English 9
Mr. H. Salsich
February 16
An Essay on Things that I Will Remember from A Tale of Two Cities
It seems like a lifetime, but just a few months ago it was the beginning of the year. It was the beginning of our long journey through Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale Of Two Cities. I had no idea what I was getting into, and how long and hard I would work on analyzing every page. Now that I look back upon the finished text, I start to notice that I remember some things more than others.
We dove into the novel and I quickly realized that Dickens described everything and everyone completely and thoroughly. When a new character was introduced in the book, Dickens would characterize everything about the person from their facial features to their body stature. He would make it seem as if the person was real. Then, when that character came back into the book, Dickens would hint at the description to remind you. An example of this would be Lucie and her anxious forehead. Almost every time Lucie was brought up in the book Dickens would mention that she constantly looked worried because of the creases in her forehead. He made it so that you knew who he was talking about even if he didn't mention the character's name. Because Dickens describes things in so much depth, I know that I will remember each character for a very long time.
Another one of the most enthralling and memorable parts in the book was how Dickens gave power to women. He made them seem superior to men, and that is not common in many books from that time, let alone books in general. Not only did he give them power, but he also made them a little frightening. Some more than others, but an excellent example would be Madame Defarge. In the beginning of the book, Madame Defarge was just the knitting lady behind the bar counter, but as the novel progressed, so did she. She led the rebels to extremes, cutting everyone who started to doubt her ways. She and The Vengence were cruel and didn't care one bit, and the only thing that they did care about was revenge. I will definitely remember Dickens' ability to give people in his book power, and how he gave the women capability.
Even though it was only a few months ago, it feels like we have endured a long, strenuous journey through the pages of A Tale of Two Cities. Now, half way through the year we are closing the book, ending the fare that has lasted five months. I had no idea what I was getting into and part of me didn't even want to go through with it, but now I'm glad that I did. It was sad to finally finish the book, but now that it is done, I can forever look back at the things that I loved, and always remember them.
Self-Assessment:
1) I am continually working on writing long rhythmical sentences more often instead of short sentences that get straight to the point.
2) I think a weak point would be my second body paragraph. I think it is a little bit vague and the sentences are short. That is something that I am trying to work on.
3) I think a strong point would be my introductory paragraph. I think it opens my essay well and leads right into the first body paragraph.
4) I would give myself a B+ on this essay.
