Chapter 14: The Shadow PDF

Chapter 14 The Shadow Setting Characters : M Defarge Madame Defarge Dr. Manette Lucie Manette Mr. Lorry Time & Places: Paris, some days later: The Paris offices of Tellson’s bank and Doctor Manette’s lodgings. Theme: Theme of Violence and Oppression –fate and death -love and sacrifice-resurrection-...

Chapter 14 The Shadow Setting Characters : M Defarge Madame Defarge Dr. Manette Lucie Manette Mr. Lorry Time & Places: Paris, some days later: The Paris offices of Tellson’s bank and Doctor Manette’s lodgings. Theme: Theme of Violence and Oppression –fate and death -love and sacrifice-resurrection-injustice-revolution Technique: Symbolism ( symbol of Knitting -grindstone- shadow-Dr Manette appearance Irony-foreshadowing-gloomy atmosphere-social criticism In Paris, Tellson’s Bank was in one part of a large house which was approached by a courtyard and shut off from the street by a high wall and a strong gate. In the bank, Mr Lorry was staying in rooms which overlooked a courtyard. In that yard, there was a large crowd of people around a large grindstone. Rising and looking out of the window at these objects, Mr Lorry trembled and went back to his seat by the fire. On his honest and brave face, there was a deeper shadow; a shadow of horror. Lucie and Doctor Manette stormed into Paris branch of Tellson’s Bank to find Mr Lorry. The bell at the great gate rang and Mr Lorry was surprised to see them asking what brought them to Paris. Lucie answered that they had come after her husband who had arrived a few days earlier in Paris. She added that her husband was stopped at the barrier and sent to prison. The bell of the great gate rang again and a loud noise of feet and voices came pouring into the courtyard. When Dr Manette asked about that going towards the window, Mr Lorry cried and asked him not to look out for his safety (life). Manette remained confident and said that he, as an ex-Bastille prisoner, had influence and that every patriot in Paris was ready to help him. He said that his old suffering and pain gave him power and helped him get news about Charles. He was going to use that influence and power to help Charles out of all danger. As the noise increased, Mr Lorry held his arms round Lucie and prevented her from looking outside the window and confirmed her that no harm happened to Charles as he had no idea even of his being in that terrible city. He told her that he had to put her in a room at the back of the bank. She had to leave him and her father alone for two minutes to talk privately. Mr Lorry and Manette looked out into the courtyard, where a large crowd of people sharpened their weapons on a grindstone. They were having their tools sharpened, swords and knives and all were red with blood. Lorry explained that those people were murdering the prisoners. Mr Lorry told Dr Manette if he really had power, he should act fast and make himself known to those devils and get taken to La Force. Manette rushed into the crowd, and soon they carried him out with cries of, “Long live the Bastille prisoner! Help for the Bastille prisoner’s relation in La Force! Make way for the Bastille prisoner in front there!” Then Mr Lorry hurried to Lucie to tell her that her father went to search for her husband. Mr Lorry found lodgings for Lucie and her daughter and Miss Pross near to the bank as he had no right to risk Tellson’s by keeping the wife of an emigrant prisoner under the bank’s roof. He gave them what comfort he could and left Jerry to guard them. The bank closed and Dr Manette didn’t show up yet. Later Monsieur Defarge came in and reminded Mr Lorry of him as the owner of the wine shop. Defarge handed him a letter from Manette telling him that Darnay was safe but he (the doctor) couldn’t leave that place yet. He said that the bearer of that message had another short note from Charles to his wife Lucie. On their way to the apartment, Mr. Lorry and Defarge are joined by Madam Defarge, who is knitting, and The Vengeance. Defarge tells Lorry that, in order to be able to protect Lucie, Madame Defarge must see and remember Lucie's face. Mr Lorry gave her the note from her husband. It said, “Dearest, take courage. I am well and your father has influence around me. You cannot answer this. Kiss our child for me.” Lucie was so much affected that she turned from Monsieur Defarge to his wife and kissed one of her hands that knitted. It was a passionate, loving, thankful, womanly action but the hand made no response, dropped cold and heavy and took to its knitting again.. There was something in its touch that gave Lucie a shock. She stopped and looked terrified at Madame Defarge who met her with a cold stare. Mr Lorry explained to Lucie that Madame Defarge had come to see her and her child and Miss Pross to be able to protect them in case of any trouble times as it was much unrest in the streets. Then Mr Lorry asked Lucie to call Little Lucie and Miss Pross and introduced Miss Pross as an English lady who didn’t know French. Miss Pross seemed confident, as she believed that she was the equal of any foreigner and was not to be shaken by danger, appeared with folded arms and observed in English to The Vengeance, “Well, I am sure, Boldface! I hope you are well!”. On seeing Little Lucie, Madame Defarge stopped her knitting for the first time and pointed her knitting needle at Little Lucie as if it were the finger of fate. The shadow of Madame Defarge and her company seemed to fall, threatening and dark, on both Lucie and her child. Madame Defarge started knitting again and then they went out.. (That Madame Defarge is knitting shows that she's planning to add Lucie's name to her list of victims. "Safety" and "security" are words the power-hungry use to mask their real intentions Mr. Lorry tried to comfort Lucie saying, “Courage, courage, courage! So far all goes well with us-much much better than it has gone of late with many poor people. Cheer up and have a thankful heart.” She told him that she was thankful but she was worried as that dreadful woman seemed to throw a shadow on her and on her hopes. Mr Lorry himself was much troubled and his mind was not at ease because of the strange manner in which Madame Defarge looked at Lucie and her daughter. This crucial meeting between the two key female characters reveals a lot about each: Lucie has compassion even for this terrible woman and asks for her pity; Madame Defarge shows she is no "sister-woman" but is a cold messenger of death. Madame Defarge is meant to be a frightening perversion of femininity, while Lucie, with her goodness and compassion, is the model of it.. 1) Write short notes on the grindstone. 2) “I’m not thankless, but that dreadful woman seems to throw a shadow on me and on all my hopes.” Comment 3) Imagine yourself M. Defarge and express your conflict regarding Darnay.