A Tale of Two Cities · Chapter
Echoing Footsteps explained
Lucie Darnay, living in the quiet corner of Soho, reflects on the echoes of her family's footsteps over the years—her husband Charles, her father Doctor Manette, her daughter little Lucie, and the memory of a son who died young.
What happens
Lucie Darnay, living in the quiet corner of Soho, reflects on the echoes of her family's footsteps over the years—her husband Charles, her father Doctor Manette, her daughter little Lucie, and the memory of a son who died young. Sydney Carton visits occasionally, and little Lucie shows him affection. Mr. Stryver's career advances while he patronizes Darnay. Meanwhile, distant echoes of revolution grow louder, culminating in the storming of the Bastille in July 1789. Mr. Lorry reports unrest in Paris, and the chapter vividly describes the mob's violence, the release of seven prisoners, and the brutal death of the Bastille's governor, with Madame Defarge beheading him. The chapter ends with a warning that these dangerous footsteps may soon enter Lucie's life.
Themes in this chapter
Resurrection and Renewal
The release of seven prisoners from the Bastille symbolizes a form of resurrection, as they are 'suddenly released by the storm that had burst their tomb.'
Social Injustice and Revolution
The chapter vividly portrays the revolutionary uprising in Saint Antoine, with the mob seeking vengeance for years of oppression, as seen in the storming of the Bastille and the killing of the governor.
Vengeance vs. Justice
Madame Defarge's cold, vengeful act of beheading the governor contrasts with the idea of justice, as the mob's violence is driven by a desire for retribution rather than lawful judgment.
Characters to notice
- Lucie Manette
Lucie, now Mrs. Darnay, sits in the quiet corner of Soho, listening to the echoes of her family's footsteps and reflecting on her happy life as a wife and mother.
- Charles Darnay
Charles Darnay is Lucie's husband, whose strong and prosperous step is heard among the echoes; he discusses the unrest in Paris with Mr. Lorry.
- Doctor Manette
Doctor Manette's firm and equal step is among the echoes; he remains active and self-possessed in the household.
- Sydney Carton
Sydney Carton visits the family half a dozen times a year, never drunk, and is affectionately remembered by little Lucie and the deceased boy.
- Miss Pross
Miss Pross is described as an 'unruly charger' in the garden, awakening echoes with her energetic presence.
- Madame Defarge
Madame Defarge is a steady figure in the mob, remaining close to the governor of the Bastille and ultimately beheading him with her knife.
Key passages
“Ever busily winding the golden thread which bound her husband, and her father, and herself, and her old directress and companion, in a life of quiet bliss, Lucie sat in the still house in the tranquilly resounding corner, listening to the echoing footsteps of years.”
Lucie, content in her peaceful home, constantly weaves the metaphorical golden thread that connects her family and Miss Pross, while she listens to the echoes of the past and future.
This passage establishes Lucie's role as the emotional center of the family, binding them together through her influence.
“The hour was come, when Saint Antoine was to execute his horrible idea of hoisting up men for lamps to show what he could be and do.”
The time had arrived for the people of Saint Antoine to carry out their gruesome plan of hanging men from lampposts as a display of their power and brutality.
This describes the mob's violent actions during the revolution, using public executions as a form of terror and demonstration.