The roots of the
revolution, according to Dickens, are rapacious license and oppression by the
nobility. "Crush humanity out of
shape once more, under similar manners, and it will twist itself into the same
tortured forms. Sow the same seed of
rapacious license and oppression over again, and it will surely yield the same
fruit according to its kind" - P347, Book III, Ch15. Dickens, who lived in England where there
were many unjust punishments and immoral actions by high ranking officials, was
basically saying that the things that fueled the revolution in France, the
crushing of humanity and rapacious license and oppression, if used in a similar
manner somewhere else would have the same result. In this case he was probably thinking of his
native country of England, but in truth it could happen in any country that
practiced the same methods that France did.
The peasants in
France were beaten down by the nobility and treated like the scum of the earth
for many years. It is surprising that
the revolution did not occur sooner than it did. It is presumable that the reason that the
French revolution was so bloody is that it was so long in coming. The rage and hatred just kept building and
then it finally popped. Like blowing up
a balloon, it will pop and all the air will gome rushing out at once after too
long but you can let the air out gradually through the place where you blow it. If the nobility has lessened the oppression
and created more humane environment then they probably would not have lost
their heads. The strength and will power of the poor is far
greater than that of others and the peasantry in France clearly had a greater
will and strength than the nobility. ""There is prodigious strength.........in
sorrow and despair" Pg.306, Dr. Manette
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