Wednesday, June 9, 2010

On Charles Dickens and Quote from A Tale of Two Cities

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2010

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

- Charles Dickens
From "A Tale of Two Cities"

These opening words from A Tale of Two Cities repreent Dickens at his finest. This is one of my favourite passages in English literature and I have reflected uppon these words countless times. It is appropriate to share them with you on this June day because Charles Dickens, the great English author of the Victorian Age, died on this date in 1870. He was 58 years old. The characters he created are unforgettable - Scrooge, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist etc. Charles Dickens lives on in his literary creeations and he should also be remembered as a great advocate for social justice.


SPORTS

My Blue Jays were trounced 9-0 by the Tampa Bay Rays last night. That Tampa Bay team really has the Jays number. We didn't win very many games against them when they were a struggling expansion team and we certainly aren't having an easy time with them now that they are a good team. It remainds of the problems the Jays used to have with the Milwaukee Brewers.

- Joanne