Visiting the Conciergerie was quite interesting. I was able to make connections to the U.S. as well as Dickens. Walking in you are greeted with space and stone walls. The architecture is quite amazing. Reading how prisoners had to pay for their beds despite being arrested is mind-boggling to me. It shows how the French Govt had little empathy for its people and suffered from greed. Another interesting fact I learned was that all classes no matter their rank in society were held there. On average, an estimate of 3% of the total population was from the nobility. In thinking of today’s criminal justice system, the concierge could be loosely related to the general population within jails or prisons. It is a mix between the two but mostly comparable to jails. Those in the Conciergerie committed crimes from various levels and were all awaiting trial or sentencing. In similarity, those in jail are awaiting trial or held on minor crimes resulting in sentencing of less than a year. Consequently, the majority of classifications in jail fall under gen pop. Gen pop can be described as confined, loud, and dirty. Inmates are housed in bunk beds positioned side by side, enclosed by one door. Furthermore, to paint the picture of this lovely housing, as of 2021 California’s total prison population alone was 647,200 people alone. During the reign of terror, between 1793-1795 an estimate of 2700 people were detained in the la Conciergerie while awaiting their death. That is a lot for this time period. Standing inside and reading about their treatment, I could not help but think about Charles Darnay. He must’ve been going through a series of emotions including, fear, disgust, and defeat. After renouncing his family and living an “honest life” and having a family this is what his life has come to. Imagine having to sacrifice the comfortable living of your wife and kids to pay for meals/beds in a slump. How pathetic! Moreover, moving on to Sydney and his great sacrifice. His walk from this hell to the road of redemption through the tumbrils. Interesting Dickens’s idea of redemption is death, however, death can be transcending. For Sydney, it is, his sacrifice is classified as his rebirth. Spiritually, it’s the end of one cycle and the beginning of another but I digress. Taking the journey to the guillotine was excruciating. It felt like a mile but imagine the scorching sun, people spitting, yelling, and throwing food at you. How Miserable! All because the majority had a difference in opinions. On top of that, you are going to literally get your head chopped off. No mercy. I empathize with Mr.Carton. For him to remain that strong, knowing what’s at the end of the journey shows true growth in self-awareness and confidence.

An interesting point, I may bring up through our stroll is that France is highly religious. An estimate of 60% of the population identify as catholic. There are numerous amounts of churches, chapels, and cathedrals within the city. I also noticed the street names derive from catholicism. Upon walking into these places of worship, one is greeted with stunning architecture as well as paintings. All deriving from catholic ideology. It is truly beautiful but I can’t help but think of a recurring theme: religion as a social construct used to define superiority, inferiority, and gender roles. I say this with respect to all religions, however, I must make this point. Reflecting on Lucie and Madame Defarge's characters they serve as polar opposites. Lucie is considered to have the Angelic domestic role as a wife and parent. She has little thought and is expected to support her husband without any apprehensions. She strokes the ego of all male characters and sees the good in all. She is simply a woman without her own thoughts. Whereas Mdme Defrage is depicted as a blood-thirsty woman who sees revenge as the only option. To further this point of religious superiority, throughout the novel, Dickens mentions slaves in conversation with the old regime. During the time period, of A Tale of Two Cities, I’m interested to explore more of Dickens’s thought process in writing this novel. Is he thinking about religion? Is he thinking about slavery? Misogyny? What’s going on in his brain?