A Tale of Two Cities Ch 7-9

11/21/13 A Tale of Two Cities Ch 7-9

Summary: In chapter 7 we meet a rude, rich man named Monseigneur. He hosts a very fancy party. After the party, as Monseigneur is in his carriage, he runs over a child. He threw money at the father, who was being comforted by Defarge. Monseigneur arrives in the countryside in chapter 8; the country is just as grey, sad, and poor as the city. He is given bad looks, once he asks a man why hes looking at him so meanly, the old man tells him that a woman is holding onto the bottom of his carriage. Later, a mourning woman asks the wealthy Monseigneur to give her husband a gravestone. We then learn, in chapter 9, that Darnay is Monseigneurs nephew. Darnay wants the family property to be inherited to his name when his uncle dies, which is coincidental because the next morning, Monseigneur was found dead in his bed with a note on  the dagger.

Quote: “‘It is extraordinary to me,’ said he, ‘that you people cannot take care of yourselves  and your children. One or the other of you is for ever in the way. How do I know what injury you have done my horses? See! Give him that.’”

Significance of Quote: This quote shows how truly horrible and self centered Monseigneur is. His coach ran over a little boy and left him dead, yet he is only worried about his horses and how he is now a little bit more late then he is already. He threw a couple coins at the mourned father, and one coin to Defarge to pick up the diseased boy. Monseigneur is one of those men who believe their money can solve everything. He doesn't know the feeling of being poor and living on the streets like that father, and he certainly doesn't know the feeling of loss that he gave the father.

Reflection: Of course, Monseigneur wasn't just a random story thrown into the book for fun, he was tied into Defarges life the day he killed the boy, and is Darnay's uncle. He must have something to do with the whole mystery. His death may be another question, but it has to tie together with all the other unanswered questions Dickens has created so far. Darnay being his nephew was no coincidence, it was on purpose, to make Darnay seem like a murderer, or to create an evil villain. Over the chapters there were signs of foreshadowing his death, like in chapter 7; the woman at the exit when he left, she said “to the devil”, damning him to hell. Also, in chapter 8, the mourning wife asking for him to give her husband a gravestone. We cannot forget the death of the little poor boy. Those are all foreshadowing his death, for he had a wife who will mourn his death, and children who will mourn with her. And, of course, he will be sent to hell like the woman said, for he killed a little boy.

Question: How does the mystery of Monseigneurs death tie into the other mysteries in the book?

A Tale of Two Cities ch 5-6

11/19/13 A Tale of Two Cities ch 5-6

Summary: Chapter 5 all the men gather together after the trial to drink and talk. Styver points out what his friend said in the trial against Daraney. They end up discussing the “golden haired doll”, Lucie. In chapter 6 we are again brought ahead 6 months, and like the conversation in the prior chapter, Mrs.Pross tells Lori that Lucy has many suitors, but only her brother, Mr.Pross, is worthy, in her opinion. This all happens in the Manette household, however the Manettes aren't home until later that chapter. When the do arrive, they’re followed by Darnay. He tells them of a carving found in a room in the tower of London that reads “DIG”, they find it to be a messege and dig right at the spot. He finds a burnt piece of paper.

Quote: “‘The raindrops are falling, large, heavy, and few” said Dr. Manette, “It comes slowly’”

Significance of Quote: Due to what they have recently discussed, and Dr.Manette's odd self, this is message within itself. Dr.Manette knows that Darnay's discovery will bring with it many other problems and mysteries with it. This is foreshadowing on what is soon to come in the story, for the burnt letter will bring with it another problem.

Reflection: Although chapter 5 wasnt very interesting, it did bring with it some insight to how the men acted in this book. Dickens makes it so the men do have lives outside of the court, and shows how normal they are. In chapter 6, it is filled with foreshadowing; with the quote discussed above, and what Lucie points out near the end of the chapter. She remarks on the echoes the footsteps created by her and the men make, for she thinks the many echoing footsteps are those of the people who are to enter their lives soon. That and what Dr.Manette said are tied together, they both are foreshadowing what is to jump into their lives next.

Question: Why does Dr.Manette keep his shoemaking bench from his days imprisoned?

Tale of Two Cities ch 1-4

11/18/13       Tale of Two Cities ch 1-4

Summary:  In these chapter we are brought ahead 5 years, and the focus is shifted towards a man named Charles Darnay, who is brought to court for a crime. All the characters from the earlier chapters are all involved in his case, being witnesses. Lucie seems to help with the criminals stance, as her father is very useless. By the last chapter the focus is back on the original group, as they sit in the hallway after the court session.

Quote: “The judge, whose eyes had gone in the general direction, recalled them, leaned back in his seat, and looked steadily at the man whose life was in his hand, as Mr. Attorney-General rose to spin the rope, grind the axe, and hammer the nails into the scaffold.”

Significance of Quote: Dickens quietly tells that the judge is on the criminals side, for he knows he had done nothing wrong. The criminals soft looks and young age make him appear to be innocent, however we cannot truly tell until we are given direct evidence about it.

Reflection:  Now we are given more conflict in this story- the group of travellers encountered a new problem in their journey back to England, however they didn't know it was actually a problem until five years later. Dickens really knows how to create a good story, for already this is gripping. The way he describes the streets of England in chapter 1, being just as sad and gloomy as Paris. But on these streets the roughness is purposely there. As said in the chapter, if the streets didn't look scary and cold, they wouldn't be respected, they would be taken advantage of. Dickens really thinks about how the setting would affect the story and how it makes the tone of the novel sound.

Question: What did Darney do and why wasn't his crime brought up until now?

A Tale Of Two Cities ch 5-6

11/13/13 A Tale Of Two Cities ch 5-6

Summary: In chapter the writer describes the streets of Saint Antoine, where poor people scramble for spilled wine on the side of the curb. He is sure to tell of the sorrow faces and grey buildings. We are introduced to Monsieur Defarge and his wife, the winesellers, and Lorry and Miss.Manette are taken to a locked door to meet an insane man, Mr.Manette.

In chapter 6 Lorry, Miss.Manette, and Defarge try to talk to the mad shoemaker locked in the room. They notice that he isn't totally gone. The daughter and father stay the night up in the room together until the 4 depart the next day to England.

Quote: “..the children had ancient faces and grave voices; and upon them, and upon the grown faces, and ploughed into every furrow of age and coming up afresh, was the sign, Hunger.”

Significance of Quote: Dickens uses this to describe Paris. Compared to England, it is rather starved and grey and sad. The people are poor and hungry,as said in this quote. The way he describes the streets of Paris remind me of Les Miserables. The “children had ancient faces and grave voices” means that they are dirty and sad, very thinned out like a person nearing their death. This paragraph was really sad.

Reflection: Dickens is making France sound like a place where only bad things happen; like the hungry people on the streets, and the british men that go mad there. Throughout these chapters people refer to France as “dirty” “poor” “hungry” and wanting people to leave it for their own good as soon as possible. Dickens is creating a huge difference between France and England; France being poor and grey, and England being rich and colorful.

Question: How was Miss.Manette so sure that her father wouldn't jab at her with the shoemaker's knife when she made her move to talk to him?

A Tale of Two Cities ch1-4

11/12/13 A Tale of Two Cities ch1-4

Summary: I don't quite understand what was going on in these chapters, though I seem to have got the main idea. I see that the writer, Charles Dickens, is fusing together the lives of different people from England and Paris. People in Paris seem to be more of the realistic point of view, as in England they believe more in the supernatural occurrences. A man named Lorry fell asleep and  had a dream that he digs someone out of their grave. When he gets off the coach he meets a girl, Lucie Manette; he tells her that her father isn't actually dead.

Quote: “All these things, and a thousand like them, came to pass in and close upon the dear old year one thousand seven in and close upon the dear old

Significance of Quote: This quote sets the time period and the way that Dickens is going to write this story out. Because of this quote we now know that the novel is set during the 1700s.

Reflection: This novel, like Jane Eyre, incorporates both the supernatural and realistic points of view. Because this is a victorian novel, it has a lot more of realistic evidence that I believe will over rule the supernatural ones. Dickens decided to make England the supernatural setting because back then thats what was going on, people had growing suspicions, as we know of after the witch trials in the 1600s. France was most on the idealistic side, as Englands realistic ideas were only growing as this book was written. Also, supernatural stories were known as being the most entertaining back then. But so were realistic novels and such. Thats why Dickens incorporates both these ideas.

Question: What made Lorry think that Lucy's father wasn't really dead? Was it his dream that he had on the coach ride, or was it something else?

She Walks In Beauty

11/6/13 “She Walks in Beauty” Lord Byron

Summary: Lord Byron compares a woman he admires to nature, the sky and its stars. He uses a lot of similes  in this poem. He says that this woman is calm and innocent looking, with the features of a goddess.

Quote: “She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies;”

Significance of Quote: This is a simile saying that this woman shares the beauty of the stars on a cloudless night. “she walks” meaning that she doesn’t know how beautiful she is, that she doesnt try to be beautiful, it just happens.

Reflection: Lord Byron is admiring a woman he doesnt know, for he doesnt use specific names or personal things about her. He tells of her innocent beauty, meaning that she is silent and unaware of her beauty. She hit him with so much force that Byron  had a sudden idea to write a piece about her. This could also be referring to all women; he could be saying that all females have unknown beauty inside them, or that they dont think they are beautiful but they really are. This poem could be very assuring and incorporate every woman in the world who don’t feel beautiful.

Question: Was the woman who inspired Byron to write this poem his wife or somebody he knew?

"Ozymandias" by Shelley

11/5/13 "Ozymandias" Shelley

Summary: A man tells of his encounter with a traveller who spoke of his “antique land” where there are two headstones that belong to the king Ozymandias who is apparently half sunken in the sand where the stones lie.

Quote: “...the lone and level sands stretch far away”

Significance of Quote: This line is an imagery that makes you think of a never-ending, and empty sand desert. It makes this small poem even more in depth and sad than it already is, because it makes the gravestones of the past king seem distant and forgotten.

Reflection:  This poem gives off a very sad, and cold feeling from reading it. Shelleys forgotten king, Ozymandias is a reference to how people can forget their past loved ones, or take them for granted when they are alive. It also portrays the loneliness people can live with, feeling like they are completely alone in a desert of sand that goes on for miles, but they are really surrounded by people everywhere.

Question: Did Shelley write this as a memorial to somebody important in his life whom he had once taken for granted?

“I wandered lonely as a cloud” by William Wordsworth

11/4/13 “I wandered lonely as a cloud” William Wordsworth

Summary: William writes about his journey among the daffodils and trees as if he were a wandering cloud, when really he was having a dream as he fell asleep on his couch and was dreaming.

Quote: “Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”

Significance of Quote: This quote has the use of rhyme and is very poetic. The two words that rhyme, “trees” and “breeze”, dont have the same ending letters, but they sound they make is so similar that they basically rhyme. The use of imagery in this line is obious; “fluttering and dancing in the breeze” makes you think of a leaf in a windy autumn day.

Reflection: This poem was very soothing, and it made me feel happy. The way William worded his sentences, in a way that they make sense, was nice. I belive he was writing about what he wished he was doing at that moment, instead of sitting there on his couch. Imagening he is flying above the trees as if he were a cloud on a windy day. He described the things that people feel when they are in really good moods, and this poem kinda puts you in that mood. The words flow together in a way that makes it so we feel that way, it is the meter and feet that do so.

Question: Was this poem made to make people who read it feel calmed and happy as it did to me?