Book TWO (Chapters 6-9)

In chapter 6, we are introduced to Miss Pross who is Lucie's caretaker. She has been Lucie's caretaker since Lucie was ten years old. Therefore, Miss Pross must care for Lucie deeply. I think that is why Miss Pross wants her brother Solomon to marry Lucies rather than another man because Miss Pross fears that if Lucie marries someone, then she will be taken away from Lucie, and Lucie will no longer need her. This also explains why Miss Pross is often jealous when the men come and visit Lucie.
Also, as I was reading, I noticed that there is a lot of shadows and darkness within Dickens writing. What is the specific reason for using such darkness? I think that the shadows and darkness are always foreshadowing something such as the French Revolution when people starved and were sent to debtors prison and even when they were killed by the guilletiene. An example of the darkness and shadows are when Tellson's Bank is being described.
Another significant thing that I realized while reading this section was the effect of imprisonment on the novel. Dr. Manette was a victim of imprisonment. He had been in prison for eighteen years before he was finally freed, and after he was let free, he was afraid to remember his past because he did not want to lose himself. When he would be overcome by his past, he would begin his shoemaking again. To him, shoemaking was his escape. He used it to escape from his thoughts.
Another thing that I discovered about Dr. Manette is that he has many internal conflicts. He is often seen pacing back and forth late at night in his bedroom. I think these internal conflicts foreshadow that it will be discovered what exactly happened in his past and why it is so hard for him to think about.
The beginning of chapter 7 seems to be somewhat comical the way it says, "Monseigneur was in his inner room, his sanctuary of sanctuaries, the Holiest of Holiests to the crowd of worshippers in the suite of rooms without... this morning's chocolate could not so much as get into the throat of Monseigneur, without the aid of four strong men besides the Cook." How could it take four men for someone to swallow something? I don't get it!! One man carried the chocolate into the room, one man stirred the chocolate, one man gave Monseigneur a fancy napkin, and the last man pour the chocolate. "It was impossible for Monseigneur to dispense with one of these attendants on the chocolate and hold his high place under the admiring Heavens." I think that this basically means that Monseigneur was of high class and status and if he would get rid of one of his servants he wouldn't be as "high." I think that is kind of pathetic.
The Farmer General is introduced in this chapter. The Farmer General is a wealthy upper class person who pocketed extra money he would collect from taxes. Monseigneur want his sister to marry the Farmer General so that she would never have to worry about money or going into debtors prison for money.
Also in this chapter something that I and most other people would call immoral happens. While Marquis is racing in his carriage through the streets, a child is run over. To make up for the loss of this child, he throws a couple of coins at the wine shop owner and the child's father. As he drives away, a couple of the coins are thrown back at him in anger, and Marquis just says that he would be willing to run over any of them. I don't understand how things such as this could happen. Someone's child was just run over and killed but no one does anything about it. Why??? Were the people afraid that if they did something then all of them would be killed by the guilletiene because they were of lower-class? I think that it is just unjust how something like that would happen. By nobody doing anything to stand up for the man, it reminds me of the Holocaust. The Jews would get taken away, but no one would stand up for each other until it was them that was picked and it was too late.
In chapter 8, I am rather surprised to find out that Charles Darnay is the nephew of Marquis. Marquis is the uncle of Darnay because he is Darnay's father's twin brother. Also within the next chapter, the reader discovers that Darnay suspects his uncle of being involved in putting him into prison for treason. Darnay says, "I have come back, sir,... pursuing the object that took me away. It carried me into great and unexpected peril..." By this, Darnay is speaking of his uncle, and he shows to the reader of his suspicion toward his uncle. But actually Darnay did not committ treason, he only went to France so often for family business and for his mother. I think that the family business that is spoken of is his name being changed.