REVOLUTION IN FRANCE In this chapter, you will examine the period of the French Revolution, which lasted from the 1780s until the end of the century. By the end of the chapter, you will •describe life in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century France outline the social, economic, and political causes of the French Revolution describe the course of the French Revolution •compare and contrast the views of the philosophes use primary sources to identify point of view and editorial purpose construct rules for critically evaluating historical accounts read character in portraits o assess the importance of the French Revolution Emilie: A Tale of the French Revolution This fictional story is set in Paris during the height of the French Revolution—an event you will read about in this chapter, and one that shaped the modern world. The story captures the turbulent atmosphere of the period, when ordinary citizens would suddenly find themselves in danger because of their political beliefs. Emilie is a member of the moderate Girondist Party. As the story opens, she has just escaped execution by members of the more radical Jacobin Party, who have seized control of the revolution and believe the Girondists must be put down. milie was not alone in into the narrow passage. She Her escape was a miracle. A the darkness. The sewer heard shouts, splashing, and friend of Charlotte Corday, she was alive with animal curses—guards searching other had been sentenced to the Esounds. Fingers sewers—then only the metallic guillotine. But the tumbrel squeezing against the slimy dripping of water and the carrying her to certain death bricks, she pulled herself deeper scuffling of rats. broke an axle and collapsed. Emilie knew it was a miracle that she had escaped the guillotine. "Where do you think you're going with my bread?" In a flash of panic, Emilie thought of the drain. She could slide down the tunnel and escape—but to what? Perhaps she could bluff. Surely a common thief would be safe from the guillotine. Boldly, she turned to face a burly older man, who was dusted with charcoal and flour. "Citizen," she said. "I was hungry. You charge too much for your goods." "Come, come, Citizen," said the man. "Thieves don't come out of the drains. You are the Girondin who escaped yesterday. Even this baker can put two and two together." Emilie looked frantically about the room, but the baker stood between her and the door. There was no escape. Emilie surrendered. Her legs gave way and she collapsed to the floor. "There are no Jacobins here, The sewer was alive with sounds ... and danger. Citizen," the baker said, with a hint of impatience. "I'm not going Cheered by the other prisoners, above her. Carefully, she pushed to turn you over to the Emilie broke free, scrambled herself upward. The grate was Committee—but it is not safe for across the bridge, and jumped slightly domed, and she could you to be seen. Take your bread into the Seine. Musket-balls see quite well. In one corner, and eat. And take a jug of water. peppered the water as she swam there were sacks of flour. In There is a room behind the wood to a gaping sewer out-fall. another, Emilie could see freshly bin. Stay in there until I call you." The tunnels were baked loaves and a large water He showed Emilie into a illuminated at intervals by grates barrel. small room, its floor littered overhead. At length, Emilie lay With one hand, Emilie tested with sacks. A tiny, high window down, pulled herself into a ball, the grate. It moved easily. She let in the cool dawn light. and fell asleep. Nightmarish listened, but there were no The baker closed the door, images caused her to jump and sounds other than the soft roar of piled wood against it, and went start as she slept; beads of sweat the ovens. She pulled herself up. back to his work. Emilie pulled formed on her brow and upper Quickly she went to the water sacks into a pile and sat against lip. She woke to the sound of barrel, took a dipper and drank the wall. On the other side of the voices, and caught the faint deeply. Her thirst quenched, wall, from time to time, she odour of baking bread. Ravenous, Emilie ate broken bread from a could hear people talking. Now she saw a low opening in the basket. Then, clutching two and then, a woman would sing or wall and crawled through. loaves, she turned away. hum bits of folk song, and there Emilie saw patterned metal "Citizen," a voice called out. were the sounds of a working 52 The baker opened the the door and found Emilie with several loaves of bread. bakery. Hungrily, she ate her metal tub of steaming water, and denounced as a traitor, and bread and drank water from the a small table with brushes and a arrested. With no news of her jug. mirror. Some clothes hung on since Ventose, they assumed she Emilie dozed through the hooks nearby. For the first time, was dead. day falling, at intervals, into Anne-Marie spoke. Anne-Marie fussed a little restful, dreamless sleep. It was "You must wash and change over Emilie, straightening the early evening when she woke. quickly, citizen. Choose any shawl that she had draped The tiny window was almost dress and take another as a around the girl's shoulders, and dark. She could still hear the change. Make haste!" pushing the hair from her face. sounds of the street. Anne-Marie waited outside But they did not ask her to tell The baker returned late in the door while Emilie washed them her plans or where she was the evening, after the street and changed. Jacques had set a going. They gave her some above had grown silent. Emilie table with bread, cheese, eggs, assignats, enough for a few days heard the wood being removed, and wine. Both watched as travel. Jacques gave her an and then the door opened. She Emilie ate her meal—her first in official-looking paper. It was, he stood upright against a far wall. many hours. Anne-Marie rolled told Emilie, a pass that had In a moment, the baker came up spare clothes and stuffed belonged to his daughter, and it into the room, followed by a tall, them into a cloth bag. had been signed by Robespierre. haggard-looking woman carrying Jacques told Emilie that she With luck, it would allow her to a candle. was near the Marais, one of the leave the city. "Citizen," said the baker, wealthier areas of the city, and Then they led her out the "my name is Jacques." He tilted that her escape had been widely back door. Emilie pulled the his head in the direction of the reported. A few months earlier, shawl closely over her head and woman. "Citizen Anne-Marie, he said, they probably would set off down the alley. No one my wife." The woman motioned have turned her over to the took any notice of Emilie as she Emilie to follow. police as a counter-revolutionary. dodged between the carts. To all Anne-Marie led Emilie up But much had happened. Their appearances, she was just the narrow stairs to a room in daughter, whose clothes Emilie another young woman going back of the shop. Emilie saw a was wearing, had been about her business. 53 'I ■ That night, as she had on many others, she slept in a doorway, arising at the first light of dawn. She judged it was better to try her escape in the bustle of early evening, when many people were leaving the city for the country. During the day, she constructed a story: She was a young wife whose husband had fought at Valmy, and she had had no news of him. She would find the army, and search for him. As evening came, Emilie joined the crowds of people moving towards the gate. She waited as revolutionary guards checked papers. As she approached the barrier, she started up a conversation with another woman and talked about The guard scrutinized Emilie's pass. the weather. She took her pass from her apron pocket. "How is it," the guard asked, question such a pass? May I not Charlotte Corday: a Girondist who assassinated a leading Jacobin, Jean-Paul "that you present a pass signed go through?" Ma rat by Citizen Robespierre? He has The guard raised the barrier. guillotine: an instrument for beheading by been arrested, and may already "Bonne chance, citizen." Emilie means of a heavy blade be dead." walked into the twilight. She tumbrel: a cart with sides, used to take Emilie's heart sank. "Citizen, was out of the city and, for the prisoners to the guillotine I asked for a pass to try to join moment, safe. ravenous: seriously hungry my husband, who is with the Ventose: the name of the sixth month in army, and I was given this one. revolution: an overthrow of the the Revolutionary Calendar government and social system of a How could I, a young wife, country, usually by force assignats: certificates of money in Revolutionary France ACTIVITIES 1.Name some personal characteristics that allowed 4.Emilie had to concoct several stories in order to Emilie to survive her ordeal. escape execution. During periods of terror or revolution, many ordinary citizens must resort to 2.Why were the baker and his wife sympathetic to fabricating stories in order to save their families and Emilie? loved ones.