In Book 1, in A Tale of Two Cities, they continuously made
reference to the same phrase, “recalled to life”. There was very little told
about what it meant, other than we know he was being recalled to life after 18
years. We don’t know if he was actually dead or if this was figuratively
speaking. We actually did not even know if it was even a him. It could have
been a thing being brought out after 18 years. All we knew for several chapters
was that something was being recalled to life after 18 years. But in Chapter 4,
certain clues led me to figure out what was actually happening.
Dr. Manette, the father of Lucie Manette was being brought
out from prison after 18 years in France. Lucie believed he was dead until Mr.
Jarvis Lorry told Lucie the truth about her father.
“And when she die – I
believe broken hearted – having slackened her unveiling search for your father,
she left you, at two years old, to grow up to be blooming, beautiful, and
happy, without the dark cloud upon you of living in uncertainty whether your
father soon wore his heart out in prison, or wasted there through many
lingering years” (page 28).
After reading this, I was able to answer many of my
questions. Dickens said that a man was going to be dug out after 18 years in
prison. He described this in a code as “recalled to life”. I answered my
question of who or what was being dug out. At the age of 2, Lucie was parentless,
with a dead mother and she thought a dead father. We learn that her father was
not dead, yet he was in prison in France. My guess is that her father was a
political prisoner in France. We know he was in prison in France for 18 years,
and that Dr. Manette lived in France. France was going through the French
Revolution in 1860, when he was sent to prison. I feel that he was seen as a
political threat, and therefore sent to prison.
This was a true “aha” moment for me. I had many questions,
but learning that her father was in prison for 18 years allowed me to realize
that he was the thing the was being recalled to life.
Another “aha” moment I had was with Mr. Lorry. I was very
confused with who Mr. Lorry was, and why he was delivered the message “recalled
to life”. Lucie Manette seeks out Mr. Lorry because she thinks that he is the
man who brought her from France to England when she was 2. “It was you who brought me to England. I am almost sure it was you” (page
26). We learned here that the reason Mr. Lorry received the “recalled to
life” message was because he was responsible for Lucie. Dr. Manette had his
money with Mr. Lorry, and with no one to care for his daughter, gave her to Mr.
Lorry to take her away from France’s troubles into England. Receiving the
message alerted Mr. Lorry that Dr. Manette was being brought out of prison, or “recalled
to life” after 18 years, and it was his job to bring Lucie to France to be
reunited with her father who she thought was dead.
Matt: lots of great "aha!" moments in your post. I like your textual support and your explanation of HOW you made these inferences.
ReplyDeleteOne question I have for you is whether or not the book is getting easier to read. Do you find it easier to make these kinds of connections as you move along in the book?
Mr. Lawler: I think that it is much easier to read the book as you read further because many of your questions are answered. I felt like the book started of very unclear with the "recalled to life" incedent, because we had no idea what it meant. But reading further we learn things that make reading the book much easier.
DeleteI think that Lucy is being brought along not only to be reunited with her father but I think she is also coming along to help he father acclimate. This is because her entire life she has felt alone and abandoned and this is exactly how he father must feel after being locked away for 18 years. Having a family will be new to both of them and I look forward to seeing how they connect.
ReplyDeleteThe whole recalled to life thing was very hard to follow from the beginning but I find it easier and easier to understand what it truly means. Most of my questions about it have been answered throughout the chapters. I have had all of these same AHA moments and i think you have put them into words very well, nice post Matt.
ReplyDeleteI found this post to actually be helpful as strange as it may sound. It helped summarize key facts about our main characters and put them into perspective. I fully agree with you in the way that Mr. Lorry was kind of illusive in the beginning but his place in the book has become more solid with every page and connection other characters like Dr. Manette and Lucie. I think it's a great idea to continue asking questions then answering them, it seems to help you tons.
ReplyDelete