1. Book III Chapter 4 “Calm in Storm”

3. Characters Dr. Manette Mr. Lorry

4. Summary After a four day absence, Dr. Manette returns home to tell Mr. Lorry of his trip to La Force prison. Manette was unable to convince the corrupt La Force tribunal to release Darnay, but was assured that his son-in-law would be held in safe custody. The doctor describes activities outside of the prison as even more terrible and violent than inside La Force. Lorry at first worries that Manette may relapse after these dreadful sights, but begins to feel confident because of Manette’s energy. Manette has the luxury of receiving notes from Darnay for Lucie, as the doctor is now the physician at La Force and two other prisons. Revolutionary influence has run wild at this time: -beheading of Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette -Law of the Suspected enacted -Enter “La Guillotine” Despite these horrors, Manette “walked along among the terrors with a steady head” and remains the Calm in the Storm (284).

6. Literary Devices Symbolism : La Guillotine ~The guillotine is the culmination of the Revolutionaries’ actions/ideals. The Revolutionaries make quick and harsh decisions, such as not allowing emigrants back into France, beheading the king and queen, burning the chateau, etc. The guillotine provides a quick answer to problems with a speedy execution.  Allusion : “…he has found him in the arms of a company of Samaritans…” ~Reference to the “good Samaritan” parable from the Bible. The Samaritan helped an injured man when many others simply walked by him. The reference is made ironic by Dickens because the “Samaritans” in TTC aid a man who is attacked with a pike, but then go off and kill others in a bloodthirsty rage.  Anaphora : “There was no pause, no pity, no peace, no interval of relenting rest, no measurement of time” (283). ~Dickens repeats the word “no” to stress that so many important aspects of life were lost because of the revolution. The action never stopped, peace of mind was completely lost, and days meshed together with no end in sight of the violence.

7. Essential Quote “Above all, one hideous figure grew as familiar as if it had been before the general gaze from the foundations of the world- the figure of the sharp female called La Guillotine. It was the popular theme for jests; it was the best cure for headache, it infallibly prevented hair from turning gray, it imparted a peculiar delicacy to the complexion, it was the National Razor which shaved close: who kissed La Guillotine, looked through the little window and sneezed into the sack. It was the sign of the regeneration of the race” (284).