A Tale of Two Cities

Reading Notes: pages 90 - 108

 

Ch. 9: The Gorgon’s Head

90 – “a large stone courtyard before it, and two stone sweeps of staircase meeting in a stone terrace before the principal door. A stony business altogether with heavy stone balustrades, and stone urns, and stone flowers, and stone faces of men, and stone . . .” sets the cold, hard tone and sets up the stony Marquis for a cold, hard death

 

Monsieur the Marquis = Monsegnieur = Marquis St. Evremonde

93: “our not remote ancestors held the right of life and death over the surrounding vulgar . . . one fellow was poniarded on the spot for professing some  insolent delicacy respecting his daughter . . .”

94: “Repression is the only lasting philosophy. The dark deference of fear and slavery, my friend . . . will keep the dogs obedient to the whip as long as this roof shuts out the sky.”

 

“That might not be so long as the Marquis supposed”—irony

 

95: “My friend, I will die, perpetuating the system under which I have lived.” Irony—yep and soon

 

Charles Darnay = Charles Evremonde, nephew of the Marquis

 

Relationship between the two? Darnay has renounced his French connections. “This property and France are lost to me . . . I renounce them”—doesn’t want his inheritance

Marquis does everything he can to destroy Darnay, but unsuccessful

 

97: “the water of the chateau fountain seemed to turn to blood, and the stone faces crimsoned.”

 

99: “Driven home into the heart of the stone figure [Evremonde] attached to it was a knife. Round its hilt was a frill of paper, on which was scrawled: ‘Drive him fast to his tomb. This, from Jacques.’”

 

Ch. 10: Two Promises

101: “I love her. You have loved yourself; let your old love speak for me!”

“Not that, sir! Let that be! I adjure you, do not recall that!” a cry of actual pain

 

Darnay tries to reveal his true name and the doctor stops him says wait until the wedding day: why? What does the doctor suspect? Shoe making that night. When and why does he make shoes?

 

Ch. 11: A Companion Picture

106: Stryver: I intend to marry and not for money J

107: “it is a piece of good fortune for her” (Lucie)

107: “are you astonished?” irony

            thinks he should be astonished because he falls so low to marry a unwealthy woman, but really we laugh that he thinks he has a chance