A TALE OF TWO CITIES BOOK CLUB - WEEK 5 - BOOK 2 - CHAPTERS 7 - 10

A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens

Chapter 7 - Monseigneur in Town

Did you find yourself confused by Chapter 7? If so, let's try and clear up a couple things. First, there are two men that we focus on in this chapter - the Monseigneur and Monsieur the Marquis.

The first one, Monseigneur, gives us a picture of the overly lavish lifestyle of the French aristocracy during this time. Every two weeks this guy takes himself to the grand hotel in Paris and has a little "look at me" party. Dickens equates this to a spiritual encounter. The Monseigneur has set himself up as a god. He resides in his Holy of Holies. His followers flock to see him. What can you compare this to in our modern age? Maybe the way people flock to movie stars, athletes, etc? Swifties maybe? Did you catch that it takes a total of 5 men to help this guy with his hot chocolate. Seriously, the opulence is enough to make a sane person puke. He's more concerned about his pleasures than he is about anything having to do with the state of France. He's burned through his wealth supporting his lifestyle, so much so, that he has to take his sister out of the convent and in so many words, sells her off to a rich Farmer-General.

In the crowd of Monseigneur "worshippers," Dickens lays out just what type of people they are: naval officers that have never looked at a ship before, worldly church officials, doctors who fleece their patients. I think you get the drift. I love the quote, "the leprosy of unreality disfigured every human creature in attendance..." Meanwhile, not too far away from where this is going on, reside the metaphorical "scarecrows" - the starving peasants in raggedy clothing. Dickens juxtaposes the two groups, and you can clearly see the enormous gulf that separates them. The Monseigneur walks through his worshippers and nods and notices a few of them. Then, he returns to his inner room, and the show is over. The people leave except for one.

In the corner, stands a lone figure that curses the Monseigneur. He has been ignored by him and it infuriating. He leaves the room, exits the hotel, and jumps into his carriage. This is Monsieur the Marquis. The Marquis has a passion for going fast. He loves to watch the peasants scatter like birds as he clatters through. Today though, I think he presses forward faster than normal. After all, he has just been snubbed. He is angry and his pride is stung. Then, the sound of a sickening crunch occurs. He has just run over a child. Do you note his manner? He could not care less. What does he care about? His horses. He tries to pacify/ buy off the grieving father with the toss of a gold coin in his direction. (Doesn't your Momma heart burn at this action? How dare he!) Who else is present in the crowd that we've met? DeFarge. Remember him? The wineshop owner. DeFarge tries to soothe the grieving father with the horrible words of truth that the child is now in a better place. He no longer has to suffer in this life. The Marquis notices DeFarge and tosses him a gold coin. The Marquis takes his leave. As he drives off a gold coin comes flying into the carriage. The Marquis abruptly stops and demands to know who threw the coin, but he cannot figure it out. It's clear these people cannot be bought no matter if they are starving! He does the only thing he can - threatens them and leaves.

Chapter 8 - Monseigneur in the Country

Right out of the gate in this chapter, Dickens lets us know what's going to happen to the Marquis. A blush covers him as the sun sets (he's covered in red.). He's going to die. As he comes into the village, the Marquis stops to talk to the mender of roads, a man that he recognizes. The man is staring at something "fixedly." When the Marquis questions him about it, he finds out that a man had attached himself to the Marquis' carriage. No one recognized the parasitic traveler. He wasn't from around there. No longer attached, he dropped off and disappeared over the side of the hill.. The Marquis commands the villagers to keep an eye out for him and then travels on to his chateau. As this chapter closes, I think we have a pretty good guess why a person would attach themselves to the carriage and travel that way for miles.

Chapter 9 - The Gorgon's Head

What is a Gorgon in Greek Mythology? There are 3 of them, sisters to be exact, with Medusa being the most well known. So who is the Gorgon in this chapter? The Marquis is. Remember, Gorgons can turn anyone they look at into stone. The Marquis can do somewhat the same with his cold, icy personality.

Note the hoot from the owl. This typically signifies doom or death in literature.

Okay, I'm going focus on a few main points in this chapter.

-When the Marquis walks into his chateau, Dickens points out the weap0ns mounted on the wall including the whips used on the peasants.

-Note that the Marquis is also called the Monseigneur in this chapter.

-He is waiting for a guest, his nephew. Were you shocked to find out who his nephew is? It's Charles Darnay (remember him from the trial?).

-The Marquis and his nephew do not see eye to eye on how the wealthy and the peasants live. The Marquis feels as if he has a responsibility to live up to his title.. He says he will "perpetuate the system as long as he is alive." (He quite enjoys his lifestyle.) Darnay, who is next in line, says that when he inherits he will renounce the title. He watns nothing to do with this way of life.

-The Marquis knows about England and Dr. Manette and Lucie much to Darnay's shock.

Darnay and the Marquis go to bed, and we get this amazing imagery. with the stone faces as they stare out from the chateau. As the sun rises, two things happen. Their eyes are opened, and in the courtyard the fountain's water is turned red signifying blood. A little bird lands on the window of the Marquis' bedroom and sings its song to the closest stone face. What stone face would that be? It's the Marquis - dead in his bed. His face frozen in open mouthed surprise. You just have love Dicken's descriptions. Here he tells us that there is "one face stone face too many." The Marquis has a knife driven through his heart with a note attached. "Drive him fast to his tomb. This from Jacques." Hmmm, any guesses based on the word choice "driving fast" who the killer might be?

Chapter 10 - Two Promises

This chapter finds us back in England. Darnay is making his own way as a tutor. He didn't expect to "walk on streets of gold" or "lie in a bed of roses." It's pretty clear why we as readers like the character of Darnay.

Two promises happen in this chapter between Darnay and Dr. Manette that are important to note.

The first has to do with Lucie. Darnay loves her. He goes to Dr. Manette to talk with him about her. First, he tells him that he will never come between them. He recognizes the unique bond between them, Next, he requests that if Lucie comes to Dr. Manette and tells him that she loves Darnay he will tell her that they had this conversation and not speak against Darnay. Dr. Manette promises to do so.

The second has to do with Darnay revealing his true identity. He doesn't want there to be secrets between him and Dr. Manette, so he prepares to tell him who he truly is. Dr. Manette stops him and makes him promise to wait to tell him until the morning of the wedding of Lucie and Darnay if it happens. Darnay agrees to this. With this strange exchange, we have to think that Dr. Manette knows something about the person that stands before him and that there is some type of history there.

Darnay leaves, and Lucie comes home. The sight that meets her eyes is definitely concerning. Dr. Manette is back at his work bench making shoes. Eventually, Lucie is able to draw him out and walk with him until he is himself again.