A Tale of Two Cities Week 7

This week's reading started off with what was supposed to say why Dr. Manette was supposidly denouncing Darnay. I must have missed something because I do not understand how that letter denounced Darnay. I understand that it went back to a misunderstanding between the Evremondes and the Defarges, but I have nothing to explain why the letter was interpreted as a death with for Charles. I do, though, have a greater understanding of why Madame is out for revenge against Darnay - his family is responsible for the death of her family and so that makes him responsible as well.

The title of the next chapter, "Dusk" is significant because it shows that a life is coming to an end. At this point, we are still led to believe that all hope is lost and that Darnay will actually die. However, reading on tells us that my theory about the Carton Darnay switcheroo was correct! And so I was able to pick up a line of irony at the very end of the section. "Yes, he will perish. There is no real hope." These are the words of Carton as he goes down the stairs (also ironic, since isn't he figuratively above the other people??) Seeing as how he's about to use himself as a human sacrifice, it's very ironic that Carton says Darnay will perish. To some, this may be misleading, but you can't fool me Dickens!

In the following chapter, Darkness, we are taken to the wine shop with Carton. He stops in, undoubtedly to evesdrop on the Defarges and inadvertantly gauge their feelings toward the Manettes. Again, Dickens is setting up the big "twist" when Madame Defarge questions if Carton is really Darnay.

The conversation that the Jacques continue to have is somewhat disturbing. They are questioning when they stop killing off innocent people and Madame says "at extermination." This is rather disturbing to me because they are killing off their own innocent people and I still don't understand how that is helping the poor people evolve. Defarge himself also has issues with the way Madame speaks. He holds the humane side that she does not and it shows when he says that Dr. Manette has suffered too much already. He tries to talk sensibly to her, but it won't work. This woman is simply out for revenge and she even goes so far as to say "tell the Wind and Fire where to stop; not me!" This woman is crazy! She considers herself more powerful and destructive than either wind or fire. I want somebody to slap her and say that the reason living conditions were so horrible is directly because of the kings who believed themselves to be more powerful than any force. Look what happened to them - hopefully the same will happen to Madame.

As the section continues we are taken back to the house where Dr. Manette is again looking for his shoes and bench. Things were looking so good for him but I think it will take a long time for him to recover, if he does at all. The amount of stress that's been put on him combined with the sudden emotional shift from high to low was enough to bring back his second personality. Hopefully seeing that Darnay is alive will be able to snap him out of it and make him return back to normal.

Finally in the last part of the chapter, we sort of find out what Carton has been planning thus far. When he gives Lorry his permission papers, he essentially hands over his identity. By this point, it's impossible to not know where this whole thing is heading and it's as if Carton's fate is sealed when he says good-bye to Lucie's window. Even at this point, she is still placed above him and is considered the light that guides him. He has made his peace with God (as shown in last week's reading) and now he has made peace with Lucie. He knows he must do this, and he will be much happier for it.

The final section of reading begins in Darnay's prison cell where he awaits his death. He begins writing letters to the people he loves e.g. Manette and Lucie / Little Lucie. Dickens makes sure to mention that he does not write anything to Carton, but is this really such a shock. Darnay doesn't know at this point that Carton is going to give his life for him, and the last person I would be writing to if I were on death row is my alcoholic lawyer. Let's get real here. Never-the-less, this is still irony, because Carton is the one person Darnay will come to appreciate most.

Darnay begins to pace around the cell and he begins counting the time 1 - 12. "Twelve 'o clock gone forever" he says as he waits nervously. His pacing helps me understand why that woman in Manette's letter was counting continuously to twelve and stopping. When you're on the brink of death, you always wish you had more time. That woman was a Defarge and Darnay is obviously an Evremonde, yet they think the same thing. I think Dickens wrote this to signify that in death, everyone is the same - this is something I wish Madame would realize.

Suddenly, in like a hero, comes (bum ba da daaa) CARTON!! At first Darnay is so stunned to see this man that he bears little respect for, but then he starts to catch on to the plan. What bothers me about Darnay in this situation is that never once do we hear him put up even a fake protest towards Carton's plan. Never once does he say "Carton, you can't do this" or "Carton, you don't deserve this." No! He just goes along with it. Granted, I would want to be save as well, but I don't know if I could live with myself knowing that somebody else took their life for me. But Darnay doesn't seem to have any problem with the arrangement and lets Carton take the fall.

One thing he does do for Carton is write a brief letter to Lucie. This was a very bitter sweet and touching moment of the book for me because on the inside, Carton does have to be struggling at least a little bit with this decision. However, it's not even a question in his mind that he must do this, and for that he is a true hero.