A Wrong Turn
During the French Revolution, many gruesome unfathomable atrocities were committed by revolutionaries: “Dickens is more horrified by the sins of the revolutionaries than by the sins of the aristocrats” (“Reign of Terror”). Through his writing, Charles Dickens acknowledges that the revolutionaries have created more terror and chaos then the previous generally despised monarchy. In order to improve the lives of the third estate in France, the Revolution began, but as a result of the need to sustain power, unfortunately, a gruesome dictatorship, by the revolutionaries, began to take place in France. The power abusive and inhumane ways of revolutionaries during the French Revolution are illustrated in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, leading the revolutionaries to ultimately grow more detrimental then the previous monarchy.
During the Revolution, one of the ways that the revolutionaries abuse their new authority is by brutally killing all that are considered enemies of the Revolution in order to retain their power. For example, the revolutionaries began to murder thousands of people using a guillotine: “1793-1794, period of the French Revolution characterized by a wave of executions of presumed enemies of the state” (“Reign of Terror”). In order to prevent a downfall of the Revolution, the revolutionaries become paranoid and eliminated all non-activists. Most of the accused non supporters, are not given a trial or a chance to be proved innocent. The revolutionaries create an atmosphere contained with terror, chaos, and loyalty but for all the wrong reasons. In addition, in order to secure loyalty with fear, the revolutionaries abuse their power to the extent of becoming gruesome animals showing no mercy: “The hour was come, when Saint Antoine was to execute his horrible idea of hoisting up men for lamps to show what he could do” (Dickens 226). Similarly to the aristocrats and previous monarchy, the revolutionaries want to inform the people of their power and how important loyalty. Hoisting up men to lamps to enforce power is without a doubt an immoral and unacceptable abuse of power by the revolutionaries. Because of the immoral atrocities committed by the revolutionaries, consequently they abused their power and acted far worse than the aristocrats.
As a result of their power abuse, the revolutionaries grow exceedingly violent and inhumane. For instance, when storming the Bastille, the revolutionaries show no mercy towards anyone: “The remorseless sea of turbulently swaying shapes, voices of vengeance, and faces hardened in the furnaces of suffering until the touch of pity could make no mark on them” (Dickens 226). The revolutionaries show no regret or pity as they slaughter suffering people. They are ruthless and unjust towards people. It is unclear is the revolutionaries have any boundaries. Moreover, the revolutionaries are almost unstoppable with practically nothing and no one in their way:
