Chapters 19-20 An Opinion and a Plea

Chapters 19-20An Opinion and a Plea

Quiz 4/14 Does Lucie know of Dr. Manette’s relapse? Mr. Lorry has two questions/fears that he asks Dr. Manette name them. What does Mr. Lorry say his friend’s “occupation” is? To what animal does Carton compare himself to in this chapter?

10th Morning of Dr. Manette Making Shoes Watching over Dr. Manette, Mr. Lorry fell asleep at his post. When he woke up, Dr. Manette was now reading at the window. The shoe making tools were put aside, and everything was normal.

Could it all have been a dream? Even when he had satisfied himself that he was awake, Mr. Lorry felt giddily uncertain for some few moments whether the late shoemaking might not be a disturbed dream of his own; for, did not his eyes show him his friend before him in his accustomed clothing and aspect, and employed as usual; and was there any sign within their range, that the change of which he had so strong an impression had actually happened? He realizes he couldn’t be dream because Why would he be sleeping on the couch in Dr. Manette’s consulting-room; Miss Pross comes in whispering about it

Let’s Wait until Breakfast! Mr. Lorry convinces Miss Pross that “they should let the time go by until the regular breakfast hour, and should then meet the Doctor as if nothing unusual had occurred. If he appeared to be in his customary state of mind, Mr. Lorry would then cautiously proceed to seek direction and guidance from the opinion…”

Breakfast… During breakfast Mr. Lorry finds out that Dr. Manette thinks it is the day after Lucie’s wedding and has no memory of the last nine days, but Dr. Manette starts to count and realizes that the dates do not match up. Mr. Lorry does not want to upset Dr. Manette, so he starts talking about a “hypothetical friend”

Mr. Lorry asks for Manette to give his advice for the sake of his dear friend, but especially for the sake of his dear friend’s daughter… Questions to Consider: Who is Mr. Lorry referring to? When else has Mr. Lorry used a hypothetical situation because he didn’t want to upset the person? Hint: Business, Business Why does Dr. Manette keep “glancing at his hands, which were discoloured by his last work”? Questions 1-3

What do they understand one another about? “Some mental shock?” said Dr. Manette“Yes!” exclaimed Mr. Lorry“Be explicit,” said the Doctor. “Spare no detail.”Mr. Lorry saw that they understood one another and proceeded…

Nine Days and Nine Nights Mr. Lorry talks about his friend who suffered a long time through mental torture for amount of time that even his friend doesn’t know. His friend recovered to his highly intelligent self, BUT there was a relapse. Dr. Manette asks, “How long.” “Nine days and nights.”

Manette wants to know what the friend did, like taking up “some old pursuit connected with the shock,” which he did. Mr. Lorry added that he had also seen his friend like this once before, and that it is was the same in “all respects.” Question to Consider Does Lucie know what has happened to her father? Does Dr. Manette remember anything? Where else did Mr. Lorry see this “old pursuit”? Hint: Book 1

Man of Business Mr. Lorry says he is a man of business and unsure of what to do for his friend and wants guidance on his friend’s relapse. He wants to know how he can help, so he seeks the “sagacity, knowledge, and experience” of Dr. Manette. Dr. Manette responds after awhile saying that even though it was dreaded, “the relapse you have described… was not quite unforseen by its subject.” Dr. Manette shudders before he talks and adds that it is intolerably hard for this sufferer to even “utter a word on the topic that oppresses him.”

Confide in someone? Mr. Lorry asks wouldn’t it help for him to “prevail upon himself to impart that secret brooding to any one, when it is on him.” Dr. Manette says, “I think so. But it is, as I have told you, next to impossible.” Why can’t he talk about it?

Why did this sufferer incur this relapse? Dr. Manette explains “that there had been a strong and extraordinary revival of the train of thought and remembrance that was the first cause of the malady. Some intense associations of a most distressing nature were vividly recalled, I think. It is probable that there had long been a dread lurking in his mind, that those associations would be recalled- say, under certain circumstances- say, on a particular occasion. He tried to prepare himself in vain; perhaps the effort to prepare himself made him less able to bear it.” Questions to Consider: What had he been preparing? How long has he been making shoes again (Think back to Chapter 10 after Darnayleft, Lucie found her father doing what?) What happened during Chapter 10? What promise was made about the morning of Lucie and Darnay’s wedding.

Worst is Over! Dr. Manette says he would remember nothing of the relapse, so Mr. Lorry asks what do we do for the future. Dr. Manette says to have “great hope” since the man was quick to recover and the memories have been exposed and discussed, so the worst should be over. Question 4

Mr. Lorry’s Last Two Questions: # 1 Question: This man is quite studious and active in his quest for knowledge, conducting experiments and working professionally. Should he not be exerting himself? Answer: No. “It may be the character of his mind to need occupation.” He needs to keep his mind busy. Shoe making was something that kept him from having his mind “turn in an unhealthy direction.”Even if he was overworked, it would not cause a relapse only the “one train of association would renew it.” Manette can image nothing worse than what he has already heard from Darnay-- “the circumstance likely to renew it are exhausted” Question 5

Blacksmith’s Work Mr. Lorry says even though this man has kept the tools he’s needed to do blacksmith’s work with him, “would it not be better that he should let it go?” Dr. Manette’s foot beat nervously on the ground at this. He explains that the man needed that occupation at one time because “it relieved his pain, by substituting the perplexity of the fingers for the perplexity of the brain… ingenuity of the hands for the ingenuity of the mental torture…he has never been able to bear the thought of putting it quite out of reach.” His occupation (“shoemaker” or “blacksmith”) is like a security blanket, and he is scared to lose it in case he needs it. -“sudden sense of terror, like that strikes to the heart of a lost child”

For the sake of his daughter… Mr. Lorry says that holding onto these tools might mean holding onto the ideas and pain that go along with it. Mr. Lorry thinks that for his sake and that of his daughter’s it should be destroyed but just wants Dr. Manette to authorize it. Dr. Manette agrees, but he asks it be done when the man is not around. Question 6

Dr. Manette leaves and joins Lucie and Darnay Mr. Lorry and Miss Pross sneak into Dr. Manette’s room and “hacked the shoemaker’s bench to pieces.” Burning the bench and burying the tools, shoes, and leather in the garden. The two appeared secretive, like “accomplices in a horrible crime.”

“I wish we might be friends,” said Carton. Carton comes to see Darnay and Lucie soon after they return from their honeymoon (in fact he is the first visitor) with an “air of fidelity.” He wants to be friends. What does fidelity mean? Why would he want to friends?

Fashion of Speech Darnay says we already are! But Carton says I’m not saying it as a “fashion of speech.” What does he man by fashion of speech? If you don’t know, use context clues. He goes on and asks for Darnay to forget when they were out and Carton was drunk and going on about whether he liked or didn’t like Darnay. Darnay is polite again and replies that he forgot it long ago. Carton thinks he’s just being nice, but he can’t take it so lightly.

Darnay doesn’t understand, explaining that he couldn’t take offense after all that Carton did for him on the day of the trial. Carton remarks that it was nothing. He thought of nothing of Darnay back then; it was just a professional nonsense.

“Dissolute Dog” Darnay says I won’t fight with you but now youmake light of your help. Carton returns the conversationto wanting to be friends with Darnay and says “you know me; you know I am incapable of all the higher and better flights of men,” and, if you doubt that,ask Stryver, adding that he is just a “dissolute dog,” who has never done any good. How does Darnay respond? Questions to Consider: Carton uses the same words that Stryver used to describe what does this say about the effect Stryver has on him?

Carton asks that ifDarnay could stand such a worthless fellow “that I might be permitted to come and go as a privileged person here; I might be regarded as a useless, and unornamental, piece of furniture, tolerated for its old service, and taken no notice of… I should doubt that I should avail myself of it four time in a years. “ Darnay responds that he should come at least that, saying “Will you try?”

Afterwards, Darnay brings up the conversation and says that Carton is careless and reckless. Although he is not malicious, but he is judging him as he appears. Later, when he and Lucie are alone she lifts her “forehead strongly marked.” What does that mean: “forehead strongly marked”? She asks Darnay to gives Carton more consideration than he gave him and “to be very generous with him always, and very lenient on his fault he is not by… believe that he has a heart he very, very seldom reveals… I have seen it bleeding.” Why does Lucie want Darnay to treat Carton with respect and kindness?

Lucie continues, “I am sure he is capable of good things, gentle things, even magnanimous things…remember how strong we are in our happiness, and how weak he is in his misery!” Darnay replies “I will always remember it, dear Heart! I will remember it as long as I live.” Question 3

Chapters 19-20 An Opinion and a Plea