A continental army, with willing recruits from conquered lands . . . Attacks in Poland . . . Prussia . . . war with Russia . .. Tsar Alexander seeks armistice . . . Europe divided into zones of Russian and French influence . . . allied against Britain . . . Prussia's Frederick William left out . . . Zenith of powers, certain there would be no moment on the continent where Russia, Austria, and Prussia would all be against him . . . Tilsit happiest moment of his life, he later says . . . returns to France after an absence of 300 days after a 100 hour night-and-day carriage ride. Napoleon moved fast!
"To all humankind, Tess was only a passing thought. Even to friends, she was only a frequently passing thought." Angel Clare is a good character. He's "enlightened," in so many ways, but when Tess's confesses her "crime," he reverts to ancestral form . . . Tess's "confession" comes earlier than I expected, right after Angel reveals that he has had a bad moment with a woman. Tess points out the similarity in their transgressions, though his is the only true transgression, expecting forgiveness. She doesn't get it. She returns to her mother . . . realizes she can't stay with her. Thoughts to suicide. Unhappiness that divorce is not possible. Departs. Tragic in that the two, if Angel could just see clearly, would indeed be a great couple, each adding to the other. Nature as a definite force involved in the tragedy. It's not neutral--when things go bad, the very skies mock Tess. Tess as unaware of the power of her bea...
Comments
Post a Comment