King Solomon, rich in wisdom, wealth and power. Solomon Pross, beloved brother of sweet Miss Pross (Lucie Manette’s nanny). It was King Solomon’s sin, however, that caused his profitable kingdom to split during the reign of his son, Rehoboam. Solomon Pross’ cold and cruel manner towards his sister was slowly and surely breaking her heart. You might be wondering, What do these two people-- one biblical king, one (fictional) 18th century French spy-- have in common? And why is she even bringing them up? These two men may be more similar than you think, and these similarities may help us to predict how Solomon Pross’ character will influence the upcoming events in A Tale of Two Cities.
Solomon is a word of Hebrew origin that means “peace”. Ironically enough, Solomon Pross is a spy between the French and English governments, and spies are often used to deliver and carry secret messages during times of war. The fact that Solomon Pross’ name means the exact opposite of his profession can foreshadow much about his character. As Solomon Pross’ name and identity contradict themselves, I can consider this to be a warning: watch out for Solomon Pross. He may look harmless from the outside, but in reality carry a double-edged sword. So how does this relate back to King Solomon?
During his reign, King Solomon’s kingdom was wealthy and flourishing. However, shortly following his death this seemingly stable kingdom split. The fact that King Solomon’s legacy fell apart after his death is similar to how Solomon’s and Miss Pross’ relationship deteriorated after Solomon assumed his second identity. It is clear that although Miss Pross is in awe of her brother, Solomon does not feel the same way. I wonder if this skewed view will change, and if so, how much, as Miss Pross begins to appreciate the other side of her brother.
The relationship between Miss Pross and her brother brings me up to another topic of interest: blind love. The idea of blind love relates to a variety of different characters mentioned by Dickens. I originally predicted that love would be a key subject approached by Dickens, but I was unsure of how this would play out between the characters. As I near the end of the book, however, this idea is beginning to become clearer.
Miss Pross loves her brother very much, and can often be heard boasting of his incredible abilities and achievements to anyone who can listen. However, I am beginning to get the idea that this passionate feeling is only one-sided, which supports my theory of their relationship reflecting the idea of blind love. By definition, blind love is usually passionate and/or romantic feelings towards someone without really seeing them for their worth; hence, “blind”. Towards the beginning of the story, I am not sure Miss Pross appreciated that her love was blind. However, I believe she is beginning to realize this, for she states, “ ‘How dreadfully unkind in a brother nothing has ever turned my love away from!’ cried Miss Pross, ‘to give me such a greeting, and show me no affection,’ ” (Dickens 324). I am curious to continue reading to find out if Miss Pross will confront her brother about their rapidly deteriorating relationship. It takes great courage to do something like this to one you do not love, so I think it will demonstrate great character for Miss Pross to be able to achieve this with someone she loves very much.
On another note, I have always been wondering in the back of my mind how much Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton really love Lucie Manette. Although Lucie is as sweet as caring as you can get, she seems to be somewhat of a shallow person. It forces me to consider, Is there a potential other motive for Charles Darnay’s or Sydney Carton’s unprecedented love for Lucie? My thoughts are immediately drawn to Doctor Manette, Lucie’s father, who still hold some prestige even in his crippled condition. It is certainly beneficial to have connections in high places; as Mr. Darnay learned, it was no coincidence that Doctor Manette was able to get Darnay out of La Force. However, I am wary to immediately accept such negative thoughts, as they would cast a shadow upon some of the only sources of light in the story. I am anticipating the next few chapters of the book in order to discover how my predictions and thoughts really do play out.
On final thought, the character of Lucie Manette has kept my interest for the entire time. I often wonder, How can someone be so good and selfless all the time? Lucie’s kindhearted demeanor reminds me of the character Melanie, from Gone With the Wind. I am not sure if you have read Gone With the Wind, but if you did you may remember the striking contrast between main character Scarlett O’Hara and Melanie Wilkes. Both young women at the time the story takes place, Melanie ends up marrying Ashley Wilkes, the love of Scarlett’s life. Furious, Scarlett vows to hate Melanie and make her life miserable in revenge, but she is eventually unable to. Melanie is such a sweet, kind person to anyone and everyone that Scarlett grudgingly accepts her as a friend. Thus far in the book, Lucie is exhibiting the same sweet, caring, character traits that Melanie did. These similarities may foreshadow things both good and bad for Lucie’s future.
Melanie died a young woman, yet her goodness still touched and impacted the lives of everyone around her. I am hoping that Lucie will be able to live a long and happy life, unlike Melanie, but continue to enchant those around her with her sweet, kind spirit, similar to Melanie. I am excited to finish the book and discover the fates of the many characters that have kept my curiosity and interest for so long.
Solomon is a word of Hebrew origin that means “peace”. Ironically enough, Solomon Pross is a spy between the French and English governments, and spies are often used to deliver and carry secret messages during times of war. The fact that Solomon Pross’ name means the exact opposite of his profession can foreshadow much about his character. As Solomon Pross’ name and identity contradict themselves, I can consider this to be a warning: watch out for Solomon Pross. He may look harmless from the outside, but in reality carry a double-edged sword. So how does this relate back to King Solomon?
During his reign, King Solomon’s kingdom was wealthy and flourishing. However, shortly following his death this seemingly stable kingdom split. The fact that King Solomon’s legacy fell apart after his death is similar to how Solomon’s and Miss Pross’ relationship deteriorated after Solomon assumed his second identity. It is clear that although Miss Pross is in awe of her brother, Solomon does not feel the same way. I wonder if this skewed view will change, and if so, how much, as Miss Pross begins to appreciate the other side of her brother.
The relationship between Miss Pross and her brother brings me up to another topic of interest: blind love. The idea of blind love relates to a variety of different characters mentioned by Dickens. I originally predicted that love would be a key subject approached by Dickens, but I was unsure of how this would play out between the characters. As I near the end of the book, however, this idea is beginning to become clearer.
Miss Pross loves her brother very much, and can often be heard boasting of his incredible abilities and achievements to anyone who can listen. However, I am beginning to get the idea that this passionate feeling is only one-sided, which supports my theory of their relationship reflecting the idea of blind love. By definition, blind love is usually passionate and/or romantic feelings towards someone without really seeing them for their worth; hence, “blind”. Towards the beginning of the story, I am not sure Miss Pross appreciated that her love was blind. However, I believe she is beginning to realize this, for she states, “ ‘How dreadfully unkind in a brother nothing has ever turned my love away from!’ cried Miss Pross, ‘to give me such a greeting, and show me no affection,’ ” (Dickens 324). I am curious to continue reading to find out if Miss Pross will confront her brother about their rapidly deteriorating relationship. It takes great courage to do something like this to one you do not love, so I think it will demonstrate great character for Miss Pross to be able to achieve this with someone she loves very much.
On another note, I have always been wondering in the back of my mind how much Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton really love Lucie Manette. Although Lucie is as sweet as caring as you can get, she seems to be somewhat of a shallow person. It forces me to consider, Is there a potential other motive for Charles Darnay’s or Sydney Carton’s unprecedented love for Lucie? My thoughts are immediately drawn to Doctor Manette, Lucie’s father, who still hold some prestige even in his crippled condition. It is certainly beneficial to have connections in high places; as Mr. Darnay learned, it was no coincidence that Doctor Manette was able to get Darnay out of La Force. However, I am wary to immediately accept such negative thoughts, as they would cast a shadow upon some of the only sources of light in the story. I am anticipating the next few chapters of the book in order to discover how my predictions and thoughts really do play out.
On final thought, the character of Lucie Manette has kept my interest for the entire time. I often wonder, How can someone be so good and selfless all the time? Lucie’s kindhearted demeanor reminds me of the character Melanie, from Gone With the Wind. I am not sure if you have read Gone With the Wind, but if you did you may remember the striking contrast between main character Scarlett O’Hara and Melanie Wilkes. Both young women at the time the story takes place, Melanie ends up marrying Ashley Wilkes, the love of Scarlett’s life. Furious, Scarlett vows to hate Melanie and make her life miserable in revenge, but she is eventually unable to. Melanie is such a sweet, kind person to anyone and everyone that Scarlett grudgingly accepts her as a friend. Thus far in the book, Lucie is exhibiting the same sweet, caring, character traits that Melanie did. These similarities may foreshadow things both good and bad for Lucie’s future.
Melanie died a young woman, yet her goodness still touched and impacted the lives of everyone around her. I am hoping that Lucie will be able to live a long and happy life, unlike Melanie, but continue to enchant those around her with her sweet, kind spirit, similar to Melanie. I am excited to finish the book and discover the fates of the many characters that have kept my curiosity and interest for so long.
First, I would just like to say that I love your descriptions of the story. You ask questios that pertain directly to the novel and induce thought in the reader, while also explaining the plot and storyline of the book in a way that isn't boring or repetitive. One interesting character in my eyes is King SOlomon, because the story revolves around him so much. I feel like he has many secrets hidden just underneath the surface that will come up when least expected. Another character that I took interest in was Miss Pross, because she wasn't afraid to live life even if other people judged her for it. I thinkt hat every character in this book holds a message for the reader, and that each one has struggles and problems that they have to overcome. I wonder if Lucie Manette is also hiding something, and if the guilt from that mistake is why she is so flawless all of the time?
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