Charles Darnay

Charles Darnay’s character is greatly developed during chapters nine and ten in A Tale of Two Cities. From the events and descriptions present in the book, readers can conclude that he is kind, caring, passionate, and ambitious, yet mysterious as well. These are all qualities that he proves himself to be in chapters nine and ten. He shows his kindness when talking with his uncle the Marquis. He tries to convince this man to make changes so that the poorer people could live a better life and eventually escape from this poverty. He points out the wrong that his family had been doing and continued to do. He shows his passion when talking to Dr. Manette about getting Lucie’s hand in marriage. Darnay says, “Dear Doctor Manette, I love your daughter fondly, dearly, disinterestedly, and devotedly” (Dickens 101). These words express what his heart feels for Lucie and also shows the passion he possesses. He is ambitious in the sense of belief he has that he will help these poor people who are so harshly mistreated and that he will someday have Lucie, the only woman he loves, as his wife. The mystery aspect that Charles Darnay undoubtedly possesses is mostly seen by the townspeople around him. None of these people know Charles by his real name or where he came from. This makes him mysterious to the readers because if he could have made up something as important as his name then he could likely be hiding other components of his true self.

The Light and The Dark

In chapter 6, Dickens creates a hopeful mood for the future of Lucie and the shoemaker, Dr. Manette, through the use of light and darkness. Defarge says, “I want to let a little more light in here” (Dickens 30). The shoemaker agrees skeptically. This insignificant event symbolized the course in which events of his future will occur. The shoemaker will likely slowly let Lucie into his life and along with her will come life changing improvements. Lucie is portrayed as the light in his life that will bring him out of his dark imprisonment and depression. Along with the light comes a sense of strong hope. Dickens also writes, “Darkness had fallen on him in its place” (Dickens 32). This statement reflects upon how Mr. Manette has spent the last years of his life. The darkness that falls on him symbolizes the dreadful years he spent in prison that changed him for the worse. He used to be a man who worked as a doctor and spent his off hours with the woman he loved, but now he must hold onto any shred of sanity he has left by wasting his days making shoes. The last quote really sets a hopeful mood for Lucie and Dr. Manette to help each other thrive to success in life. It reads, “The darkness deepened as they both lay quiet, until a light gleamed through the chinks in the wall” (Dickens 36). The light that gleams through the wall is a sign that though they are in a hard situation, there is hope that things will get better. By comparing Lucie to a light that will brighten her father’s dark life, the author shows hope foreshadows a breakthrough within the relationship.

Wine Spill or War?

In Chapter 5 of A Tale of Two Cities, wine is spilt onto the poor streets of Paris and people in the surrounding area rush towards the mess. The way these events occur and the way the author describes the situation foreshadows a war that is to come. The first sentence in this chapter reads, “A large cask of wine had been dropped and broken, in the street” (Dickens 20). The cask of wine resembles the peace and trust between countries being shattered, resulting in disaster. The quote that symbolizes a war to come says, “All the people within reach suspended their business, or their idleness, to run to the spot and drink the wine” (Dickens 20). The people suspending what they are busy with resemble people that drop everything they having going in their everyday life and go to war. As the wine is running short because of all the people drinking it in the streets, it leaves a stain on the ground of the city. Dickens writes, “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” (Dickens 21). This shows how the war will leave an undying impression on the city. Though a war may be a little more complex than a wine spill, the two resemble each other greatly in this situation.

The Importance of Family

Family is not only a group of people related by blood but strung together by love and care for one another. Family is a gift given to every soul in the world upon which a successful life can be built. With family, all things are possible. It is a place that you should look forward to coming home to everyday, somewhere you can feel safe and welcomed and accepted no matter what kind of day you’re having. There are many different interpretations of what a “good” family consists of. “Stone Soup” by Barbara Kingslover and “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith both focus on situations that families overcome using the strength of their love.

“Stone Soup,” primarily refers to families that are often judged in society for being unlike a traditional family that consists of mom, dad, sister, and junior, according to the essay. One quote from the book that refers to different types of families is, “To judge a family’s value by its tidy symmetry is to purchase a book for its cover” (Kingslover 19). The tidy symmetry is referring to a family that to society is normal and acceptable. To judge a family by if it’s according to society rules is the same as judging something for what it looks like on the outside. There surely could be a family with gay or blended parents who get along better than a family with “normal” parents. Another quote says, ”Divorce, remarriage, single parenthood, gay parents, and blended families simply are. They’re facts of our time” (Kingslover 16). I think it is true that every generations’ society has had a different perspective of what a normal/good/stable family should be like. Hopefully if more people listen to the views of family members of these so called broken homes the next generation will accept families how they are.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn also showed ideas about family. Throughout the story the Nolans struggle with everything from poverty to sexual assault to education to alcoholism.  Katie, the mother of the Nolans, has a strong sense of what family is all about and uses this strength to get her family out of situations as best as she can. In this quote we see Katie putting all her efforts into creating a better life for Neeley, “Katie would make him [Neeley] into the kind of man Johnny should have been” (Smith 96). Katie loved both Johnny and Neeley passionately in different ways and knew they both had the potential to be successful. She decided that she would do everything in her power to make sure he fufiled that potential. The other quote I recognized showed the family bond between siblings as opposed to mother to child, “My brother is next. His arm is just as dirty as mine so don’t be surprised. And you don’t have to tell him. You told me” (Smith 147). Francie tells this to the doctor when the doctor judges her for having a dirty arm when her and Neeley go to get their shots. This resembles how families should be proud of one another and where they are all coming from. Francie has a good sense of how families should function that she inherits from her mom.

I myself believe that the function of family is simple. Family are the people who god gave to you in your life to guide you down the path of love. Your family should show you unconditional love without a cost and that is what they are there for. Families do have problems and no family is perfect but as long as there is love for one another in families members’ hearts, there will always be forgiveness, trust, and acceptance between them. Not only is family the people that you are somewhat forced to spend your life with but the ones that someday you’ll appreciate more than any other thing in the world.

Sacredness Of The Ordinary

       Beauty can often be found in the ugliest of places. This is a common concept that shows up in life. Memories that associate with certain things can mean more to you than the object itself but these are the tangible things that you keep sacred to your heart. My baby dolls, for example, are dirty and ragged and to other people they are useless pieces of cotton and stuffing. To me, they are cherishable pieces of my childhood that I will always hold on to.

       The times I remember from my childhood were always shared with "Baby". From car rides when I would buckle her into a car seat to trips out of town or trips to a friend’s house, Baby always came along. I remember her always being a great listener, a good friend, and my favorite person to play with.

I believed that Baby’s favorite place to be was the beach so whenever I was there I always brought her. I spent every summer of my childhood, and so far my life, at the same little beach in Rockport, MA that has been in my family for a while now. I love everything about the beach. I would sit in the sand for hours while Baby sat next to me and build sand castles or dig holes. I also brought her in the ocean with me, but was careful not to get her wet. I took Baby on picnics, we traveled to other worlds of pretend together, and she would never disagree with me. This was just one of the childhood adventures that Baby reminds me of.

My family saw my love for baby since I received her as a communion gift. I would not sleep without her, I would not leave the laundry room when she was being washed, and I most certainly would not let anyone else hold her. Looking back on it now shows how simple times are when you’re small. To me, that doll was the world and I only worried about protecting her. It’s funny how at a young age you go at everything with a full heart. If you love something, like I loved Baby, you protect them and cherish them everyday. If you don’t like something, you are set off completely when it happens. I don’t know exactly why this changes as you age, but it must have to do with having the realization that you’re not living in a perfect world. When you think of the love you had for your favorite toy as a child you may recognize that it is not the same type of love you have for your best friend. With age people tend to look at the faults in everything. They see the ugliness of situations before they look for the beauty. This is what a stranger would do if they saw Baby. She may be ragged and she may be worn but the memories that come along with her wear and tear are too beautiful to forget.

About Me

      My name is Lindsey O'Brien and I am a freshman at WMHS. I would like to tell you a little about myself before you read my blogs. I am 14 years old and I come from a big family. I have two sisters and one brother who live with my mom, my dad, and I near the West Side of Woburn. We have lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins who are very close to us. My grandparents on both sides are also some of the most important people in my life. When I'm not spending time with my family I'm usually with my friends. I have had three of my best friends since the first day of kindergarten and I hope to have them forever. I have met more friends as I grew up through sports, school, and other activities that have become just as close to me.

       In the fall since I was 6 I have always played soccer.This year I'm playing on the freshman team but I've progressively lost my love for the sport and I think this season will be the last. In the spring I have played lacrosse for the past two years and plan to do the same this year. Lacrosse is my favorite sport and I would play it every season if I could.  Other things I like to do in my free time include drawing, cooking, organizing, shopping, and taking pictures. I have a passionate love for all things at the beach and have gone to grandparents house on Long Beach in Rockport every summer since I was born. I love to be in the sun and I also love the salty ocean. In the winter I like to ski although I don't do it often and I'm not very good. Music also plays a big role in my life, as I listen to it whenever I am able. I have a very open mind about types of music as I do with most things. I think school is important but not the most important thing in life. I'm looking forward to making this year one of the bests.