Tale of Two Cities

The December selection for Carrie's Book Club was A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.  I will confess that I read this with Briana and Destry earlier in the school year, and I never got around to writing a review of it.

The kids and I got so much out of this great novel set during the French Revolution (which we were studying in our history lessons) and have developed quite an appreciation for Dickens and his incredible (if long-winded) gift with language.  People simply do not write like this anymore.

Because I am behind in writing book reviews (or possibly I am just lazy, or then again, I might be doing so because I enjoyed them), I am going to share the kids' essays prompted by our reading and discussion of this novel and its setting.

Contrasting the French and American Revolutions

By Briana

            During the late 1700’s, two history-shaping revolutions took place. The first was the American Revolution and the second was the French Revolution. Though these revolutions occurred simultaneously, the outcome of each was very different. While the American Revolution gave birth to the freedom-based United States, the French Revolution resulted in The Reign of Terror and massive political upheaval in France. The fundamental similarities between these two revolutions can make it difficult to understand why they turned out so differently. Both revolutions started as a result of the people desiring to be free from the oppression of a king and his nobles. Also, both revolutions were led by men of great talent who spurred the people on. A declaration and constitution were also written for each country, outlining what each believed. Even though these revolutions had similarities, their differences led to their divergent results. The outcomes of the revolutions were dictated by their history, government, and goals.

            The American and French revolutions were greatly shaped by the background of the people who participated in them. The people of France were burdened by a history of oppression. For decades, the lower class had been little more than slaves, forced by the nobles to work and pay heavy taxes. As a result of this, the people of France were poor and starving. Americans, on the other hand, had been living in a free new land experiencing the blessings of prosperity, plenty, and self-government. The French were not only oppressed physically, but they were also uneducated. There were three estates, or classes, in France at this time: the Clergy, the Nobles, and the peasants. The peasants were largely uneducated, and spent their days struggling to survive. By contrast, there were no distinct classes in America, and education was very important to the average American. There was a very high literacy rate in the American colonies before and during the revolution. The French people’s poverty, ignorance, and oppression motivated the peasants to revolt. The American Revolution, on the other hand, was started by well-educated, prospering colonists who wanted to maintain and protect their rights from the king who was encroaching upon them. The history and education of the people involved in the revolutions made the one a desperate enterprise, and the other an enlightened desire for liberty.

            Because the two revolutions were driven by people with different backgrounds, two distinct governments were established. The French set up a democracy in which every citizen directly participated. In the reign of terror, it was the populace of Paris that influenced the judges to execute or spare prisoners, and during the massacre of the prisons, the people were the executioners. In America, however, the people were not directly involved in the new political system. America set up a republic, in which the people were represented in a legislature. Because of the indirect influence of the general public, the American system was more orderly and organized, and contained no mob rule. The democratic structure of the new French government made it possible for the general populace to rule the country, and throw moderation and responsibility to the wind, while the structure of American government insured that liberty and justice would be given to all. The people of France and America both established a government, but America designed a more responsible system to protect and manage their rights.

            The most striking difference between the two revolutions can be seen in the dominant goal each country strove to achieve with their revolution. The goal of the French people in their revolution was revenge. The populace wanted to rid France of the people who had oppressed and dehumanized them for centuries. The Americans, on the other hand, desired to secede from those who would not respect them and form a separate, but equal, nation. Because France’s goal was revenge, the revolutionaries soon took their desires too far, and carried out revenge upon thousands of innocent people. Violence and bloodshed became the true rulers of France, bringing terror and destruction upon the country. America’s goal of separation caused them to be involved in a war which cost many Americans and British their lives. This war, however, was motivated by the desire to separate from Britain, not to get revenge. The Americans were successful over the British in this war, and the new nation was recognized by the world. The history-shaping results of the French and American revolutions were determined by their different goals.

            The American and French revolutions are well-known in human history, for both had a strong impact on the world. The French Revolution horrified the world with the brutality and murder of those years. By contrast, the American Revolution is remembered as the birth of a nation that has been a shining example of liberty and self-government. Many times throughout human history revisions to countries and governments have been necessary and revolutions have taken place. In modern life, citizens of a country often feel the need for revisions in their own country’s government. When those situations arise, citizens can look to the past for guidance in handling revolutions and reformations effectively. The background, goal and new system of government must all be taken into account. A modern revolution could choose to follow the example of France, and ignorantly take revenge on wrongdoers, or it could follow in the footsteps of America and strive to separate from oppressors and form a responsible government. 

(I'll try to remember to post Destry's essay tomorrow)