"...that these men, through their very delusions, showed great qualities susceptible of being turned to the happiest and best account; and that to pretend (on the strength of sweeping axioms; howsoever cut and dried) that they went astray wholly without cause, and of their own irrational wills, was to pretend that there could be smoke without fire; death without birth, harvest without seed, anything or everything produced from nothing." (book 2 pg. 138)
This quote is from chapter 4 of book 2...a little after my significant quote thang.
Slackbridge is rallying- workers are listening.
This is the narrator describing the workers.
KINDA CONFUSED,
What does the last part mean? why do they wish they could produce anything from nothing? Are they sick of doing everything but with nothing in return? Any thoughts??
I feel like Ryan might be able to answer this...I feel like it is kind of in contrast with your passage...Maybe you could put some sense to it! I feel like there is a sense of hope in this passage but little inspiration.
Also, there is some FIRE & SMOKE symbolism all up in this at the very end...what does it mean!
Dickens is saying that a third party spectating the demonstration could not deny the great qualities that these men possess and are expressing. Dickens is not saying that these men wish to produce something from nothing, rather he is explaining the absurdity of a hypothetical claim that these men were being swayed without cause and merely on irrational whims. Dickens is saying that such a claim is so absurd that it would be like saying there could be "smoke without fire; death without birth... etc.". I hope that helped. I believe this passage illustrates the true character of these men - that they are truly disgruntled and wish deeply to have their grievances acknowledged.
ReplyDeleteI get it now :) thanks.
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