quotes

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"I see that I hold a sancturary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence...It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known" (372). The author depicts that these would have been Sydney Carton's words right before he died during the execution. Carton explains his willingness to die in place of Charles Darnay was the only good thing he had done in his miserable life. In his words, he describes seeing the future of being remembered by Lucie, Darnay, Manette, and generations afer them, for his sacrifice. - Alan (07.13.07)

Mr. Solicitor-General then, following his leader's lead, examined the "patriot": John Barsad. "Had he ever been a spy himself? No, he scorned the base insinuation. What did he live upon? His property. Where was his property? He didn't precisely remember where ti was. What was it? No business of anybody's/ Every been kicked? Might have been. Frequently? No. Ever been kicked down stairs? Decidedly not; once received a kick on the top of a staircase, and fell downstairs of his own accord. Kicked on that occasion for cheating at dice? Something to the effect that it was said by the intoxicated liar who committed the assault, but it was not true." Barsad is obviously a false witness- Max (today, this month, this year.)

Book 3 Chapter 9 - Sidney Carton reflects on the past and remembers the words that were read at his father's funeral. "I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die" (292). This seems like a foreshadow of something he may do because "I am the resurrection and the life" (293) continues to run through his mind as he walks through the streets. - Rosanna Chaoanw (7/11/07)

Book 2 Chapter 1 ==="But indeed, at that time, putting to death was a recipe much in vogue with all trades and professions, and not least of all with Tellson's. Death is Nature's remedy for all things and why not Legislation's?" (56)===
 * People were constantly being put to death for petty crimes. Death was the only solution the government could come up with at the time. [A.P. 7/13/07]

Book 2 Chapter 5 ==="Good-night, Mr. Carton," said the man of business. "Good-night, Mr. Darnay. Shall we ever see such a night again together!" Perhaps. Perhaps, see the great crowd of people with its rush and roar, bearing down upon them, too." (105)===
 * There is some foreshadowing of what the Revolution will be like. The group gathered at the Manette's home listen to echoes of people's footsteps on the street, imagining that people would come their way. Little do they know, when the Revolution begins, the rebels will run through the streets and cause chaos. [A.P. 7/13/07]

Book 2 Chapter 22
 * "Not before dark night did the men and women come back to the children, wailing and breadless. Then, the miserable bakers' shops were beset by long files of them, patiently waiting to buy bad bread; and while they waited with stomachs faint and empty, they beguiled the time by embracing one another on the triumphs of the day." (223)**
 * This quote goes to show that all the violence of the Revolution does no justice. The fact that these peasants kill many people will not change the fact that they are starving and unable to sufficiently support their families. [A.P. 7/20/07]

Book 3 Chapter 2
 * "The great grindstone, Earth, had turned when Mr. Lorry looked out again, and the sun was red on the court-yard. But, the lesser grindstone stood alone there in the calm morning air, with a red upon it that the sun had never given, and would never take away." (263)**
 * I really like this quote. Dickens has a great talent in making his stories easy to visualize by the reader. This quote shows how bloody the Revolution was. [A.P. 7/20/07]

"The wine was red wine, and had stained the ground of the narrow street in the suburb of Saint Antoine, in Paris, where it was spilled. It had stained many hands, too, and many faces, and many naked feet, and many wooden shoes. The hands of the man who sawed the wood, left red marks on the billets; and the forehead of the woman who nursed her baby, was stained with the stain of the old rag she wound about her head again. Those who had been greedy with the staves of the cask, had acquired a tigerish smear about the mouth; and one tall joker so besmirched, his head more out of a long squalid bag of a night-cap than in it, scrawled upon a wall with his finger dipped in muddy wine-lees—blood.(Book 1 Ch. 5)" This quote foreshadows the revolution that was going to come. The streets were red from the wine, but now were smeared from the red blood. - Jessica 08/12/07

Book 2 Chapter 21 "Headlong, mad, and dangerous footsteps to force their way into anybody's life, footsteps not easily made clean again if once stained red, the footsteps raging in Saint Antoine afar off, as the little circle sat in the dark London window" (198). - The footsteps signify the coming revolution and how it can unexpectedly intrude on anyone's life, no matter who they are. Although the footsteps are not yet in Saint Antoine, they are rapidly drawing near. After blood is spilt when the footsteps arrive, the damage will not be easily reversed. - Rosanna (7/14/07)

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way..." (Book 1 Chapter 1 p. 3). This quote shows that, by contrasting different things, that there will be both good and evil in the upcoming story. --C.F. (8/16/07)

"When he awoke and was afoot again, he lingered there yet a little longer, watching an eddy that turned purposeless, until the stream absorbed it, and carried it on to the sea.- 'Like me!'" (Book 3 Chapter 9 Page 324). Of course, this quote is a metaphor depicting Sydney Carton's "useless" life and his later sacrifice for Lucie and Darnay. I wonder if he knew then that he would eventually have to die in order to continue Lucie's happiness. I love this quote, and I also love the character that Charles Dickens builds through Sydney Carton. Although he has wasted his entire life as an alchoholic, despite what everyone else thinks, he is one heroic, brave, and intelligent man whom I admire in this book. I sympathize with him because I wonder if Sydney doesn't feel lonely and misunderstood, all except for the compassion that Lucie showed him. And just because of it, he willingly lays down his life for her. I think that is just amazing. {Melissa 8/21/07}