November 9, 2014
Reading Journal #2
1. The Game Made, The Substance of the Shadow, Dusk, Darkness, and Fifty-Two. The Game Made were chosen to refer to the French Revolution; Fifty-Two refers to the fifty-two people being led to the guillotine and The Game Made refers to the innocent falsely accused during this time. Dusk and Darkness aren’t symbolic, the chapters are just about Darnay’s imprisonment in the morning and Carton’s actions during the night. But they could represent the fast time approaching of Darnay’s execution.
2. Charles Darnay: He is calm and brave even though his death approaches.
Dr. Manette: Instead of the well-mannered and well-collected man everyone loved, he was completely out of his mind after the trial and couldn’t stop feeling guilty.
Lucie Manette: She shows the very essence of love while she is mourning for her husband’s execution, but she still has hope.
Ernest Defarge: He’s just siding with his wife because he really doesn’t have anything against the Evrémonde family.
Madame Therese Defarge: Ever since the French Revolution started she showed her true remorseless and revengeful self, which causes her to want to exterminate the Evrémonde family at all costs.
Mr. Lorry: Always been the helpful friend to others.
Barsad: Doesn’t really matter who gives him orders, he obeys without hesitation and to the best of his ability, but with his compassion usually takes providence before the job.
Miss Pross: She still is the protective loyal servant of Lucie and makes sure they escape by staying back and defending them when Madame Defarge comes to arrest Lucie.
3. In Carton’s mind while he carried a child over the mud: “I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die,” rang over and over in his head. He walks around till dawn and then makes his way to the courthouse to see Darnay’s trial. The trial judge names Darnay’s accusers: Defarge and his wife and Dr. Manette. Manette recoils in shock and denies ever having to denounce Darnay. But Defarge then stands and shows the proof he has. It’s the letter that he found, hidden in 105 North Tower of the Bastille and he states that Manette wrote the letter while imprisoned in the Bastille, and he reads it aloud for the crowd to hear. After hearing this sad, depressing, and suspenseful story, the jury sentences Darnay to death to compensate for the sins of his father and uncle. Barsad and a few other men are ordered to take Darnay back to his cell and after Lucie begs and begs Barsad lets Lucie embrace her husband one last time. Darnay insists Dr. Manette to not blame himself for what happened at the trial and so Darnay is brought back to his cell to anticipate his execution the following morning, and Carton carries Lucie to her apartment with Dr. Manette staying behind. Miss Pross and Little Lucie is weeping when they get there. Soon after, Carton goes to Defarge’s wine shop and the Defarge couple wonder at how he looks like Darnay in jail. Carton overhears Madame Defarge’s plan to accuse Lucie and Manette of spying while speaking with Defarge, The Vengeance, Jacques Three and the Juryman. She even to accuse Lucie’s daughter as well. Defarge himself disagrees, but his wife reminds him of her problem with the Evrémonde family: she is the missing sister of the raped woman and man stabbed and killed by the Marquis and his brother. She demands the destruction of the family. Manette comes home emotionally unstable. After calming Manette, Carton takes from Manette’s coat