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Thursday, May 8, 2014
Blog 1 - A Tale of Six Students - Chapters 1-5, Book II
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Character Captain Chapters 1-5 Book II- When reading chapters 1-5 of Book 2, I found that Jerry Cruncher was a minor character from Book One expanded on throughout these first few chapters. Although we were introduced to a few new characters in Book Two, I decided to focus on the characterization of Mr. Jerry Cruncher, particularly because of the small mysteries that seem to surround him. In Book I, we were given very little information about Cruncher. We know he is a messenger who was trusted enough to deliver reports to and from Mr.Jarvis Lorry; however not important enough to be involved with those businesses or understand the meaning behind the messages. Book II begins with descriptions of Tellson’s Bank and of the odd-jobs man’s consistent presence outside of the obstinate old business. Cruncher is first described through a comparison to his son “He was never absent during business hours, unless upon an errand, and then he was represented by his son:a grisly urchin of twelve, who was his express image”(Dickens 53). So we are meant to see Cruncher as a ‘grisly urchin’, reliable, but mysterious. We next see Cruncher interacting with his wife when she wakes him with her prayers. “After hailing the morn with this second salutation, he threw a boot at the woman as a third…. ‘And what do you suppose, you conceited female….that the worth of your prayers may be?’”(Dickens 54). His words and actions towards his wife exhibit that their household is completely male-dominated; both by Cruncher and by his son following all of his examples. He who seems to be relatively well-mannered in society, is now shown to be extremely cruel towards his wife when not in view of the public eye. With the consistent motif of duality, it seems likely that we are shown this scene to view the difference between the Cruncher at home and at work; to give us reason to believe that he is someone who has had skill at keeping secrets. Another piece of information that I felt added to the mysteries that seem to shroud Mr. Cruncher was the small tidbit Dickens included about his boots. “It was a very muddy boot, and may introduce the odd circumstance connected with Mr. Cruncher’s domestic economy, that, whereas he often came home from banking hours with clean boots, he often got up next morning to find the same boots covered with clay”(Dickens 54). That is all that is mentioned of the boots for the remainder of the chapter. It’s a small detail, but it is enough to leave a feeling of uneasiness around Mr. Cruncher to wonder what is occurring at night. Finally, when Jerry Cruncher is at work and receives the instructions to go to Jarvis Lorry at the Old Bailey, he mentions being familiar with the place. “‘Yes sir’, returned Jerry, in something of a dogged manner. ‘I do know the Bailey’...‘I know Mr. Lorry, sir, much better than I know the Bailey. Much better,’ said Jerry, not unlike a reluctant witness at the establishment in question, ‘than I, as an honest tradesman, wish to know the Bailey’” (Dickens 57). Here, Cruncher acknowledges his familiarity with the criminal court, but denies wanting the familiarity for reason of being an “honest tradesman” which, given his various appearances, I find highly unlikely that he is indeed honest. It is also interesting to note when Dickens refers to the character as Jerry, and when he is called Mr. Cruncher. The entire scene with his wife he is referred to as “Cruncher” or “Mr. Cruncher”, but when he needs to seem innocent for the clerk in relation to the Old Bailey, he is called Jerry. As it is said in chapter one of book 2, “His surname was Cruncher, and on the youthful occasion of his renouncing by proxy the works of darkness, in the easterly parish church of Hounsditch, he had received the added appellation of Jerry”(Dickens 53). Mr. Cruncher is definitely someone to watch for developing themes of mystery and motifs of duality.
With the introduction of several new characters in Book II, we are able to begin to develop our thoughts on what we already know about some. Perhaps even begin to choose some as our favorites. I don’t know about you guys, but Mr. Carton seems to be a pretty interesting figure to me. It’s like a dual personality has been created between him and Charles Darnay, something that did not appear to be highly noticeable until specifically pointed out.
Starting around page 80 in the books, Mr. Carton’s entire conversation with Charles Darnay seems to be pretty sketchy to me, starting from where he asks him to go dine with him, up until the very last point where the dinner ends. When considering the fact that he had been drinking and even made the point of asking if Mr. Darnay considered him being drunk, Mr. Carton’s characterization begins to get questioned. He, himself, questions Mr. Darnay on everything that had happened, instead of giving the ex-prisoner a few seconds to recollect and breathe a sigh of relief about what he had just escaped from. He ultimately dropped the question that he had appeared to actually have on his mind, which was centered around the idea of Darnay’s feelings for Miss Lucie Manette.
Did any of you catch that? Were any of you able to recognize and see what Mr. Carton seemed to see? I know I was, and I know this little hint at an affair between Lucie Manette and Charles Darnay will be what keeps me reading. I think that two conclusions can be made from this. The dislike that we can see from Mr. Carton to Mr. Darnay simply stems from jealousy he feels when thinking of the connection that seems to exist between the young woman and the prisoner. He’s jealous of how the man could receive such care and attention from somebody he might be see as absolutely perfect, and is jealous that he could not be the one to receive it. This leads me to my second conclusion. Mr. Carton does not seem to have to have a very high level of self confidence. Then at the end of Chapter 5, on the very last page, starting from “waste forces within him…” and ending with “its pillow was wet with wasted tears”, I really began to feel for the man. Like come on. Wasted tears? It seems that Mr. Carton is fully aware of the insecurities that he has but does not know what to do with them. And I’m almost sure that many of us can connect with him at this point, which is what Dickens may have been trying to do. But are we meant to feel poorly about the man and sympathize with him or is this some kind of trick to let our guard down against him...
To begin, I would like to point out the Cruncher family dynamics, shown to us in chapter 1. There is a father, mother and one son, Little Jerry. Mr. Cruncher, although it may be done sarcastically at times, is quite harsh and rude to his wife. Their household represents a male dominated society, where the man goes to work, and the obedient wife does the housework. Mrs. Cruncher is what we would define today as the “housewife.” Little Jerry is quite influenced by his father, living up to the phrase “like father like son.” He seems to admire his father and do exactly what he says. But this family can (with a few twists) be compared to another Dickens family. Joe, Mrs. Joe and Pip, are another family of three, from Dicken’s other masterpiece Great Expectations. Although Joe and Mrs. Joe are actually Pip’s sister and brother-in-law, they are his parental figures. Similar to the Cruncher’s, one of the spouse’s is quite harsh on the other. However, instead of it being the male in Great Expectations, it is Mrs. Joe who is rude and nasty to her husband. Similarly, it is also a two vs. one relationship, with the man and son being a pair against the wife/mother/mother figure.
Old Bailey is a place of importance in chapter 2, being the jail. Harsh punishment was apparently a big factor in this society. As I am studying for the AP World test this weekend as well, it reminds me of Legalism in China, where harsh punishment was used to regain and maintain stability and order in society. In this story, it is made clear that people’s punishment are a form of enjoyment for others, a fun activity similar to going to a play. At one point a man says “‘Ah!’ returned the man, with a relish; ‘he’ll be drawn on a hurdle to be half hanged, and then he’ll be taken down and sliced before his own face, and then his inside will be taken out and burnt while while he looks on, and then his head will be chopped off, and he’ll be cut into quarters. That’s the sentence’” (59). The fact that this man is saying it in “relish” is crazy and in my opinion disgusting, but unfortunately this is not the only place or time in history where punishing was done publicly. It has been done all around the world, like Jesus Christ being put onto a cross where people could come and make nasty remarks, or women accused of witchcraft being hanged or burnt at a stale during the Salem Witch trials.
In the courtroom in Chapter 2, it is said that there is a mirror over the prisoner’s head, and it says how “crowds of the wicked and the wretched had been reflected in it” (62). This reminded me of the use of the mirror in Macbeth, when Banquo is holding the mirror to show the endless line of Kings that will follow him. Both stories are using the idea of reflection to show continuity and created a chilling feeling for the individuals are are looking at it (Macbeth and the prisoner).
The beginning of chapter 3 the courtroom reminds me of the clips from “Philadelphia” that we watched in class. The way that Mr. Attorney-General spoke to the jury about why and how he would prove that the prisoner was guilty, reminded me of the way that we learned to do opening statements, and the way that they were demonstrated to us in that film. He even uses some techniques that we discussed such as making it more personal in a sense, saying “That, for reasons, the jury, being a loyal jury (as he knew they were), and being a responsible jury (as he knew they were), must positively find the prisoner guilty” (65).
“I care for no man on earth and no man cares for me” (82). This line is said by Mr. Carton who was just released from prison. I feel that this is a very similar mindset to the of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. This mindset justifies his heavy drinking for Mr. Carton, and For Scrooge it justifies his bitterness and cruelty.
Mikayla...your connections are AWESOME (especially the one from Great Ex, of course!)! I find it funny how often you are comparing this work with other Dickens' works (Great Ex, A Christmas Carol, etc.). You will see that Dickens has concepts and motifs that are present in most of his novels, child abuse being one of them. That actually plays a key role in the movie Matilda (which, if you haven't seen it, it's an excellent movie based off of the novel by Roald Dahl). In it, Matilda is a girl who loves to read, and she says her favorite author is Charles Dickens, which is so profound because she comes from an abusive household. So, if you know your background on Charles Dickens, you can appreciate the movie even more. I personally think that's pretty cool.
Also, I love how you connected it to Macbeth, because at one point in the novel, I did the same thing. It was in Chapter Two, too, although it wasn't the same connection. There's a quote that says, "Whatever gloss the various spectators put upon the interest, according to their several arts and powers of self-deceit, the interest was, at the root of it, Ogre-ish," and the whole "self-deceit" thing made me think of Macbeth (73). Also, with the motifs of light and dark and death going on, I'm feeling the Macbeth connections (which is ironic, considering I didn't understand half of what was going on...ha ha ha!).
1. How is Jerry Cruncher comical and yet consistent with Dickens' attack on social conditions? (Book II, Chapter 1: "Five Years Later")
Cruncher is a comical character because of how he is presented visually. Unruly hair and fingers loaded with rust. His name in itself is also comical "Cruncher" and "crunching" being the sound you make when munching on a bag of chips, etc. However Dickens bombards the social condition the poor were living in. The unpleasant Jerry Cruncher who verbally assaults his wife works as a runner for Tellson's while having to go "fishing" late at night. The fact that Cruncher Jr. is equally comically horrible as him makes the Crunchers still a mystery.
2. How is Dickens critical of both the Old Bailey? (Book II, Chapter 2: "A Sight")
Dickens uses the courtroom scene to abuse the British legal system, with the Old Bailey embodying the unwillingness harshness of the law. Charles Darnay's case highlights the bloody nature of criminal sentences: If found guilty, he will be drawn, half hanged, beheaded, and cut into pieces.
3. Why are the Manettes in court? (Book II, Chapter 2: "A Sight")
Lucie and Dr. Manette enter the courtroom as witnesses against Darnay, though Lucie is struck with compassion for him (another mystery?) In Chapter 3, Lucie is called as a witness because five years earlier she had met Darnay, who, at that time, told her he was traveling by a false name because his business was sensitive in nature. This testimony is one way that the prosecution is trying to prove that Darnay is guilty of treason, of working as a spy.
4.What suggestion does Dickens implant in the reader's mind by the closing line of this chapter? “He resorted to his pint of wine He resorted to his pint of wine for consolation, drank it all in a few minutes, and fell asleep on his arms, with his hair straggling over the table, and a long winding-sheet in the candle dripping down upon him.” (Book II, Chapter 4, “Congratulatory”;)
Dickens leaves us with a very ominous tone when the candle drips over Mr. Carton. A “winding-sheet” is a sheet in which a corpse is wrapped for burial. Therefore, Dickens implants the reader’s mind with an image of sinister death.
5. What is both the direct and indirect characterization that Dickens uses with both Carton and Stryver. (Book II, Chapter 5: "The Jackal")
A jackal is an animal similar to a dog that sometimes hunts in a pack but usually hunts alone or in a pair and they eat the lion’s leftovers. The lion and the jackal are names for two of the characters in the book, Sydney Carton and Stryver. Symbolically, the jackal is dependent on the lion for it's supply of food. The figurative relationship between the lion and the jackal is that Sydney needs Stryver to survive. So Sydney is the jackal and Stryver is the lion in the novel.
Erin I love your thoughts about all the mysteries we've read so far! I agree with everything for the most part, but I wanted to comment on the lion/jackal metaphor. On the surface, it may seem like Carton is a lazy underachiever who depends completely on Stryver, but if you think about it, Stryver is actually very dependent on Carton. Sydney is who gives him all of his legal advice and helps him in all that he does. He's the brains behind all of Stryver's actions. So although Dickens specifically states that Stryver is the lion and Sydney is the jackal, he might've included this metaphor to be ironic.
Kayleigh, I think you did a really good job with Jerry Cruncher’s character analysis. I also find him to be an interesting character, even though he as of yet has not been a main focus of the novel. In regards to his boots, I made a connection to Lady Macbeth; perhaps he is doing something in his sleep that results in the mud on his boots and the rust on his hands. Or, as you concluded, he may simply be doing shady things at night, since he seems to have a duality to him. One thing I do want to note about the difference in his character between Book One and Book Two is the time difference. Five years have passed since the events of Book One, so it may be less of a duality and more of a change over time. Maybe something happened to him in those five years that made him bitter towards his home life and family? We will see as the book progresses.
I 100% agree with you.That's just classic Dickens, it is so much like him to develop upon a minor detail/character in his writing. This just shows that Dickens is always looking ahead, and I cant wait to see what he has in store for Jerry.
Erin, those were some really cool mysteries you pulled out! I'm not going to lie, you actually had me laughing when you said that his name reminded you of a bag of chips. But that is kind of cool, because as you said he does have that comical vibe about him. Really cool ideas though!
Here are the list of words I found while reading Book II chapters 1-5:
Obstinacy- (Unyielding or stubborn adherence to one’s purpose) Page 51-”Thus it had come to pass, that Tellson’s was the triumphant perfection of inconvenience. After busting open a door of idiotic obstinacy, with a weak rattle in its throat, you fell into Tellson’s down two steps, and came to your senses in a miserable little shop, with two little counters, where the oldest of men made your cheque shake as if the wind rustled it, while they examined the signature by the dingiest of windows, which were always under a shower-bath of mud from Fleet Street, and which were made the dingier by their own iron bars proper, and the heavy shadow of Temple Bar.”
- This word has a negative connotation. It is basically saying that Tellson’s Bank is the definition of inconvenience. It is unorganized and unreliable.There were only two little counters in which old men would help you with their shaky hands, barely able to see, and their only light was the little bit of it shining in through the windows.
Detriment-(Loss, damage, disadvantage, or injury) Page 83- “Those were drinking days, and most men drank hard. So very great is the improvement Time has brought about in such habits, that a moderate statement of the quantity of wine and punch which one man would swallow in the course of a night, without any detriment to his reputation as a perfect gentleman, would seem, in these days, a ridiculous exaggeration. The learned profession of the law was certainly not behind any other learned profession in its Bacchanalian propensities; neither was Mr. Stryver, already fast shouldering his way to a large and lucrative practice, behind his compeers in this particular, any more than in the drier parts of the legal race.”
-This word has a negative connotation because in this time period, people were quick to judge and you had go about your life being civilized in order to be respected. The amount of alcohol one could drink back in the day and still remain respected is ridiculous compared to the time period they are in now. Therefore, if a man were to take advantage of what was right during this time period, it would be detrimental to his reputation.
Trepidation- (Tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation) Page 55- “Mr.Cruncher reposed under a patchwork counterpane,like a Harlequin at home. At fast, he slept heavily,but, by degrees, began to roll and surge in bed, until he rose above the surface, with his spiky hair looking as if it must tear the sheets to ribbons. At which juncture, he exclaimed, in a voice of dire exasperation:
"Bust me, if she ain't at it again!"
A woman of orderly and industrious appearance rose from her knees in a corner, with sufficient haste and trepidation to show that she was the person referred to.
"What!" said Mr. Cruncher, looking out of bed for a boot. "You're at it again, are you?"
After hailing the mom with this second salutation, he threw a boot at the woman as a third. It was a very muddy boot, and may introduce the odd circumstance connected with Mr. Cruncher's domestic economy, that, whereas he often came home after banking hours with clean boots, he often got up next morning to find the same boots covered with clay.
"What," said Mr. Cruncher, varying his apostrophe after missing his mark--"what are you up to, Aggerawayter?"
"I was only saying my prayers."
-This word has a negative connotation because Mr. Cruncher, a man of being short-tempered yeled at the neatly dressed woman because he thought she was going to bust him and she got up off her knees in the corner, with enough speed and fear to show that she was the woman he referred to.
Dexterously- (Skillful or adroit in the use of hands or body) Page 84-”
"Ten o'clock, sir," said the man at the tavern, whom he had charged to wake him--"ten o'clock, sir."
"What's the matter?"
"Ten o'clock, sir."
"What do you mean? Ten o'clock at night?"
"Yes, sir. Your honour told me to call you."
"Oh! I remember. Very well, very well."
After a few dull efforts to get to sleep again, which the man dexterously combated by stirring the fire continuously for five minutes, he got up, tossed his hat on, and walked out. He turned into the Temple, and, having revived himself by twice pacing the pavements of King's Bench-walk and Paper-buildings, turned into the Stryver chambers
- This word has a negative connotation because the servant is attempting to get out of waking up to the man’s order. The servant states, “What do you mean? Ten o’clock at night?” To make it seem as though he does not know what is going on. He is dexterously tending the fire so he can use up as much time as he can and stall.
I love how you pointed out the social issues that is occuring in the Cruncher household. It definitely reminds me of AP World when we learned about patriarchal societies and how women were often mistreated and treated as inferior within society. I think that those patriarchal ways would be very common in this time period of the book as people are going through many obstacles and they just live in a corrupt and unorderly society. It seems like Dickens likes to portray this in his writing because , like you pointed out, he even displayed it in Great Ex. I really like the connection you made to Macbeth, as well, with the mirror and Banquo. Reflections in a mirror can give an insight to the person in it and who they really are.
Great questions here; I can tell you’re someone who’s not afraid of the stage. One question I have: is your second question stated correctly? Sounds like you’re missing a few words or phrases. Anyway, one thing I would like to comment on is the last line of that chapter. We see wine being a symbol of his possible death and it definitely has a negative connotation here. When I read this, I made a comparison to how wine is depicted in the first book. If you remember, the cask of wine split open and wine poured all over the street. This wine brought people from all over and they came and feasted on this wine. I found it interesting that it’s in a different context here, in this chapter. Why? I have no idea. Maybe, since it is five years later, the wine has become a different symbol to the people. Maybe it has taken on the symbol of blood and death (as that one person wrote on the wall with the wine in that chapter). Either way, I just found it pretty interesting.
@Erin Murphy I thought those were some really good questions and answer. I especially liked the first one. I never thought of Mr. Cruncher that way, so when you were describing him it really made me think and I realized how right you guys are! For the second question I like how you turned the courtroom into a symbol of the British legal system. I hadn't thought of it that way. In question five it is really cool that you were able to make the connection between the jackal eating the lion's food to survive and Carton needing Stryver to survive. If Carton didn't have that job he would end up in poverty and that was a really difficult thing to be in during those times. All in all I thought you led a great discussion!
Mikayla, I loved your connections. I particularly liked the one about Old Bailey, and how violence has been continuously used and even embraced as a means of control throughout history. It's true that the idea of people enjoying an execution is disgusting, but probably not all that uncommon for the time. In nearly all (if not all) of Dickens' works, he points out a major flaw in society and why it ought to be fixed. So far in this book, we can see the rather inhumane treatment of prisoners, from Charles Darnay to Doctor Manette, and I think Dickens wanted us to take note of the gruesome enjoyment that some seem to take out of it, as if these prisoners are less than human and deserve to be treated as such.
Mikayla, those are really good connections! I specifically like the connections between Jerry Cruncher’s relationship with his son, and the relationship between Joe and Pip. I didn’t realize that before, but both of the families are very similar. The younger boys in both stories look up to the father figure, and one of the parents is more rude or harsh. It’s interesting how Dickens used these two kinds of relationships in both A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations.
Mishal, I like how you talked about your connection with Mr. Carton and his feelings/insecurites. I especially liked the quotes you used to describe his inner struggle with himself. It helps the reader to further connect with the character. I thought the same thing about Lucie and Charles Darnay!
Mikayla, I really liked the comparison to Great Expectations and the contrast you created between the males and the females of both books. I think it's interesting how you compared one of Dickens' work to another one of his pieces. It shows the similarities in his work and I liked that comparison too.
18 comments:
Character Captain
Chapters 1-5 Book II-
When reading chapters 1-5 of Book 2, I found that Jerry Cruncher was a minor character from Book One expanded on throughout these first few chapters. Although we were introduced to a few new characters in Book Two, I decided to focus on the characterization of Mr. Jerry Cruncher, particularly because of the small mysteries that seem to surround him.
In Book I, we were given very little information about Cruncher. We know he is a messenger who was trusted enough to deliver reports to and from Mr.Jarvis Lorry; however not important enough to be involved with those businesses or understand the meaning behind the messages. Book II begins with descriptions of Tellson’s Bank and of the odd-jobs
man’s consistent presence outside of the obstinate old business. Cruncher is first described through a comparison to his son “He was never absent during business hours, unless upon an errand, and then he was represented by his son:a grisly urchin of twelve, who was his express image”(Dickens 53). So we are meant to see Cruncher as a ‘grisly urchin’, reliable, but mysterious.
We next see Cruncher interacting with his wife when she wakes him with her prayers. “After hailing the morn with this second salutation, he threw a boot at the woman as a third…. ‘And what do you suppose, you conceited female….that the worth of your prayers may be?’”(Dickens 54). His words and actions towards his wife exhibit that their household is completely male-dominated; both by Cruncher and by his son following all of his examples. He who seems to be relatively well-mannered in society, is now shown to be extremely cruel towards his wife when not in view of the public eye. With the consistent motif of duality, it seems likely that we are shown this scene to view the difference between the Cruncher at home and at work; to give us reason to believe that he is someone who has had skill at keeping secrets.
Another piece of information that I felt added to the mysteries that seem to shroud Mr. Cruncher was the small tidbit Dickens included about his boots. “It was a very muddy boot, and may introduce the odd circumstance connected with Mr. Cruncher’s domestic economy, that, whereas he often came home from banking hours with clean boots, he often got up next morning to find the same boots covered with clay”(Dickens 54). That is all that is mentioned of the boots for the remainder of the chapter. It’s a small detail, but it is enough to leave a feeling of uneasiness around Mr. Cruncher to wonder what is occurring at night.
Finally, when Jerry Cruncher is at work and receives the instructions to go to Jarvis Lorry at the Old Bailey, he mentions being familiar with the place. “‘Yes sir’, returned Jerry, in something of a dogged manner. ‘I do know the Bailey’...‘I know Mr. Lorry, sir, much better than I know the Bailey. Much better,’ said Jerry, not unlike a reluctant witness at the establishment in question, ‘than I, as an honest tradesman, wish to know the Bailey’” (Dickens 57). Here, Cruncher acknowledges his familiarity with the criminal court, but denies wanting the familiarity for reason of being an “honest tradesman” which, given his various appearances, I find highly unlikely that he is indeed honest. It is also interesting to note when Dickens refers to the character as Jerry, and when he is called Mr. Cruncher. The entire scene with his wife he is referred to as “Cruncher” or “Mr. Cruncher”, but when he needs to seem innocent for the clerk in relation to the Old Bailey, he is called Jerry. As it is said in chapter one of book 2, “His surname was Cruncher, and on the youthful occasion of his renouncing by proxy the works of darkness, in the easterly parish church of Hounsditch, he had received the added appellation of Jerry”(Dickens 53). Mr. Cruncher is definitely someone to watch for developing themes of mystery and motifs of duality.
With the introduction of several new characters in Book II, we are able to begin to develop our thoughts on what we already know about some. Perhaps even begin to choose some as our favorites. I don’t know about you guys, but Mr. Carton seems to be a pretty interesting figure to me. It’s like a dual personality has been created between him and Charles Darnay, something that did not appear to be highly noticeable until specifically pointed out.
Starting around page 80 in the books, Mr. Carton’s entire conversation with Charles Darnay seems to be pretty sketchy to me, starting from where he asks him to go dine with him, up until the very last point where the dinner ends. When considering the fact that he had been drinking and even made the point of asking if Mr. Darnay considered him being drunk, Mr. Carton’s characterization begins to get questioned. He, himself, questions Mr. Darnay on everything that had happened, instead of giving the ex-prisoner a few seconds to recollect and breathe a sigh of relief about what he had just escaped from. He ultimately dropped the question that he had appeared to actually have on his mind, which was centered around the idea of Darnay’s feelings for Miss Lucie Manette.
Did any of you catch that? Were any of you able to recognize and see what Mr. Carton seemed to see? I know I was, and I know this little hint at an affair between Lucie Manette and Charles Darnay will be what keeps me reading. I think that two conclusions can be made from this. The dislike that we can see from Mr. Carton to Mr. Darnay simply stems from jealousy he feels when thinking of the connection that seems to exist between the young woman and the prisoner. He’s jealous of how the man could receive such care and attention from somebody he might be see as absolutely perfect, and is jealous that he could not be the one to receive it. This leads me to my second conclusion. Mr. Carton does not seem to have to have a very high level of self confidence.
Then at the end of Chapter 5, on the very last page, starting from “waste forces within him…” and ending with “its pillow was wet with wasted tears”, I really began to feel for the man. Like come on. Wasted tears? It seems that Mr. Carton is fully aware of the insecurities that he has but does not know what to do with them. And I’m almost sure that many of us can connect with him at this point, which is what Dickens may have been trying to do. But are we meant to feel poorly about the man and sympathize with him or is this some kind of trick to let our guard down against him...
Critical Connectory
Chapters 1-5 Book II
To begin, I would like to point out the Cruncher family dynamics, shown to us in
chapter 1. There is a father, mother and one son, Little Jerry. Mr. Cruncher, although it may be done sarcastically at times, is quite harsh and rude to his wife. Their household represents a male dominated society, where the man goes to work, and the obedient wife does the housework. Mrs. Cruncher is what we would define today as the “housewife.” Little Jerry is quite influenced by his father, living up to the phrase “like father like son.” He seems to admire his father and do exactly what he says. But this family can (with a few twists) be compared to another Dickens family. Joe, Mrs. Joe and Pip, are another family of three, from Dicken’s other masterpiece Great Expectations. Although Joe and Mrs. Joe are actually Pip’s sister and brother-in-law, they are his parental figures. Similar to the Cruncher’s, one of the spouse’s is quite harsh on the other. However, instead of it being the male in Great Expectations, it is Mrs. Joe who is rude and nasty to her husband. Similarly, it is also a two vs. one relationship, with the man and son being a pair against the wife/mother/mother figure.
Old Bailey is a place of importance in chapter 2, being the jail. Harsh punishment was apparently a big factor in this society. As I am studying for the AP World test this weekend as well, it reminds me of Legalism in China, where harsh punishment was used to regain and maintain stability and order in society. In this story, it is made clear that people’s punishment are a form of enjoyment for others, a fun activity similar to going to a play. At one point a man says “‘Ah!’ returned the man, with a relish; ‘he’ll be drawn on a hurdle to be half hanged, and then he’ll be taken down and sliced before his own face, and then his inside will be taken out and burnt while while he looks on, and then his head will be chopped off, and he’ll be cut into quarters. That’s the sentence’” (59). The fact that this man is saying it in “relish” is crazy and in my opinion disgusting, but unfortunately this is not the only place or time in history where punishing was done publicly. It has been done all around the world, like Jesus Christ being put onto a cross where people could come and make nasty remarks, or women accused of witchcraft being hanged or burnt at a stale during the Salem Witch trials.
In the courtroom in Chapter 2, it is said that there is a mirror over the prisoner’s head, and it says how “crowds of the wicked and the wretched had been reflected in it” (62). This reminded me of the use of the mirror in Macbeth, when Banquo is holding the mirror to show the endless line of Kings that will follow him. Both stories are using the idea of reflection to show continuity and created a chilling feeling for the individuals are are looking at it (Macbeth and the prisoner).
The beginning of chapter 3 the courtroom reminds me of the clips from “Philadelphia” that we watched in class. The way that Mr. Attorney-General spoke to the jury about why and how he would prove that the prisoner was guilty, reminded me of the way that we learned to do opening statements, and the way that they were demonstrated to us in that film. He even uses some techniques that we discussed such as making it more personal in a sense, saying “That, for reasons, the jury, being a loyal jury (as he knew they were), and being a responsible jury (as he knew they were), must positively find the prisoner guilty” (65).
“I care for no man on earth and no man cares for me” (82). This line is said by Mr. Carton who was just released from prison. I feel that this is a very similar mindset to the of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. This mindset justifies his heavy drinking for Mr. Carton, and For Scrooge it justifies his bitterness and cruelty.
Mikayla...your connections are AWESOME (especially the one from Great Ex, of course!)! I find it funny how often you are comparing this work with other Dickens' works (Great Ex, A Christmas Carol, etc.). You will see that Dickens has concepts and motifs that are present in most of his novels, child abuse being one of them. That actually plays a key role in the movie Matilda (which, if you haven't seen it, it's an excellent movie based off of the novel by Roald Dahl). In it, Matilda is a girl who loves to read, and she says her favorite author is Charles Dickens, which is so profound because she comes from an abusive household. So, if you know your background on Charles Dickens, you can appreciate the movie even more. I personally think that's pretty cool.
Also, I love how you connected it to Macbeth, because at one point in the novel, I did the same thing. It was in Chapter Two, too, although it wasn't the same connection. There's a quote that says, "Whatever gloss the various spectators put upon the interest, according to their several arts and powers of self-deceit, the interest was, at the root of it, Ogre-ish," and the whole "self-deceit" thing made me think of Macbeth (73). Also, with the motifs of light and dark and death going on, I'm feeling the Macbeth connections (which is ironic, considering I didn't understand half of what was going on...ha ha ha!).
Discussion Director
1. How is Jerry Cruncher comical and yet consistent with Dickens' attack on social conditions? (Book II, Chapter 1: "Five Years Later")
Cruncher is a comical character because of how he is presented visually. Unruly hair and fingers loaded with rust. His name in itself is also comical "Cruncher" and "crunching" being the sound you make when munching on a bag of chips, etc. However Dickens bombards the social condition the poor were living in. The unpleasant Jerry Cruncher who verbally assaults his wife works as a runner for Tellson's while having to go "fishing" late at night. The fact that Cruncher Jr. is equally comically horrible as him makes the Crunchers still a mystery.
2. How is Dickens critical of both the Old Bailey? (Book II, Chapter 2: "A Sight")
Dickens uses the courtroom scene to abuse the British legal system, with the Old Bailey embodying the unwillingness harshness of the law. Charles Darnay's case highlights the bloody nature of criminal sentences: If found guilty, he will be drawn, half hanged, beheaded, and cut into pieces.
3. Why are the Manettes in court? (Book II, Chapter 2: "A Sight")
Lucie and Dr. Manette enter the courtroom as witnesses against Darnay, though Lucie is struck with compassion for him (another mystery?) In Chapter 3, Lucie is called as a witness because five years earlier she had met Darnay, who, at that time, told her he was traveling by a false name because his business was sensitive in nature. This testimony is one way that the prosecution is trying to prove that Darnay is guilty of treason, of working as a spy.
4.What suggestion does Dickens implant in the reader's mind by the closing line of this chapter? “He resorted to his pint of wine He resorted to his pint of wine for consolation, drank it all in a few minutes, and fell asleep on his arms, with his hair straggling over the table, and a long winding-sheet in the candle dripping down upon him.” (Book II, Chapter 4, “Congratulatory”;)
Dickens leaves us with a very ominous tone when the candle drips over Mr. Carton. A “winding-sheet” is a sheet in which a corpse is wrapped for burial. Therefore, Dickens implants the reader’s mind with an image of sinister death.
5. What is both the direct and indirect characterization that Dickens uses with both Carton and Stryver. (Book II, Chapter 5: "The Jackal")
A jackal is an animal similar to a dog that sometimes hunts in a pack but usually hunts alone or in a pair and they eat the lion’s leftovers. The lion and the jackal are names for two of the characters in the book, Sydney Carton and Stryver. Symbolically, the jackal is dependent on the lion for it's supply of food. The figurative relationship between the lion and the jackal is that Sydney needs Stryver to survive. So Sydney is the jackal and Stryver is the lion in the novel.
Erin I love your thoughts about all the mysteries we've read so far! I agree with everything for the most part, but I wanted to comment on the lion/jackal metaphor. On the surface, it may seem like Carton is a lazy underachiever who depends completely on Stryver, but if you think about it, Stryver is actually very dependent on Carton. Sydney is who gives him all of his legal advice and helps him in all that he does. He's the brains behind all of Stryver's actions. So although Dickens specifically states that Stryver is the lion and Sydney is the jackal, he might've included this metaphor to be ironic.
Kayleigh, I think you did a really good job with Jerry Cruncher’s character analysis. I also find him to be an interesting character, even though he as of yet has not been a main focus of the novel.
In regards to his boots, I made a connection to Lady Macbeth; perhaps he is doing something in his sleep that results in the mud on his boots and the rust on his hands. Or, as you concluded, he may simply be doing shady things at night, since he seems to have a duality to him.
One thing I do want to note about the difference in his character between Book One and Book Two is the time difference. Five years have passed since the events of Book One, so it may be less of a duality and more of a change over time. Maybe something happened to him in those five years that made him bitter towards his home life and family? We will see as the book progresses.
I 100% agree with you.That's just classic Dickens, it is so much like him to develop upon a minor detail/character in his writing. This just shows that Dickens is always looking ahead, and I cant wait to see what he has in store for Jerry.
Erin, those were some really cool mysteries you pulled out! I'm not going to lie, you actually had me laughing when you said that his name reminded you of a bag of chips. But that is kind of cool, because as you said he does have that comical vibe about him. Really cool ideas though!
Here are the list of words I found while reading Book II chapters 1-5:
Obstinacy- (Unyielding or stubborn adherence to one’s purpose) Page 51-”Thus it had come to pass, that Tellson’s was the triumphant perfection of inconvenience. After busting open a door of idiotic obstinacy, with a weak rattle in its throat, you fell into Tellson’s down two steps, and came to your senses in a miserable little shop, with two little counters, where the oldest of men made your cheque shake as if the wind rustled it, while they examined the signature by the dingiest of windows, which were always under a shower-bath of mud from Fleet Street, and which were made the dingier by their own iron bars proper, and the heavy shadow of Temple Bar.”
- This word has a negative connotation. It is basically saying that Tellson’s Bank is the definition of inconvenience. It is unorganized and unreliable.There were only two little counters in which old men would help you with their shaky hands, barely able to see, and their only light was the little bit of it shining in through the windows.
Detriment-(Loss, damage, disadvantage, or injury) Page 83- “Those were drinking days, and most men drank hard. So very great is the improvement Time has brought about in such habits, that a moderate statement of the quantity of wine and punch which one man would swallow in the course of a night, without any detriment to his reputation as a perfect gentleman, would seem, in these days, a ridiculous exaggeration. The learned profession of the law was certainly not behind any other learned profession in its Bacchanalian propensities; neither was Mr. Stryver, already fast shouldering his way to a large and lucrative practice, behind his compeers in this particular, any more than in the drier parts of the legal race.”
-This word has a negative connotation because in this time period, people were quick to judge and you had go about your life being civilized in order to be respected. The amount of alcohol one could drink back in the day and still remain respected is ridiculous compared to the time period they are in now. Therefore, if a man were to take advantage of what was right during this time period, it would be detrimental to his reputation.
Trepidation- (Tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation) Page 55- “Mr.Cruncher reposed under a patchwork counterpane,like a Harlequin at home. At fast, he slept heavily,but, by degrees, began to roll and surge in bed, until he rose above the surface, with his spiky hair looking as if it must tear the sheets to ribbons. At which juncture, he exclaimed, in a voice of dire exasperation:
"Bust me, if she ain't at it again!"
A woman of orderly and industrious appearance rose from her knees in a corner, with sufficient haste and trepidation to show that she was the person referred to.
"What!" said Mr. Cruncher, looking out of bed for a boot. "You're at it again, are you?"
After hailing the mom with this second salutation, he threw a boot at the woman as a third. It was a very muddy boot, and may introduce the odd circumstance connected with Mr. Cruncher's domestic economy, that, whereas he often came home after banking hours with clean boots, he often got up next morning to find the same boots covered with clay.
"What," said Mr. Cruncher, varying his apostrophe after missing his mark--"what are you up to, Aggerawayter?"
"I was only saying my prayers."
-This word has a negative connotation because Mr. Cruncher, a man of being short-tempered yeled at the neatly dressed woman because he thought she was going to bust him and she got up off her knees in the corner, with enough speed and fear to show that she was the woman he referred to.
Dexterously- (Skillful or adroit in the use of hands or body) Page 84-”
"Ten o'clock, sir," said the man at the tavern, whom he had charged to wake him--"ten o'clock, sir."
"What's the matter?"
"Ten o'clock, sir."
"What do you mean? Ten o'clock at night?"
"Yes, sir. Your honour told me to call you."
"Oh! I remember. Very well, very well."
After a few dull efforts to get to sleep again, which the man dexterously combated by stirring the fire continuously for five minutes, he got up, tossed his hat on, and walked out. He turned into the Temple, and, having revived himself by twice pacing the pavements of King's Bench-walk and Paper-buildings, turned into the Stryver chambers
- This word has a negative connotation because the servant is attempting to get out of waking up to the man’s order. The servant states, “What do you mean? Ten o’clock at night?” To make it seem as though he does not know what is going on. He is dexterously tending the fire so he can use up as much time as he can and stall.
@ Mikayla
I love how you pointed out the social issues that is occuring in the Cruncher household. It definitely reminds me of AP World when we learned about patriarchal societies and how women were often mistreated and treated as inferior within society. I think that those patriarchal ways would be very common in this time period of the book as people are going through many obstacles and they just live in a corrupt and unorderly society. It seems like Dickens likes to portray this in his writing because , like you pointed out, he even displayed it in Great Ex. I really like the connection you made to Macbeth, as well, with the mirror and Banquo. Reflections in a mirror can give an insight to the person in it and who they really are.
@Erin
Great questions here; I can tell you’re someone who’s not afraid of the stage. One question I have: is your second question stated correctly? Sounds like you’re missing a few words or phrases. Anyway, one thing I would like to comment on is the last line of that chapter. We see wine being a symbol of his possible death and it definitely has a negative connotation here. When I read this, I made a comparison to how wine is depicted in the first book. If you remember, the cask of wine split open and wine poured all over the street. This wine brought people from all over and they came and feasted on this wine. I found it interesting that it’s in a different context here, in this chapter. Why? I have no idea. Maybe, since it is five years later, the wine has become a different symbol to the people. Maybe it has taken on the symbol of blood and death (as that one person wrote on the wall with the wine in that chapter). Either way, I just found it pretty interesting.
@Erin Murphy
I thought those were some really good questions and answer. I especially liked the first one. I never thought of Mr. Cruncher that way, so when you were describing him it really made me think and I realized how right you guys are! For the second question I like how you turned the courtroom into a symbol of the British legal system. I hadn't thought of it that way. In question five it is really cool that you were able to make the connection between the jackal eating the lion's food to survive and Carton needing Stryver to survive. If Carton didn't have that job he would end up in poverty and that was a really difficult thing to be in during those times. All in all I thought you led a great discussion!
Mikayla, I loved your connections. I particularly liked the one about Old Bailey, and how violence has been continuously used and even embraced as a means of control throughout history. It's true that the idea of people enjoying an execution is disgusting, but probably not all that uncommon for the time. In nearly all (if not all) of Dickens' works, he points out a major flaw in society and why it ought to be fixed. So far in this book, we can see the rather inhumane treatment of prisoners, from Charles Darnay to Doctor Manette, and I think Dickens wanted us to take note of the gruesome enjoyment that some seem to take out of it, as if these prisoners are less than human and deserve to be treated as such.
Mikayla, those are really good connections! I specifically like the connections between Jerry Cruncher’s relationship with his son, and the relationship between Joe and Pip. I didn’t realize that before, but both of the families are very similar. The younger boys in both stories look up to the father figure, and one of the parents is more rude or harsh. It’s interesting how Dickens used these two kinds of relationships in both A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations.
Mishal, I like how you talked about your connection with Mr. Carton and his feelings/insecurites. I especially liked the quotes you used to describe his inner struggle with himself. It helps the reader to further connect with the character. I thought the same thing about Lucie and Charles Darnay!
Mikayla, I really liked the comparison to Great Expectations and the contrast you created between the males and the females of both books. I think it's interesting how you compared one of Dickens' work to another one of his pieces. It shows the similarities in his work and I liked that comparison too.
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