A Tale of Two Cities · Chapter
The Wood-Sawyer explained
Lucie Manette endures daily anguish as her husband Charles Darnay remains imprisoned, facing the guillotine.
What happens
Lucie Manette endures daily anguish as her husband Charles Darnay remains imprisoned, facing the guillotine. She maintains a routine of hope, visiting a spot where he might see her from a prison window, despite the constant threat. The chapter depicts the grim reality of revolutionary Paris, including the terrifying Carmagnole dance and a brief encounter with Madame Defarge. Doctor Manette reassures Lucie that he can save Charles, who is summoned for trial the next day.
Themes in this chapter
Resurrection and Renewal
Lucie's daily vigil and hope for Charles's return embody a personal resurrection, while Doctor Manette's promise to save him suggests renewal from the shadow of death.
Sacrifice and Redemption
Lucie's steadfast devotion and sacrifice of her own peace for Charles's safety reflect themes of redemption through suffering.
Social Injustice and Revolution
The chapter vividly portrays the brutal excesses of the Revolution, with the guillotine as a symbol of indiscriminate state violence and the Carmagnole as a descent into collective madness.
Characters to notice
- Lucie Manette
Lucie waits daily at a corner where her husband Charles might see her from prison, enduring the taunts of the wood-sawyer and the terror of the Carmagnole.
- Doctor Manette
Doctor Manette supports Lucie, claiming he can save Charles, and informs her of Charles's summons for trial the next day.
- Charles Darnay
Charles is imprisoned and occasionally sees Lucie from a prison window; he is summoned for trial the following day.
- Madame Defarge
Madame Defarge passes Lucie and Doctor Manette on the snowy road, exchanging brief salutations.
- Mr. Jarvis Lorry
Mr. Lorry remains at Tellson's Bank, managing confiscated property, and is sought by Doctor Manette for consultation.
- The Vengeance
The Vengeance is seen hand in hand with the wood-sawyer during the Carmagnole dance.
Key passages
“Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death;—the last, much the easiest to bestow, O Guillotine!”
The revolutionary motto is twisted, as death becomes the most readily granted outcome.
Highlights the grim irony of the Revolution's ideals.
“I call myself the Samson of the firewood guillotine.”
The wood-sawyer jokingly compares his saw to the guillotine, named after the executioner Samson.
Shows how the guillotine has become a macabre part of everyday life.
“No fight could have been half so terrible as this dance.”
The Carmagnole dance is more horrifying than any physical combat.
Emphasizes the savage and corrupted nature of revolutionary festivities.