0.2 Book report on 'a tale of two cities'  (Page 3/5)

In the last 18 years Lucie Mannette has blossomed into a beautiful lady full of grace and charm. After the release of her father, she herself , along with her guardian Mr. Larry, came to France and took her father back to London, England.

In London Lucie Mannete had befriended a foreign student from France named Charles Darney. This friendship had developed into tender love. It was almost a foregone conclusion that the two would be tied together in wedlock. Charles Darney belonged to the same Royal family which was responsible for eighteen years long imprisonment of Dr. Mannette and which was marked for total annihilation by Madam Defarge.

What a paradoxical twist of fate was this ?

First it was the Autocratic Regime of France which had punished Dr. Mannette for his forthrightness. In the process Dr. Mannette had been robbed of the best part of his life. Now it was the oncoming revolutionary upheaval of 1789 in France which was bent upon wiping out Dr.Mannette’s total family.

In 1789 storming of bastilles took place. All old political prisoners fighting for liberty, equality and fraternity were released and all the members of the Royal Families of France were put into jail. All the members were being given short trial and without exception were being hacked on the Guillotine. Under the circumstances Charles Draney rushed to France to enquire about his immediate family members but no sooner he had set his foot on the shores of France he was put under arrest.

Dr. Mannette, Lucia Annette and their family Lawyer Mr. Larry arrived in Paris to seek the release of Charles Darney on grounds of compassion. Lucia had been married to Charles for last two years and she had a female child. There was a governess also in the family to look after the child. They had all arrived in France. Amidst the din of the new revolutionary setup Dr. Mannette kept running from pillar to post seeking the release of his son-in-law. He met his old benefactors namely Defarge family. Then he moved to the court. But to no avail. Finding the situation hopeless and finding himself totally helpless to salvage the sinking boat of his daughter he once more falls into depression. He withdraws to the corner of his room and gets himself busy in the work of cobbler.

It is in this hour of gloom and desperation that a bright star rises on the dark horizons of Dr. Mannette’s family – this is Sydney Carton. It is this person who at the cost of his life salvaged the sinking boat of Lucie in the fierce storm of France’s revolution. Because Sydney Carton loved Lucie and through her he wanted to give some meaning to his otherwise wastedl life. It was by being of some use to Lucie, of some service to Lucie that he wanted to redeem his life. For him perpetuation of life and particularly of human kind was the sole purpose of life. It was through the safe return passage of Lucie’s family along with Charles Darney that he saw his objectives of life being fulfilled.

Sydney Carton by profession was a lawyer and it was through his profession that he had come in contact with Charles and Lucie. Once during his study in England, espionage charge had been brought against Charles Darney. He had been accused of spying for France. At that time the defence lawyer was Sydney Carton. He happened to be a look-a-like of Charles Darney. During defence he pointed out this fact and on basis on this he obtained the honourable acquittal of Charles Darney.