Through two books of Tale of Two Cities, readers have witnessed the evolution of many key characters, whether it is Madame Defarge's sudden turn to a bloodthirsty revolutionary or uncovering the disturbing details of Jerry Cruncher's life. However, no character change is more significant than Doctor Manette being “recalled to life” by his daughter Lucie. Due to Monsieur Manette enduring nearly 18 years of harsh incarcerated life in the prison of Bastille, it was unsurprising to see that both his mental and physical health had depreciated to an extent in which a normal life seemed impossible after his release from the infamous prison. Although Manette suffered a minor relapse into his original state, the overall improvement of his mental and
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“He had….a hollow face and exceedingly bright eyes. His yellow rags of shirt lay open at the throat and showed his body to be withered and worn...He had put up a hand between his eyes and the lights, and the very bones of it seemed transparent.” (Pgs. 42-43) Dickens’ physical description of Manette as “hollow” and “transparent” emphasized the lack of life that had evaporated into the walls of the Bastille, all the while diminishing hope of any recovery from his current state. While Doctor Manette's physical state was a prominent indicator of the negative effect the Bastille had on him, it is Doctor Manette's mental state that was most worrisome. When asked who he was, Doctor Manette mumbled: “One hundred and five, North tower”(Pg. 44), a name that was most likely given to him by the Bastille prison guards. This truly showed the extent of his mental inability of overcoming eighteen years in the Bastille in which he couldn’t remember his own name, let alone integrate and thrive in French society. While Manette struggled to find his identity before the Bastille, or any identity for that matter, his mental degradation was truly apparent after numerous attempts by Jarvis Lorry and Lucie Manette. “No human …show more content…
Once a lifeless ghost, Doctor Manette had a new found energy within him and is described by Dickens as “a very energetic man indeed, with great firmness of purpose, strength of resolution, and vigor of action.” (Pg. 136) After a little more than 5 years since returning to England, Doctor Manette went from being described as “ hollow” and “ragged” to an energetic, strong and active man capable of contributing to society, something that seemed impossible after seeing his degraded physical state in Book One. Once described as an “old man,” Doctor Manette was given his life back by his daughter to such a degree that it is noticeable in his physical appearance. “The Doctor was in his best condition and looked especially young. The resemblance between him and Lucie was strong at time…...it was very agreeable to the trace the likeness.” (Pg. 104) This description of Doctor Manette as in his “best condition” and “especially young” truly show that his physical being has improved drastically since Book One. Nevertheless, not only does he have the energy in his body needed to be a useful member of 18th century English society, we learn the once “blank” page of
“He had….a hollow face and exceedingly bright eyes. His yellow rags of shirt lay open at the throat and showed his body to be withered and worn...He had put up a hand between his eyes and the lights, and the very bones of it seemed transparent.” (Pgs. 42-43) Dickens’ physical description of Manette as “hollow” and “transparent” emphasized the lack of life that had evaporated into the walls of the Bastille, all the while diminishing hope of any recovery from his current state. While Doctor Manette's physical state was a prominent indicator of the negative effect the Bastille had on him, it is Doctor Manette's mental state that was most worrisome. When asked who he was, Doctor Manette mumbled: “One hundred and five, North tower”(Pg. 44), a name that was most likely given to him by the Bastille prison guards. This truly showed the extent of his mental inability of overcoming eighteen years in the Bastille in which he couldn’t remember his own name, let alone integrate and thrive in French society. While Manette struggled to find his identity before the Bastille, or any identity for that matter, his mental degradation was truly apparent after numerous attempts by Jarvis Lorry and Lucie Manette. “No human …show more content…
Once a lifeless ghost, Doctor Manette had a new found energy within him and is described by Dickens as “a very energetic man indeed, with great firmness of purpose, strength of resolution, and vigor of action.” (Pg. 136) After a little more than 5 years since returning to England, Doctor Manette went from being described as “ hollow” and “ragged” to an energetic, strong and active man capable of contributing to society, something that seemed impossible after seeing his degraded physical state in Book One. Once described as an “old man,” Doctor Manette was given his life back by his daughter to such a degree that it is noticeable in his physical appearance. “The Doctor was in his best condition and looked especially young. The resemblance between him and Lucie was strong at time…...it was very agreeable to the trace the likeness.” (Pg. 104) This description of Doctor Manette as in his “best condition” and “especially young” truly show that his physical being has improved drastically since Book One. Nevertheless, not only does he have the energy in his body needed to be a useful member of 18th century English society, we learn the once “blank” page of