Book III Chapter 9 “The Game Made ”

1. Book IIIChapter 9 “The Game Made” The title clearly connects with a previous chapter, “A Hand at Cards.” In this chapter, the “game” played between Carton and Barsad comes to fruition. Carton seems to have made some decision regarding himself and Darnay, but Dickens keeps the decision hidden.

2. Plot Summary: • Lorry yells at Jerry Cruncher for grave robbing and tells him that he will be fired from Tellson's. • Jerry asks Lorry to let his son take his place at Tellson's and tells him that he will become a regular gravedigger to make up for the bodies he dug up. • Carton enters from the other room where he has been talking with Barsad. Then Barsadand Cruncher leave. • Carton tells Lorry that the best he can do is to secure access to Darnay in his cell. Mr. Lorry begins to weep, and Carton tells him in a sincere tone that he regards him as a father-figure who has led a good and useful life, and that people will mourn and remember Lorry when he dies. Carton also adds that a long life wasted would be a miserable one..

3. Plot Summary, continued: • Lorry leaves Tellson's to comfort Lucie and her father, and Carton walks the streets all night with the biblical passage, "I am the resurrection and the life,“ echoing in his mind. At one point, he drops in at a chemist's shop to make a purchase. • The next day, Carton attends Darnay's new trial. The jury is bloodthirsty, and the public prosecutor opens the trial by stating that Darnay's three accusers are the Defarges and Doctor AlexandreManette. • Manette protests this statement, but is reprimanded. Defarge then explains that he retrieved a written paper from the Doctor's old cell in the Bastille. The paper was written by Doctor Manette and contains his denouncement.

4. Literary Devices: Simile:As Carton walks during the night, he is comforted by the strong tide of the Seine (a major river), as if it were a friend:“The strong tide, so swift, so deep, and certain, was like a congenial friend, in the morning stillness” (327).Foreshadowing: The resurrection theme that has recurred throughout the novel becomes unmistakable here as Carton roams the streets hearing "I am the resurrection and the life” repeatedly in his mind and in the echoes of his footsteps: “These solemn words, which had been read at his father’s grave, arose in his mind as he went down the dark streets, among the heavy shadows, with the moon and the clouds sailing on high above him. ‘I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.’” (326).

5. Literary Devices, continued: Imagery:Dickens also represents the resurrection theme through the transformation of a night into dawn, described with carefully chosen imagery. As the moon sets, he describes it as a death, but then the sun rises gloriously, and a bridge of light appears on Carton’s face. With this direct imagery, Dickens must be indicating that Carton has prepared himself to die:“Then, the night, with the moon and the stars, turned pale and died, and for a little while it seemed as if Creation were delivered over to Death's dominion. But, the glorious sun, rising, seemed to strike those words, that burden of the night, straight and warm to his heart in its long bright rays. And looking along them, with reverently shaded eyes, a bridge of light appeared to span the air between him and the sun…” (326-327).

6. Essential Quote “The President asked, was the Accused openly denounced or secretly? ‘Openly, President.’‘By whom?’ ‘Three voices. Ernest Defarge, wine-vendor of St. Antoine.’ ‘Good.’‘Therese Defarge, his wife.’‘Good.’ ‘AlexandreManette, physician.’ A great uproar took place in the court, and in the midst of it, Doctor Manette was seen, pale and trembling, standing where he had been seated.” (328-329)