During the French Revolution, the nobles who were beheaded maintained their dignity, as was their birthright and royal duty. They laid their heads down calmly on the guillotine, and thus were easily dehumanized. They were slaughtered one by one.
The things they had done, and the way they had lived so frivolously without regard to their "subjects" starving and dying in the streets was cause, yes, for a redress of the status quo.
The mob didn't see them as people until one young Viscountess, I believe, lost it. She screamed, kicked, fought, and plead for her life. It is said that the cheers of the crowd grew quiet as she was dragged up the stairs to the platform where the guillotine sat.
She begged for them to spare her in the name of her children, who were in the cart or on the sidelines sobbing. Suddenly, these "monsters" who actually simply lived the way they were raised and thought they were meant to, were human again. As human as any of them. And in fact, when they had run out of nobles to slaughter, charges were drummed up against other upper- middle class citizens. Their heads were cut and their blood was shed to appease an ever insatiable crowd.
I can't remember the woman's name, and I can't find anything on Google. I remember this story from French History classes like 10 years ago at the Univ. (fark I'm old. :P)
I think you're absolutely correct about this woman planting the seed of doubt into the minds and ears of those around her. It was said, "Let's get this over with," rather than "Let's DO THIS! RAWK! RAAHHRRR!!!"
Re: The Lottery
The things they had done, and the way they had lived so frivolously without regard to their "subjects" starving and dying in the streets was cause, yes, for a redress of the status quo.
The mob didn't see them as people until one young Viscountess, I believe, lost it. She screamed, kicked, fought, and plead for her life. It is said that the cheers of the crowd grew quiet as she was dragged up the stairs to the platform where the guillotine sat.
She begged for them to spare her in the name of her children, who were in the cart or on the sidelines sobbing. Suddenly, these "monsters" who actually simply lived the way they were raised and thought they were meant to, were human again. As human as any of them. And in fact, when they had run out of nobles to slaughter, charges were drummed up against other upper- middle class citizens. Their heads were cut and their blood was shed to appease an ever insatiable crowd.
I can't remember the woman's name, and I can't find anything on Google. I remember this story from French History classes like 10 years ago at the Univ. (fark I'm old. :P)
I think you're absolutely correct about this woman planting the seed of doubt into the minds and ears of those around her. It was said, "Let's get this over with," rather than "Let's DO THIS! RAWK! RAAHHRRR!!!"
Karina Black//Ravenclaw