed the city to that point."

He uses this metaphor again on page 222, when he writes "The sea of black and threatening waters, and of destructive upheaving of wave upon wave..."

Finally, on page 223, Dickens refers back to an earlier scene from the book, the one where the wine had spilled on the street and the people had scampered to drink the wine from the street--the first reference to a mob in this book. On page 223, Dickens writes of the mob's behavior storming the Bastille, "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." As you can see he uses that wine-blood symbol again. This symbol can be understood as a religious one--the blood-wine relationship refers to the Catholic Church's belief that wine in the sacrament of communion represents the blood of Jesus, which ultimately represents the resurrection of Jesus.

Madame Lefarge

Decathletes:

The character of Madame Lefarge is one of the great female villains of all time. Have you noticed her constant knitting? She is knitting the names of those people who she plans to have executed when the Revolution comes!

You don't often see female villains in literature, though in AP English Literature we read about Lady MacBeth in Shakespeare's Macbeth. She is probably the most well-known female villain.

Here is my personal list of great female villains (from different genres) of which Madame Lefarge certainly belongs to. Does anybody have any other suggestions to add to this list?

1. Lady Macbeth
2. The Wicked Witch of the West (from the Wizard of Oz)
3. Cruella de Vil (From 101 Dalmations)
4. Cat Woman
5. Britney Spears
6. Cinderella’s step mother
7. Miranda Priestly (from The Devil Wears Prada)
8. Paul McCartney’s former wife
9. Rosie O’Donnell
10. The Queen from Snow White

11. Madame Lefarge

Key Passage for Analysis

On page 188 is a key passage. It reads...

"Darkness closed around, and then came the ringing of church bells and the distant beating of the military drums of the Royal Guard, as the women sat knitting, knitting. Darkness encompassed them. Another darkness was closing in as surely, when the church bells, then ringing pleasantly in many an airy steeple over France, should be melted into thundering cannon; when the military drums should be beating to drown a wretched voice, that night all potent as the voice of Power and Plenty, Freedom and Life. So much was closing in about the women who sat knitting, knitting, that they their very selves, were closing in around a structure yet unbuilt, where they were to sit knitting, knitting, counting dropping heads."

What is significant in this passage? How is it significant to the meaning of the entire story? What is foreshadowed?

Redemption

Decathletes:

As you may have figured out by now, Sydney Carton is the character who will seek Redemption in this novel.

We see some more foreshadowing of his quest for redemption in Chapter 13.

In this Chapter (page 151), Miss Manette and Carton have a conversation in which he says to her..."the life I lead, Miss Manette, is not conducive to health. What is to be expected of such profligates?"

She says..."Why not change it?"

And he responds..."It is too late for that. I shall never be better than I am. I shall sink lower, and be worse."

What the author is doing in the above passage is setting the reader up to expect Carton to try to do something that will allow him to become a better person.

Dickens never says what has caused Carton to become this way. But we the readers just go along with this conflicted character, waiting to see how he will redeem himself.

At the bottom of page 151 Lucie Manette tries to comfort him by saying "I am sure that the best part of it (his life) might still be; I am sure that you will be much, much worthier of yourself."

On page 209 Carton talks with Charles Darnay (the person he physically resembles) in another conversation that helps to illuminate his upcoming quest for redemption.

In this conversation, Carton tells Darnay that "...I am incapable of all the higher and better flights of men," and later adds...At any rate, you know me as a dissolute dog who has never done any good, and never will."

Darnay politely offers, "I don't knows that you 'never will' ."

Stay tuned to see how he redeems himself.

Foils

Okay Kids:

Repeat after me...A "Foil" is a character that highlights a main character by contrast. Say it five times out loud.

Foils appear in many novels. Foils are cool because they help a reader to better understand a main character by possessing those character traits that are the opposite of the main character.

For example, if a main character is a brainy nerd, not very physically strong, an dpehaps indecisive, the foil will probably be not so smart but very strong--somebody who gets things done through brute force.

In A Tale of Two Cities there are a couple foils. Has anybody spotted these foils yet? There is more than one foil because there are so many characters in this novel.

Remember that literary term...Foil.

I will award the honorary title of "literary superstar" to the first student who identifies a Foil in this novel.

The Aristocracy as Villains

Dear Decathletes:

Dickens uses two different villains in this book--the mobs and the aristocracy. They are opposing sides of the French Revolution. One group causes the conditions that lead to the revolution, while the other side leads the revolution but gets carried away with uncontrolled violence.

In Chapter 7 Dickens introduces an aristocratic villain--the Monsieur de Marquis. This guy is a really bad dude in true Dickens literary fashion (sort of like Scrooge). He also reminds me of Mr. Burns from The Simpsons; the kind of guy who doesn't care anything about the common folk. He represents the insensitivity of the French aristocrats of that time--they were very out of touch with the needs of the poor.

Can anyone point out some of the things Dickens has this guy say/do (directly/indirectly) in Chapter 7 that make him a symbol of the insensitive aristocracy?

Mobs Part II

Dear Decathletes:

Take a close look at Chapter 6 (Hundreds of People) starting on page 92.

There are more indirect references to mobs. In this chapter, the characters look out a window at the London crowds moving on the street.

While they are watching the crowd there is also thunder and lightning.

By juxtaposing thunder/lightning and crowds, Dickens is once again trying to foreshadow the power of unruly mobs. He is trying to foreshadow how mobs will act unruly in the French Revolution.

Stay tuned for more references to mobs.

Light and Dark Motif

Dear Decathletes:

I want you to be alert and focus on the motif of Darkness and Light. This motif shows up constantly.

Shadow and night, and light and daylight help establish the mood in certain scenes. We already discussed how the opening part of the book had a Gothic mood.

Darkness and light usually symbolize evil and goodness, but in A Tale of Two Cities the two concepts might also refer to ignorance and enlightenment. In this case, ignorance can refer to the ignorance of the aristocracy and later that of the revolutionary mobs. Enlightenment can refer to the revolutionary ideals of liberty, fraternity, and equality.

Can anyone point out some passages/sentences (and page number) in the first 150 pages of the book where Dickens refers to darkness and light? And can anyone provide a brief analysis of how Dickens uses the two symbols in a particular passage/sentence?

Sydney Carton

Dear students:

I hope everyone is reading.

Today let's talk about lawyers. Especially one in particular--that being Sydney Carton.

He is helping to defend Charles Darnay, who has been accused of treason.

Carton will play an important role in this novel. He is the character who will at some point seek redemption.

But before seeking redemption, he is portrayed in not very good terms. He seems to be a neer'do well, or what we might call today "a slacker."

Regarding this characterization, what words does Dickens use to let the reader know about Carton? Students....here is your chance to make some input. Share your knowledge. Be bold. Make an entry.

A Mystery

Students:

So why was Monsiuer Manette inprisoned for 18 years? Does anyone have any theories?

I have my top ten possible reasons:

10. He committed a murder.
9. He took steroids and then tried to play professional baseball for the Paris Cubs.
8. He stole something from the King of France.
7. He said something bad about Governor Palin's daughter.
6. He stole something from the King of England.
5. He drove a mule while under the influence of red wine.
4. He operated a gulloitine while texting on the phone.
3. He didn't do his required reading over the summer months.
2. He climbed the Eiffel Tower Spiderman-style without an official permit.
1. He stole Maria Antoinette's cake, and ate it too.

How about you students? Any theories?

Mob Behavior

Decathletes:

I need you to go to page 28 of A Tale of Two Cities. This part of the book is very important because Dickens uses a scene to foreshadow a very important aspect of the French Revolution. He foreshadows the powerful, violent actions of mob behavior.

A mob is defined in several ways...as a large group of people....or ....a group of people who act in an unruly manner.

Mobs are synonmous with the French Revolution.

On page 28 Dickens has his readers witness a bunch of peasants act like a mob when a cask of wine spills open on the street. They all forgot what they were doing and started to dive for the wine, hoping to drink as much as possible. Dickens uses words like "jostle" and "darted" to hint at how mobs usually act violently--but this mob doesn't really act violently. Dickens is careful to say that they that "there was little roughness in the sport, and much playfulness." He even mentions that some men helped women get to the wine.

But keep in mind, he is trying to get us ready for later parts of the novel--when mobs take over France and act violently--very violently, as they get totally out of control.

You know how people get when they are part of a mob. They start to act differently. They do things they normally wouldn't do as individuals. Individuals think they can get away with stuff and take advantage of the anonymity that mobs afford. Mob behavior usually means violent behavior. Think of how L.A. Lakers fans up in L.A. act each time the Lakers win the championship. They start lighting fires and trashing cars all in the name of celebration. How crazy!!! But that's what mobs do! (San Diego doesn't have to worry about mobs because our sports teams never win championships).

Go to page 29 in the book and notice the color of the wine...red. Dickens says on page 29 that the red "stained the streets." And he has that great line where he describes those peasants who had acquired a "tigerish smear on their mouths." Sounds ominous, doesn't it? Of course, you know the color red is meant to foreshadow the color of blood.

There have been many revolutions since the French Revolution where the streets were stained red from the blood spilled by both sides fighting in a revolution. Very rarely does a revolution occur without the spillage of blood on the streets. The revolution that occured in the former country of Czechslovakia in 1989--where they got rid of the Communists rulers-was memorable for being peaceful, and was thus labeled the "Velvet Revolution."

Take a look at the protests going on in Iran. The violence has been limited so far, but blood has been shed. It could be the start of another revolution! Stay tuned. People my age have already seen one revolution occur in Iran, and that one was indeed violent.

I hope everyone is reading!

OHS Lads and Lasses:

Tis a fine Irish day, and I just want to take a break from talking about Dickens and A Tale of Two Cities to talk about another writer you may have heard of...that writer is James Joyce. Those of you in Ms Danielson's AP class may know about him because he used his trademark "Stream of Consciousness" style of writing in his novels. I believe Ms Danielson had her students try to write in "stream of conscious" style in one activity.

Joyce, an Irishman from Dublin, used this style in the famous novel Ulyssess.

Today, June 16, writing fans all over the world are celebrating "Bloomsday", a day that commemorates the day Leopold Bloom, the main character in Ulyssess, walked around Dublin making his observations. The book is very long, tough read. I've only known one person who's actually read the entire book!

If you want to read more about Bloomsday go to http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bloomsday.html

Happy Bloomsday!!

Redemption and Resurrection

Fantastic students of Olympian HS:

Did you catch the mysterious message in the first part of A Tale of Two Cities? The message that was given to Mr Lorry? The message was "Recalled to Life." Of course, the message was a reference to Monsieur Manette being found after being imprisoned for eighteen years.

"Recalled to life" is also a reference to one of the themes of the book--that being Resurrection. Manette was all but dead before being found alive after all those years. He was practically brought back to life-- or at least back into the civilized world. We will see other references to this theme later in the book. Resurrection is a common theme...a biblical allusion of sorts. In this book, if one is thinking in terms of biblical allusion, one must think not of "crucifixion" but of "the guillotine." Keep that in the backs of your minds.

The other theme I want you to think about is Redemption. At least one major character will attempt to redeem himself for the life he has lived.

How about the name of that character...Jerry Cruncher?!! Did anyboyd think that name unusual? Dickens always had fun coming up with unusual names for the characters in his stories. Names such as Scrooge, Sweedlepipe, Cherry Pecksniff, and Wilkens Macawber show up in some of his novels. The names usually have some significance--some double meanings. In my opinion, J.K. Rowlings follows that tradition with some of her characters' names. What is the significance, if any, of Cruncher's name?

Gothic

Decathletes:

The start of A Tale of Two Cities has a definite gothic tone. Let's get familiar with that term-Gothic. The term gothic refers to a genre of fiction. The first gothic novel was published around 1800. The novel Frankenstein provided a later version of Gothic, while the novel Rebecca provides a 20th century version. Today we naturally think of Vampires when we hear the word Gothic literature. Anne Rice novels were certainly Gothic in nature. If you read the short story "A Rose for Miss Emily" this year in 11th grade English, then you have read a version of Southern Gothic. Gothic can be defined as a style of literature characterized by a gloomy setting, grotesque, mysterious or violent events, and an atmosphere of degeneration or decay. It sets the mood of a story. Many Gothic novels take place in castles, or if in the U.S in decaying Southern mansions. Gothic literature is closely related to Romanticism style.

It is believed Gothic literature was written as a response to the anxiety caused by changes to the social and political structures brought about by the French Revolution, as well as those changes brought about scientific and industrial developments (think Industrial Revolution). There was a desire to return to the supernatural beliefs of the Middle Ages, when life was simpler, and less dependent on machinery/industry.

Go back and review the first part of A Tale of Two Cities. There are references to "mist", "darkness", "darkly clustered houses", "funereal", and "grave". And then there is the matter of Monsieur Manette, who has been decaying while locked up for eighteen years in Paris and is now in a creepy room kept by that creepy Madame Defarge. Sounds pretty Gothic to me.

The painting associated with this entry is in the Gothic/Romantic style--titled Nightmare.

I think that based on the above definition we can probably think back on some novels we've read and see Gothic elements in them. Has anybody read any Gothic literature recently?

Opening Line

Dear Decathletes:

Okay, let's get it out of the way. There's no avoiding it! We have to address this! The opening line of A Tale of Two Cities is one of the most famous opening lines of any novel. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
It is so famous it has practically become a cliche. It rivals "Call Me Ismael" (Moby Dick) as the most famous opening line in literary history. But it does actually serve an important purpose for the story. This famous opening serves to establish the concept of "doubles" that Dickens uses throughout the story. The story takes places in two cities...Paris and London...there are two characters who resemble each other...Carton and Darnay...the French revolution brings freedom but also terror. Watch for this "doubles" Motif throughout the story.

By the way, let's all become aware of the literary term "Motif." A "Motif'" is a symbol, object, or theme that reoccurs throughout the story. There are a few other Motifs in this novel, but this is the first one we encounter. We have to know this literary term!!

The opening is so important that we might as well spell it out here so you can go ahead and memorize it (most people just know the first part)...

"It was 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 directly to heaven, we were all going directly the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

Decathletes...read those lines, know those lines, become those lines!!!

The first few pages of A Tale of Two Cities also establishes the time frame for the plot. Dickens wants the reader to understand that the story begins in 1775...a few years before the French Revolution. With the opening line, Dickens is letting the reader know that a very significant time in world history is about to occur. 1775 is also the time that the American Revolution is beginning. But it is definitely the French Revolution that Dickens is foreshadowing for the reader.

One more literary term you must know...Anaphora. That's a fancy word for the repetition of certain words at the beginning of a line or verse." By using words like "It was..." several times, Dickens employs the literary device of Anaphora. Okay, the question becomes for you decathletes....why would an author use Anaphora? Can anyone answer that?

Annotation

Dear Students:

I want to stress to you the importance of ANNOTATION. I need for you to be marking up your books as you read. I want you to maintain a conversation with the book via notetaking...this note-taking might include highlighting, underlining, questioning/answering, statements, etc. Please look at the website on "annotation".

Reading Schedule (Tentative)

Dear Decathlon members:

Here is the recommended (and tentative) reading schedule for our initial reading of A Tale of Two Cities over the summer break. Feel free to read ahead--I know you are all great readers--however, I will discuss topics on this blog (and the plot line) based on this timetable.

June 13-June 23...pages 1-150

June 24-July 3...pages 151-298

July 4-July 14...pages 299-396 (note: July 14 is Bastille Day!!).

This is a tentative reading schedule. It is subject to change. I may slow it down depending on the circumstances. Again, if you are a fast reader, then plunge ahead, but be prepared to go back and discuss previously read chapters when I address them on this site.

By the way....the photo is that of Robespierre. If you don't know who he is, please look him up when you get a chance.

Welcome

Dear Academic Decathlon Members:

Welcome to my blog site. We will use this site to discuss the book A Tale of Two Cities during the summer break. I will use this site to help guide you through the reading, hoping to point out such literary features as themes, motif, etc. You can also use this site to ask me questions on anything regarding the book.

I will soon post a readings schedule for the book. My expectation is that we will read the book (for the first time) during the summer break. You will then be ready to study the book in depth when we return from summer break.

Plan on visiting this site on a regular basis. I am hoping you will read my entries, and post your entries in response to my comments, or the entries of your fellow students.

In the meantime, make this site a favorite on your computer.

Mr. Rodriguez