Influences that Shaped Dr. Manette from A Tale of Two Cities
Influences that Shaped Dr. Manette from A Tale of Two Cities
All people are shaped by some past or present influence. In A Tale of Two Cities Dickens uses great detail to show how the past has significantly shaped one central figure, Dr. Manette. The influences on him are related to him being locked up in the Bastille, getting Lucie back in his life, and the friendship of Jarvis Lorry.
Dr. Manette was imprisoned in the Bastille for eight-teen years and lost a big chunk of his life. After he is rehabilitated, he seems to be normal and tries to lead a normal life. However, reminders of his past send him into relapses. He hasn’t quite gotten over losing eight-teen years of his life and tends to shield himself from things that could potentially be hurtful. It is most evidently seen when Charles Darnay tries to tell Dr. Manette his real name. Because of being locked up in the Bastille, he shields himself from the pain of Darnay’s news and tries to put it off as long as possible. After Darnay tells Dr. Manette his real name, the Doctor falls into another relapse in the absence of his daughter and new son-in-law. By being locked up in the Bastille, Dr. Manette shields himself from things that may be painful.
After being released from the Bastille, Dr. Manette is reunited with his daughter, Lucie. He never knew his daughter, since he was taken away before she was born. He realized how lucky he is to have her in his life. She is totally devoted to him and will do anything to help him with his rehabilitation. When she finds him one night working at his shoe-making bench, she walks the hall with him until he is relatively better. He realizes how devoted she is to him, which makes him more grateful for her. He, in turn, will return the favor of comforting her later in the book.
Jarvis’s friendship with Dr. Manette is also another important influence on the Doctor. Lorry is credited with being a man of business, but the reader is also reminded that he took nine days off from work to help his dear friend recover from another relapse. After the relapse, Lorry talks to the Doctor about what to do about a certain friend’s “black-smith tools.” Manette is aware of Lorry’s intensions,...