2 - Discovery

Summary

Saturday – January 2, 1790

I sit in Papa's study, watching through the window the velvety white snow blanketing the city. The afternoon light intermingles with the shadow of the night. The street lamps are lit, adding a golden glow to the twilight. People go about their affairs, poor and rich, conscious of each other's social status. The wealthy travel in their fancy carriages, bundled up in fine furs, while the less fortunate trudge in the muddy streets, wearing worn-out garments to protect them from the cold wind. Rich and poor, young and old, all humans are alike in their desires, but they are not socially equal.

I never thought about it before, but now I see that the citizens of France do not share equal rights. Last year the workers and poor peasants revolted, unhappy with the unfair tax structure, and the financial crisis that led to an increase in prices. Bread became scarce and the poor went hungry. While the royal family and the court were living in luxury at their Palace in Versailles, the peasants and the workers in the city were suffering.

Papa and his friends criticize Louis XVI for being an incompetent ruler. The king is good, has a noble heart, but lacks leadership and is not in touch with his subjects, especially the lower classes. Papa asks, how is it possible that a feeble monarch who seeks only to satisfy his own pleasures can govern a nation? And many people dislike Marie-Antoinette because she was capricious and irresponsible in her early years as queen.