Love from Paris

As we wrap up our bookpacking experience, I am writing this blog with a bittersweet feeling. It has been such an incredible adventure that must come to an end, but I am able to carry away the knowledge and memories of this class. There have been so many things that I have learned through reading and walking through the words of Victor Hugo and Charles Dickens, and through the minds of their novels characters. I have learned how to approach classic novels, learned about the history of France and how it impacts the present, and have learned so much about the ideas and beliefs of society. Everything that I have learned has been so meaningful, though I would like to highlight one topic in this short blog which I found particularly impactful, which is that of human connection, relationships, and love for one another. 

Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower

Les Miserables I found significantly discusses this topic of connection and love. Victor Hugo’s writing on this struck me in such a way that he was portraying these things as what being human is about, and that they are the strongest forces in times of both darkness and light. Having spent three weeks in Paris, I found that this city speaks to me similarly. When I visited the Eiffel Tower was when this idea came all together, which I know is just so extremely cliche, but looking around me I was surrounded by this as I could see all the various types of relationships and love that fill the space. A couple sitting in front of me, a child running in circles around their parents who watched with amusement, and when I looked closer I was lucky enough to be surrounded by the laughter and smiles of friends. In Les Miserables we are also shown various forms of love and connection. Romantic love through Cosette and Marius, familial love through Jean Valjean and Fantine's care for Cosette, and also friendship through the ABC. Through these connections between one another we saw how it can influence change in one's person, allow forgiveness, bring happiness, and change one's life.

Luxembourg Garden

The Eiffel Tower wasn't the only place I found this, it is all around this city. The Luxembourg Garden carries an ambience of peacefulness and beauty in a way that creates this sense of romance as one walks through the paths, past the fountains and flowers. Art was plentiful in showing these connections as well. The Louvre contained many paintings portraying love. For instance, maternal love, the relationship between mother and daughter was seen through Self-Portrait with Her Daughter, Julie by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun. I found portrayals of romantic love and youthful love through Daphnis and Chloé by François Gérard, and The Loves of Paris and Helen by Jacques-Louis David. 

Looking back at what I have mentioned above I have gained an evolved perspective on what connection and love in society can be. As I walk away from this time I want to carry the idea of love shared by Hugo which is that love, kindness and compassion are what allow us to fight against the darkness that surrounds our society. Importantly, this must be shared to all individuals of society, including people who society has shunned and marked as undeserving of these. By sharing love, compassion, and kindness we can stand alongside all and allow opportunity for redemption, turn around, healing, and ultimately happiness and love for all. 

I would like to end my blogs with a thank you to Professor Andrew, my amazing classmates, and the cities of London and Paris for this incredible experience. 

How History Portrays Women

The discussion of one of our class seminars last week focused on women. In this blog I want to continue this discussion on women in history by sharing what I have seen and learned throughout this experience. I have actually been planning and looking forward to writing on this topic where I want to share my thoughts on how women and young girls are portrayed and what they experienced in French history through our two novels, visited locations, and art.

To begin I would like to dive into the women and girls of our two novels. Les Miserables and A Tale of Two Cities gives us female characters with different backgrounds, personalities, and outcomes, which allow us to see and dive into multiple perceptions on women, in this case in the time of the revolutions, through Victor Hugo and Charles Dickens. Between the two novels, I find a similarity in Cosette and Lucie Manette. In both the stories, these two characters are the good and the innocent that help those in darkness, like Jean Valjean and Mr. Manette, to turn around their lives for the better. Described with angelic characteristics they served as the light and hope of society in these dark times as well. Lastly, they were portrayed to embody and give both compassion and love to those around them. Through Cosette and Lucie, women are seen as bodies of light, whose love and purity inspires change and redemption, which I believe is a beautiful portrayal of women. Fantine was also described in a similar way as Cosette and Luice Manette in her youth. However, she does not retain this characterization throughout the novel as she undergoes hardships and loss ultimately leading to her death. In this way, Fantine shows the unfairness and cruelty women experience in society. She also shows the love and sacrifice women give through motherhood. Fantine gave every part of herself, giving her teeth, hair, and body, so Cosette could live a life of less suffering than her. Eponine is another portrayal of self sacrifice in the name of love as she puts herself in danger and loses her life for her unrequited love for Marius. An interesting aspect of Eponine's character that I liked in portraying women, was that she went into action. She was actively fighting for who she loved, for example, putting herself in danger to stop Thenadier and the other men from entering Jean Valjean's and Cosette's home and being in the fight of the barricades. Continuing with this idea, A Tale of Two Cities brings in the amazing character of Madame Defarge. She brings an image of women that was not seen much in historical novels, as her character strays away from the ideal goodness and innocence mentioned above. Instead I believe that she symbolizes the anger, power, and action of women as she is a leader in the storming of Bastille, and is ruthless in who she thinks should pay with their life in the revolution.

The Women’s Courtyard in The Conciergerie. Image from Paris Discovery Guide.

Information on Olympe de Gouges, on the wall of the Women’s Courtyard.

When looking at the history of the French Revolutions there is not much focus on how women were affected by this time or much credit given to the women who helped fight for it. One location that we visited which I found interesting in shedding light on this is The Conciergerie. The Conciergerie in the time of the revolution was a prison, where individuals would be held awaiting their execution. In terms of bookpacking, this location is used in A Tale of Two Cities as this is the prison Charles Darnay awaits his execution before being saved by Sydney Carton. In terms of this blog, I want to discuss an area within the Conciergerie which is The Women’s Courtyard. This was a small area which had a small space of greenery in the center. Today, along this courtyard's walls there are images and information on women who spent their time in the Conciergerie allowing us a glimpse into the women of this time and place. One woman mentioned is Olympe de Gouges. She was an advocate for human rights fighting for causes such as the abolishment of slavery and equality for women's rights. She was arrested and executed for accusing Maximilien Robespierre of wanting to establish a dictatorship and for putting up a poster stating that there should be a direct public vote on the French government. Manon Roland was also mentioned in the courtyard. Roland was involved in the Girondin party which appeared to have fought for personal freedom, end of the Terror, and such. During her life she was involved in politics sharing her thoughts which lead to her experiencing violent reactions which is stated to be due to her being a woman. Lucile Desmoulins was another woman held in the Conciergerie who was executed for an accusation of plotting against the Revolutionary Tribunal. She kept a diary where her beliefs and ideas are expressed in which she speaks on the absence of freedom women had in politics. In her diary she wrote:

“What a sad fate that of women. Slavery and tyranny, that is their share…let them defy us less and leave us free.”

— Lucile Desmoulins

Information on Lucile Desmoulins, on the wall of the Women’s Courtyard

From the Women’s Courtyard of the Conciergerie we are able to see the treatment and status women held in that time. Society did not allow them to express their ideas and concerns regarding politics and the state of the country, but, this also shows us how women fought to have their voices heard, and were actively engaged in the revolution to improve their lives and their neighbors even if it cost them their lives in the end. 

Louvre Museum

Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix.

Lastly, to discuss how women were portrayed in French history I want to look at art. We visited the Louvre Museum last week which contained many types of art forms ranging from sculptures to paintings to decorative art. On top of the various art forms, there were pieces from several countries including Italy, Greek and Italic, Spain, Egyptian and more. One of the sections in the Louvre contains French paintings, which when exploring I found interesting in showing the ways women were represented. The first painting I would like to discuss is “Liberty Leading the People” by Eugène Delacroix. This piece shows a woman in the center who is holding a rifle in one hand and holding up the French flag in the other. The setting appears to be one of a revolution, perhaps a barricade as we can see those who have fallen and others who are by her side to fight such as the young boy with the two pistols. In portraying women, I think Delacroix is showing how women can be seen as symbols of hope, freedom, and light for society, which correlates with the our novel characters, Cosette and Lucie Manette. Another piece which emanates a similar meaning is “The Intervention of the Sabine Women” by Jacques-Louis David, which was a painting I personally really liked. This painting shows a battle between two groups and in the center are women standing in between the fight in an attempt to stop it and who are also protecting young children. Seeing this piece I thought the women shined so brightly as symbols of protection and peace against violence, but also as strong and fearless for stepping into the center of an active battle. Additionally, by trying to stop the bloodshed and protect all I think they show a love for society, for human kind. One aspect of this painting that stood out to me was that there is an older woman who is also present, which to me shows that women of all ages are seen this way and symbolize these qualities. When thinking about women through art, many times they are portrayed as bare breasted or nude. To this aspect, often women were painted this way for the male gaze, meaning they are depicted this way due to male desire and enjoyment. For what this meant for women was that they were not seen as a person with thoughts, emotions, and feelings, but as an object. Though this is not true for all paintings depicting women this way, as sometimes doing this is meant to represent goddesses and such, though it shows this aspect to how women were seen in society.

The Intervention of the Sabine Women by Jacques-Louis David. Image from Louvre Collections. 

There is still so much I hope to learn about women in French history and in other historical times and events. It is unfair and a shame that many women go unrecognized in history as we are restricted from diving into more amazing minds and stories. However, through our novels, locations, and through art we can get a glimpse of the life of women back then and bring light to their pain and loss, but also to their power and victories.

Reflections of the Crown

Our morning seminars, excursions, and the two novels, A Tale of Two Cities and Les Misérables, have allowed us to really dive into French history. Specifically, we have explored its Revolutions, such as the 1789 French Revolution and 1832 June Rebellion. Many places we have seen throughout our experience speak to these Revolutions reasons, drives, and results. In this blog I want to talk about the French monarchy, and discuss how the royalty and aristocracy portrayed and thought of themselves in comparison to the working class people, in which ultimately at the end of this blog will give an understanding of this time before and after the Revolutions in France.

Walking up towards the Palace of Versailles

Apollo’s Fountain

One location in particular I felt spoke a lot regarding the feelings and actions of French society before and after the revolutions is the Palace of Versailles. As mentioned by Professor Andrew, it truly felt like the embodiment of everything in those times and society that the Revolutions were fighting against, particularly the 1789 French Revolution. To start, a sense of the Palace of Versailles, before walking in, can be felt through its history, which I found very interesting from our discussions and from videos I watched before and after our trip to Versailles. The core image of Versailles that we see today was created by Louis XIV. To quickly portray his thoughts on his position as king is to share his self-given title of “Sun King.” By thinking of himself as the Sun King, I learned that he was comparing himself to Apollo, the Greek god of the Sun. This was so interesting as we can see this comparison in Versailles, for example in the gardens, there is a gold statue of Apollo in the center of a large fountain, I believe this is called the Apollo Fountain. The fact that he compared himself to a Greek god showed how it was evident that Louis XIV thought of himself very highly and likely thought he rightfully had the crown and was this divine image to the rest of France. From this we can already begin to see the picture of an absolute monarchy in France. 

Royal Chapel in the Palace of Versailles

Looking at Versailles was incredible. There are many words that could be used to describe it, grand, over the top, extravagant, luxurious, vast, etc. Initially walking up to Versailles was an interesting experience. You begin to walk up on uneven stone, while seeing this massive palace surrounded by a tall gate slowly get closer. On this walk, I felt as if I was stepping into a different place apart from the city around us, which is likely what this building intends to do. In this way there is already this strong sense of separation between what is behind those gates and those outside. The inside of Versailles was beautiful. There was no wall in the palace that was plain, as they were covered with gorgeous paintings, detailed engravings, designed wall paper, gold borders, which was so much so that it made the big rooms of the palace seem small. The same grandness could be expressed about the Garden of Versailles. There were huge fountains, beautiful flowers, and hedges spreading so vast that it was like a maze. My feet definitely felt just how large this place is after this 20,000 step day. 

Hall of Mirrors

There were a lot of interesting rooms and objects I saw in Versailles that stood out to me in expressing the time of the Revolution and more so how the monarchy and aristocracy felt during this time. To begin, I want to talk about one of the most impressive and beautiful rooms in the Palace of Versailles, the Hall of Mirrors. This long room was the absolute embodiment of lavishness. Gold color filled this room through statues, stands, borders on the walls, and patterns on the ceiling. Emphasized by this gold were the paintings that covered the entire ceiling and hanging from them rows of chandeliers. Everything in this room was so extravagant and I found it to portray exactly what the monarchy was in this time period in which they lived lives of excessiveness while the working class lived on scraps. The vast inequality between these two groups is shown throughout this room and the entire palace, as it is obvious the level of wealth and power the monarchy held. Being in this room was amazing to see, but it had me questioning how those who could enjoy this side of the inequality without feeling a sense of guilt or sympathy for those outside who couldn't even fill their rooms with food. Therefore, one can also see just how out of touch the monarchy was, continuing to see themselves as higher beings with the right to live this way while others suffer. 

Another location within the Palace of Versailles that I would like to talk about is the Gallery of Battles. I bring this up because it was installed after the revolution, therefore it gives a sense of the status of society after these events. This is another long hall, with similar beautiful patterned walls and gold borders, but along the walls are large paintings of battles and wars throughout French history. In having this hall I believe that it shows a want of patriotism or perhaps unity and pride for France from the monarchy. This could be in response to the revolutions which seemed to uncover the gap that was breaking the country. As I mentioned, there are images of past wars which lead to the France of that time, but from what I observed there was no painting that depicted the battles or war that the people of France fought for in the Revolutions. I think this could reflect the idea that the monarchy was still unwilling to change their ideals and inequality towards the working class. So from this gallery, perhaps the intention was to unite the nobility and aristocracy only, and not the entire country. 

L’Église du Dôme

The Coronation of Napoleon in the Palace of Versailles.

Napoleon’s Tomb in L’Église du Dôme

In Versailles and in other locations which I will soon discuss, I found one of the most interesting portrayals of French power through Napoleon. He is portrayed or portrays himself as an amazing powerful individual through intense ego. In Versailles, one painting I found which highlights his image was The Coronation of Napoleon. This painting shows Napoleon at his coronation in which he crowns himself emperor then proceeds to crown Josephine, his wife, as empress. In crowning himself he is stating that he has this absolute power and authority. I feel in doing so this shows an idea of having even greater absolute power compared to the monarchy of before. Napoleon’s background makes this interesting when thinking about what this meant for the society of France at the time. He rose from military power into emperor instead of through hereditary succession. In this way he could have been positive towards France, as a symbol of new times, or as we can see his idea of absolute power could leave France in the same position as it was before. Another location which shows how Napoleon's power was portrayed, was L’Église du Dôme, which is where he is buried. Like no exception from the buildings of Paris, it was visually beautiful. Within it, at its center, I looked down and saw the biggest tomb I have ever seen, surrounded by what I believe was a circle of angels. Walking down to see this tomb from the ground, I noticed that there are white marble carvings along the walls which in the center is Napoleon. In this marble, Napoleon is portrayed as some sort of god, or extraordinary being as he is in the center of each wearing robes and wreaths, and in some sitting on a throne, and in all the others bodies in the picture are facing him. From this, like The Confirmation of Napoleon, we can see how French political power was seen as absolute from its holders. This again separates them from seeing the struggles and lives of the working class, and continued separation for this society. 

Marble carvings of Napoleon at L’Église du Dôme

Seeing these places with the background of having read the two novels in which we were able to see the struggle, and loss of the Revolutions and of the working class people allowed me to understand even more the constant anger and inequality they were facing. It appears that in both times before and after the revolution, there is still such an obvious gap of power that is abused and misused. Today, we can still see similar traces of inequality in society and misused authority in the world, as we look out and see similar struggles and personas that mirror these times of French history. 

To the Stage

The center of Soho Square

Now beyond the halfway mark of our book packing journey, I have been so excited that I have been able to experience and see so many new things. Buildings, roads, food, and culture fill London and Paris which are new to me. One new experience in particular that I would like to highlight in this blog is that of seeing the performance of Les Misérables. I had never seen a musical before, so I was very excited for Les Misérables to be my first one!

Before heading to the Sondheim Theater we met at Soho Square. This park was beautiful, surrounded by trees and its center contains a hut which itself  is surrounded by flowers and grass spaces. I feel as though what added to its beauty was how many people were there enjoying the space. Some talking, some eating, some simply taking in the scenery, and there were even a group of people playing ping pong. The surrounding area as we made our way to the theater was no different. There was such a lively energy with people filling restaurants and bars. This energy followed us to the theater as people buzzed around waiting to enter. 

Inside the Sondheim Theater

It was so amazing to look up at Sondheim Theater and see the iconic image of little Cosette holding her broom, the words “ Join us to celebrate our 40th Anniversary” on the screen below, and right next to Cosette were the titles “ World’s Longest Running Musical” and “ Winner of over 270 Global Awards” as they just emphasize the incredible success of this performance. The interior of this theater contained intricate designs along its walls and sitting at the top really allowed me to be able to take in the beauty. 

Outside the Sondheim Theater

Now for the performance, I was unsure of what to expect. I mean, my thoughts going in were, how are they going to compress this massive book into a three hour show? The answer simply put, is they did, and it was amazing. The first act covers a very large section of Victor Hugo’s novel, all the way up to the development of the barricades which I thought was interesting. The second act covers the rest of the novel such as the fight and fall of the barricades and Cosette’s and Marius' wedding, the final chapters to sum up the novel. I really enjoyed both acts, however seeing the barricades acted out was so emotional and powerful. The massive barricade holding the red flag is engraved into my mind, and really puts into perspective what was happening at that time, considering that this was a play and obviously nothing compared to the real event. Of course I can’t forget the songs. I thought the songs were able to capture the emotions, dialogue, and actions of each particular scene and characters. For instance, Fantine’s “I Dreamed a Dream” was able to express how Fantine went from a life of love and happiness in her youth to a life alone and suffering. Additionally, Eponine’s song “On My Own” captured her love for Marius, which in the novel was shown through so many small and larger scenes. I thought this song was beautiful in showing that no matter how much she loved Marius, it was impossible for her to be his. I believe this song is mainly expressing Eponine’s unrequited love, but from the perspective of the novel I think this song shows how alone she was in life, as even her family thought of her as nothing, leaving her to practically live alone. My favorite song from Les Misérables was without a question “Do You Hear The People Sing?” The lyrics are so strong in making you feel the anger, sacrifice, and togetherness of society in these times and highlighting the strength it takes to stand up for a change. In the play the spirits of all the fallen characters such as Enjorlas and Gavroche walk on stage with their voices starting low and building up with each word. The words sung in togetherness gave me chills, it was so beautiful. The song was the voice of the people, those who wish for a better future, those who fight for a better tomorrow for all of society. 

Now having experienced both the novel and musical of Les Misérables there were interesting comparisons that I saw between the two. One of the biggest differences I noticed was how the Thénadier’s were portrayed, specifically Monsieur and Madame Thénadier. In the novel they are portrayed as selfish, greedy, and horrible people who not only treat Cosette badly but later in the novel also their own children. When reading the novel I was obviously not fond of their characters as I was cheering for the protagonist. However, in the musical they are shown in a different light. For example, in the scene “Master of the House” this showed the Thénadier’s in a very comedic light. Though the song still shows how they trick and steal from their customers and highlights their greed for money, it is done with a very different approach. The song was upbeat and the actors sang and danced in a comedic manner, which I thought made them much more likeable. Another difference that I noticed, which may have been just how I interpreted the novel, was the character of Eponine. As I mentioned in the musical, I feel as though she only plays the part of the girl who loves Marius. But in the novel I thought she had a much deeper and sadder story such that she went from being the shining star in her parents eyes, being pampered and treated well, to being treated poorly, living in starvation as I slightly mentioned above. However, interestingly her character stood out to me more in the musical than the novel, and I ended up liking her character much more after.

Continuing with comparisons, I want to touch on the effects of the major cuts that had to be done to compress Les Misérables into the musical. To start, I found that having read the novel before helped me to understand actions in the musical better. For instance, the scenes with the bishop were very short in the musical. The novel highlights and gives the bishop a long introduction which later in the novel I thought was crucial to understand Jean Valjean's character and the change he makes in his life. It adds an extra layer of beauty to the story. However, the musical did show the kindness of the bishop to Jean Valjean, there is just simply not enough time to deeply dive into the bishop's character. Additionally, one of my favorite scenes from the novel, when Jean Valjean reveals himself to the court to save Champmathieu from being wrongfully convicted, was very difficult to decipher and understand in the musical. Without having read the novel beforehand it is difficult to understand the intense mental battle Jean Valjean was going through which ultimately led to him accepting his past and moving forward. Lastly, in my perspective, I thought Marius' character was altered significantly. Though in the musical his actions were not completely out of character, a lot of what is discussed about him in the book is not shown. For example, his political evolution was not touched on much, thus leaving out the relationships between his grandfather, father, and family. Additionally, there was not much attention given to his complex relationship with Jean Valjean. However, his character in the musical was heart warming as his love for Cosette was highlighted, and his empathy for Eponine shown.

Les Misérables London Cast. Photography by Danny Kaan and Helen Maybank. From Sondheim Theater Les Misérables Gallery.

Being able to see the amazing story of Les Misérables in theater has been one of my favorite experiences on this trip and there is still much more to look forward to and experience!

Walls to the Past and the Future

In our early travels in London we began by venturing into the world of the British Establishments. At this moment I had also just begun the story of A Tale of Two Cities where Charles Dickens starts this novel with the line:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

— Charles Dickens

I know this quote is particularly popular, but throughout the experience this quote felt as if it was engraved into the stone of the walls around us.  

WestminsterAbbey

Even before walking into the Westminster Abbey, I was in awe of its intricate and beautiful architecture. I’m sure that I can say that I have never seen any other church like it. Once inside I remember looking up at the ceiling and felt that everything around me was so grand. I was surrounded by incredible statues, gold plated and gilded pieces from the arches to candlesticks, the sun piercing through the stained glass windows on all sides, and the sheer detail of every piece that filled the space. Before this visit, I was unaware of what this church held, leaving me very interested in all the different faces and names that are remembered here. Memorials of the royal family are abundant and interestingly other familiar names to me like Issac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Shakespeare were also present right under their large statues. The names throughout the church allowed me to take a glimpse into the past to understand who, and more so what kind of individuals were honored in this era. As we can see, it is members of the British Establishment and aristocracy that influenced life in this period. A Tale of Two Cities describes this higher class as arrogant and unwilling to reform away from the vast inequality compared to the lower class people. Along with the quote mentioned above, we can see through this lens the disparity such as while there was beauty and lavishness within these buildings such as the Westminster Abbey, outside these walls were lives only knowing of famine, pain, and hardship. Another thing that stood out to me was the very apparent connection between the state and the church that Westminster Abbey shows. Exploring its grounds I discovered that coronations, funerals and weddings of the English royal family occurred here. This structure is difficult as it can lead to increased inequality and corruption in both systems. In the present we see it exclude individuals of different religious backgrounds, leading to unequal rights in law and discrimination in society. This can not only be seen and applied to England but to various countries and governments throughout the world. 

Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey)

Continuing on our book packing journey, we stopped at the Central Criminal Court, also known as the Old Bailey. This court house that deals with criminal matters is the building Charles Dickens references in A Tale of Two Cities where Charles Darnay is tried for treason. It was an amazing experience to be able to transport into the setting of what was once just an imagination, which was not close to the true magnificence of it. Immediately, one could see that the Old Bailey is of a different architectural style than the Westminster Abbey straying away from the iconic point to a more stonework route and a dome above. Even early on our travels it is evident how London is filled with a vast array of architecture, allowing you to truly see its deep, long history! Why do I bring up the Old Bailey?There were two aspects of the Old Bailey that caught my attention. The phrase, “Defend the Children of the Poor & Punish the Wrongdoer” that is engraved in its walls and the other at the highest point of the dome is Lady Justice gleaming in gold holding a sword and a scale.  In our book packing novels I recall reading countless scenes of the law going against Lady Justice and the words this building presents on itself, instead siding with the monarchy and aristocracy, against the people. Again thinking about the quote at the beginning , the law gave to those with so much and took from those with nothing.

Banksy’s Sculpture

Taking these two experiences and ideas, I believe as though the British Establishment and Law are connected by that they continue to keep the pillar of what is “the feudal illusion” in society. This phrase describes the idea that individuals believe that to live and be in a hierarchy is natural and part of what has always been, making it right. Therefore, not aiming to make a change for the better. I’ve been referencing examples of the past, however the feudal illusion is still present today. To describe its current relevance, I find that the artist Banksy’s newest public work captures this idea. Walking past this statue in the heart of the historic British Establishment was powerful. I believe this is saying to the world, that following the traditions, laws, and ways of the past through blind patriotism without question leads to the fall of yourself and society. To get to a present of equality for all, regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic status, and other factors we must take off the mask to reveal the truth about the past and the present in order to understand to forge a better future.