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?