What’s happening?

Charles Darnay, the nephew who was framed by the Monseigneur in England but

returned to France unharmed. When Charles Darnay returns to the Monseigneur's

country residence, he meets the Monseigneur just after dinner, and the two have a

conversation on the roof of the tower

To Whom?

Superficially a casual conversation about his nephew's journey through England and

France.

In fact tied up at last with the story of a doctor who has been in prison for eighteen

years.

How does it fit into the larger story?

A key world in the cheat, the "a letter de cachet", appears twice, connecting the dots

into a thread.”the privilege of filling up blank forms for the consignment of any one to

the oblivion of a prison for any length of time”.

Who is narrating/speaking?

Monseigneur and nephew Charles Darnay

Who/What is being described?

The Monseigneur

“The deepened marks in the nose, and the lengthening of the fine straight lines in the

cruel face, looked ominous as to that; the uncle made a graceful gesture of protest,

which was so clearly a slight form of good breeding that it was not reassuring.”

Who/what is being addressed?

Not in this chapter

Can you roughly paraphrase the passage?

Charles Darnay was accused of treason in England, when in fact what he was

betraying and longing to escape was the aristocratic glory that had belonged to their

family, bound to a land that ruthlessly exploited the underclass, an alien in the ivory

tower of the aristocracy.

In the best of times, he saw the sadness of gold and gold. In the worst of times, he

struggles with the idea that he would rather die sober. Unlike the Monseigneur”My

friend, I will die, perpetuating the system under which I have lived.”

Charles Darnay willingly fell into disrepute and gave up the estate and France which

he did not consider to be his. There are only individuals who betray their class, not

classes who betray their interests. Most people in the world have their heads in the

sand (where they are in the world determines how they think). This is what makes

Charles Darnay's ideological awakening so remarkable. The "roof of the mansion that

could cover the blue sky", which was bought in exchange for the oppression of the

aristocracy, eventually decayed in another way and was buried in a hail of bullets

from the oppressed.

Is the diction unexpected or unfamiliar?

No

Are there any words you want to look up in the OED Oxford English Dictionary?

Extortion/ Mortgage

Is the order of words (syntax) unexpected or unfamiliar?

No

What types of sentences are used (simple, complex)?

Simple

Do any details seem odd or irrelevant?

No

Do any of the line breaks seem abrupt or odd? (poetry)

No