Notes on "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens - Book Two, Chapter Eight

Monseigneur in the Country

Landscape Description

• Beautiful yet barren landscape with:
  • Bright but scarce corn.
  • Poor quality rye, peas, beans.
  • Vegetables substituting wheat.
• The nature and people both exhibit a sense of dejection and unwillingness to thrive.

The Marquis' Journey

• The Marquis travels in a carriage drawn by four horses and two postillions.
• He is affected by the setting sun, giving him a crimson glow, not due to emotions but due to the sun's glow.
• The sun and the Marquis descend together as the carriage goes downhill.
• The landscape includes:
  • A village, a church tower, a windmill, a forest, and a fortress used as a prison.

The Village

• Characterized by poverty:
  • Poor brewery, tannery, tavern, stable-yard, fountains.
• People are impoverished, preparing meager meals.
• Heavily taxed by church, state, lord, local, and general taxes.
• Few children and no dogs present.

Encounter with the Villagers

• Villagers pause their activities to observe the Marquis.
• A road mender is questioned:
  • Describes seeing a man hanging by the carriage drag, appearing ghostly.
  • The man was not from the village and vanished into the hillside.
• The Marquis dismisses concerns about the man as trivial.

Marquis' Attitude

• Marquis displays arrogance, dismissing the villagers' concerns.
• Orders the postmaster, Monsieur Gabelle, to ensure any stranger in the village has honest business.

The Woman's Petition

• A woman petitions the Marquis as the carriage ascends a hill:
  • Her husband, a forester, has died of want.
  • Requests a marker for his grave to prevent it from being forgotten.
  • She expresses the desperation and poverty they face.
• The Marquis is indifferent, and the carriage continues its journey.

Arrival at the Chateau

• The Marquis' carriage reaches his chateau.
• Inquires if Monsieur Charles from England has arrived.

Themes and Analysis

• Social Inequality: The stark contrast between the Marquis' wealth and the villagers' poverty.
• Indifference of Aristocracy: The Marquis' dismissive attitude highlights the disconnect between the ruling class and the suffering peasantry.
• Symbolism: The setting sun parallels the decline of the aristocracy.
• Foreboding: The ghostly figure hints at unrest and foreshadows the revolutionary themes.

---

• Conclusion: The chapter illustrates the dire conditions of the rural poor and the cold arrogance of the nobility, setting the stage for the social upheavals to come in the narrative.