The Golden Thread

Lucie is said to be the golden thread that unites her father to " a past beyond his misery, and to a present beyond his misery" (pg. 8). She is Mr. Manette's life line, reeling him in whenever the agonizing memories of his imprisonment in the Bastille attempt to engulf him. Eighteen years of forced solitude endangered his grasp on humanity. His evanescent state was made apparent by his feeble voice, vacant stares and slow mechanical movements. I like to think of him as a defenseless child who has had a nightmare and must be comforted and slowly caressed into reality. When he is removed from France, the source of his distress, the nurturing is allowed to commence.

Karina Enriquez

The Peasant's Plight

Chapter 5 of Book the First not only foreshadows the savagery of the Revolution, but also identifies its predominant instigator. "Want" plagues the people. They have been continually ground down. Every furrow of oppression on their face bears the sign of hunger.
Dickens use of anaphora in page 30 is very effective. He talks about the prevalence of Hunger in all aspects of the peasants' lives. This singular noun is inseparable from the poor. Their life is steeped in misery because the hunger eats away at their spirit and quality of life. "It's abiding place was in all things fitted to it." The permeation of unfulfilled basic necessities is inescapable. As I read the passage, I could sense the desperation and constriction that residents of Saint Antoine felt. They harbored so much pent-up rage and resentment that when it eventually broke loose, a torrent of bloodshed issued forth. To what extent do you think the grotesque violence of the Revolution could have been avoided? How supportive do you think Charles Dickens is of the peasants' struggle and subsequent actions?

Karina Enriquez