A Tale of Two Cities
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A Tale of Two Cities Volume III, Chapter Four – Calm in a Storm Summary
- Doctor Manette doesn’t return for four days.
- When he finally makes it back to the house, he tells Lucie a condensed version of what he’s seen.
- Mr. Lorry, however, gets the full story: Doctor Manette went to the Tribunal which tries all the prisoners.
- He announced himself as a former prisoner of the Bastille, and was awarded a special status in the Tribunal.
- From his seat, he saw Charles brought before the court and almost released.
- At the last minute, however, the President of the Tribunal gets some new information.
- He orders that Charles be held in prison. He won’t be executed, but he won’t be set free.
- Dr. Manette describes the Tribunals as madness. There’s not any justice or even any attempt at observing any laws
- Finally, however, he decides to use all the influence he has to save Charles.
- In fact, for the first time since he was released from prison, he seems like a socially powerful man.
- The doctor becomes the head medical inspector of three prisons. In that position, he’s able to bring back occasional news of Charles.
- Strangely enough, Mr. Lorry observes that the doctor begins to take pride in his ability to do things for his family.
- For a long time, Lucie took care of him. Now he’s able to return the favor.
- Nonetheless, despite all the doctor’s efforts, Charles remains in prison.
- Time passes without any real markers.
- And now, friends, we’re introduced to the real star of this novel: the Guillotine.
- Our narrator takes a good long time to describe the ways that it influences and symbolizes the new Republic.
- It’s actually a really good bit of the novel – we recommend that you check it out for yourselves.
- The doctor moves through all the madness of this time. The guillotine chops off heads right and left, Charles remains in prison, and Lucie…waits.
