...that everyone should read dickens, in two words.
eugene. wrayburn.
"'you hear, eugene?' said lightwood over his shoulder. 'you are deeply interested in lime.'
'without lime,' returned the unmoved barrister-at-law, 'my life would be unilluminated by a ray of hope.'"
- our mutual friend, ch. 12
(charles dickens)
"Our Mutual Friend" is another one of my many Charles Dickens favorites!
ReplyDeleteHave you ever looked at Mr. Headstone (or just "School Master" as Eugene would refer to him) as a foil to Eugene? The two lovers of Lizzy Hexam! Through one you are shown the animal-like lust that eventually ruins, while in the other, Dickens reveals the true love which builds up and restores. Comparing the two, I vividly see the disdainful character of Mr. Headstone and become more aware of Mr. Wrayburn's good character as the story plays out.
What a masterpiece!
I absolutely think that. the difference between them is that bradley headstone wants lizzie selfishly, while eugene wants what's best for her (why he lets her go... sort of :) ).
Deleteand does eugene remind you in any way of sydney carton? :p
Yes! Now that I actually think about it, the similarities between Eugene and Sydney are amazing! Both are in the law and have undesirable habits (to name one: drinking). Both men; however, reform from their ways, and the underlying motive which sanctifies them is love (true love, not squishy, selfish love). Sydney I find more extreme than Eugene. At first Sydney appears even more ungentlemanly than Wrayburn. He drinks more and doesn't seem to have made anything of himself. By the end, the contrast is so vivid! He dies for those he loves, even though the man he saves had taken "his" girl:).
ReplyDeleteSince we've gotten onto the theme of comparing Dickens characters, how do you think Richard Carstone compares to these three men (Eugene, Sydney, and Mr. Headstone)? I find it interesting that Mr. Carstone's last name has the exact ending as Mr. Headstone's. HeadSTONE - CarSTONE. Hmmmmmmmmm, interesting.
oooh, very nice! I hadn't even noticed! richard is almost the opposite of the first two: they start rather good-for-nothing, but develop into better people. he's contrasts the most with sydney carton, though, I think. richard carstone starts promisingly: he's young, good-looking, talented, but by getting involved in the jarndyce case devolves into a prematurely aged man, emotionally and mentally blinded and confused. I think by the end it's ada who keeps him going at all -- like sydney and lucie (and of course when he quits the case he's able to see mr. jarndyce as his kind benefactor, and dies well. dies well... hmm...). the parts discussing both their deaths are similar, too -- carton's "it is a far, far better rest" and carstone's beginning the world, "not this world, oh, not this! the world that sets this right." (...on a side note, have you heard any songs from the tale of two cities musical? the first part of carton's song 'if dreams came true' is the sweetest thing.)
ReplyDeleteI actually haven't heard that song. It's on my list of what to listen too now! :)
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