A Tale of Two Cities Notes: pages 247 – 268
Dr. Manette’ letter written after 10 years in the Bastille tells the story of Madame Defarge’s older sister and brother, both killed by the Evremond brothers, Darnay’s uncle and father. Her sister dies after Darnay’s uncle works/tortures her husband to death, and then violates her. She is so disturbed that she loses her mind (and repeats her tragedy and the details of her husbands death over and over for a week) and dies. “My husband, my father, my brother. 1, 2, . . .”
251: “A crazed young common dog! A serf! Forced my brother to draw upon him, and has fallen by my brother’s sword—like a gentleman.”
254: “I mark this cross of blood upon you, as a sign that I do it . . . I summon your brother, the worst of a bad race, to answer for them separately. I make this cross of blood . . .”
Darnay’s mother is kind and goes to Dr. Manette trying amend for her husbands wrongs and ask the child Darnay to make reparations for the wrongs of his uncle and father to the poor family. (Ironically this is what DArnay was doing when he left France and met Lucie and Dr. Manette on the ferry and was arrested for treason.)
258: at the end of the letter, Manette adds to this curse. “But, now I believe that the mark of the red cross is fatal to them, and that they have no part in His merices. And them and their descendants, to the last of their race, I Alexandre Manette, unhappy prisoner, do this last night of theyear 1767, in my unbearable agony, denounce to the times . . . I denounce them to Heaven and to earth.” Uh-oh: now we see why he lost it when he learned of Darnay’s parentage. Why does he denounce all the family?
When little Lucie sees Carton, she is full of love and faith that he will save her family. She is wise beyond her young years and sees only the good in Carton, like her mother.
260: “A life you love”
261: “But try! Of little worth as life is when we misuse it, it is worth that effort. It would cost nothing to lay it down if it were not.”
“I encouraged Dr. Manette in this idea, because I felt that it might one day be consolatory to her. Otherwise, she might think ‘his life was wantonly thrown away or wsted,’ and that might trouble her.” Who is he? Really Carton and not Darnay
264: “She is an Angel!” irony
M. Defarge wants them to stop with Darnay’s death, but the others want to kill Lucie, little Lucie, and even Dr. Manette.
264: “Then tell Wind and Fire where to stop . . . but don’t tell me.”
The have lost all rationality. They want to kill Dr. Manette? The one person who showed kindness to Madame Defarge’s family, the one who suffered in prison for 18 years, they want to kill him because his daughter married the Evremonde son who has denounced his family?
This means that Carton’s sacrifice will not save just Darnay, but the entire family. It is more than “a life you love,” but all of their lives.
268: Does Mr. Lorry know what Carton intends to do? “I understand that I am to wait for you under all circumstances?”