Here we see the progression of Dr. Manette, in passages past we have seen him as a child and slowly "growing up", now we see the roles switched and him acting as a parent. Also we see how close him and Lucie have become and how deep their relationship has grown because he refers her as his other half. Also we see it through how concerned he is for her happiness because he will only allow Darnay to marry her if he is "essential to her happiness." I think it shows a lot of progression in Dr. Manette, and his relationship to Lucie.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Two Promises
"...I believe your object to be, purely and truthfully, as you stated it. I believe you intention is to perpetuate, and not to weaken, the ties between me and my other and far dearer self. If she should ever tell me that you are essential to her happiness, I will give her to you. (141)"
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4 comments:
I agree that Dr. Manette has grown up a little from the time he and Lucie were first reunited. However, I don't necessarily think he has grown up enough to the point where he'll be able to let Lucie go. As the chapter "Two Promises" continues, Darnay continuously reassures Dr. Manette that he won't let Lucie completely disconnect from him. If he needs that much reassurance, I don't know if he's really ready to give his daughter, his strongest connection to other people, away.
I agree with Hadley, although Dr. Manette plays the father role when talking to Darnay, he quickly regresses the moment Darnay leaves. Lucie finds him once again making shows and must walk up and down with him for hours before he is restored to his rational self. Hopefully Dr. Manette's playing of the father role during his conference with Darnay is truly a step towards recovery. This passage is also a good example of the doubles motif: Dr. Manette as the father, and Dr. Manette as the child.
Good conversation, guys. I wonder if Hadley's observation about Darnay's continuous "reassurance" shows a certain degree of protectiveness on Darnay's part ... like maybe he's doing a little parenting of Manette as well? Although Manette is clearly filling the conventional role of father, here.
While I agree that the doctor does not necessarily want Lucie to leave him (a disposition shared by all fathers), he puts her own thoughts before his own. If his (doctor Manette) desire was his own preference, then he would not have stopped Darnay giving his true name. He wants Lucie to be happy regardless of what happens to him. He could have seized that moment to keep Lucie "to himself" (for lack of better terminology). However, by accepting that Lucie's opinion is ultimately more important than his in this matter, Doctor Manette truly displays his fatherly qualities that have come a long way since his imprisonment. However, I do agree with Ma'ayan's statement on Manette's dual personality as a child and as a parent.
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