PreReading Quiz for TTC Flashcards
What systematic problems did 18th Century France have in the way it collected taxes? And what were the effects of it?
“Because of the way the society was structured.” The rich people (the nobles and the clergy) did not pay taxes. So, by 1789 France was in a lot of debt because they funded the American Revolution. King Louis XVI spent half of his money, just trying to pay back the debt. Then they declared bankruptcy.
Other than bankruptcy, what other factors contributed to tensions in France?
There were hailstorms that impacted the year’s harvest very negatively. This made food prices higher and caused starvation throughout the country. King and Mary lived a luxurious life while everyone was suffering. “Could God save the king”
What radical move was carried out by the National Assembly on August 4th?
The banning of the “Ancien Régime” (these were “feudal rights, privileges for nobles, [and] unequal taxation”)
What was the Women’s March and what fueled it?
A rumor that Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were secretly keeping grain in their palace, fueled the Women’s March. The Women’s March was when armed peasant women stormed Louis XVI and Marie’s palace demanding that they move to Paris. (They were living in Versailles at the time.)
Why might the first phase of the French Revolution be considered not so revolutionary?
The National Assembly wanted to create a constitutional monarchy, because they believed the king was necessary for a functioning state. They were also mainly concerned that the voters and officeholders be men of property. Only the most radical wing, the Jacobins, called for a republic
Why did Louis XVI and the National Assembly decide to invade Austria? What was the result?
So that they could steal Austria’s wealth and grain, and use it for their food. Also…
Leopold II was the emperor of Rome/Austria, and he and King William Frederick II of Prussia issued the Declaration of Pillnitz, which promised to restore the French monarchy. Prussia joined Austria in fighting the French when they invaded, and King Louis encouraged the Prussians, making him look like an enemy of the revolution. The Assembly then voted to suspend the monarchy, have new elections where everyone could vote, and create a new republican constitution.
What time period of the revolution was marked by the death of Louis XVI and why is it significant?
When France no longer was a monarchy and everyone (every man) could vote, Louis XVI was put on trial and voted to die by a guillotine.
If not revolutionary, what does John Green argue made the French Revolution so radical?
The French Revolution was so radical because of encouragement of spreading its ideals. It ended with the ideology that “laws come from citizens not from kings or gods and the laws should apply to everyone equally”.
When was TTC published?
1859
What genre is TTC?
historical novel- French Revolution (takes place during this time)
What source did Dickens use for information on the French Revolution?
Carlyle’s “French Revolution” <— best available source at the time
Themes
- Resurrection/redemption
- Sacrifice
- Oppression
- Doubles
- Social injustice
- Revolution
- Fate/coincidence
Motifs (a symbol that draws attention to the overall theme)
- Shadows
- Footsteps
- Imprisonment
- Mobs
- Doubles
Book the First
- took place in 1775
- trip between 2 major cities: London & Paris
Book the Second
- 5 years later (1780)
- Ends at the beginning of the French Revolution (around 1789-1791)
