It was briefly mentioned before that sometimes insurrections would lead to even more crowding in the Convention. These seem to be more peaceful displays. Sort of the reverse of when modern politicians have to make publicity appearances, congratulating sports teams or kissing babies—these are people who just want to show off their support for the politicians.
"The English offered twenty thousand shoes to our bare-footed soldiers." The English had been supplying boats to the counterrevolutionaries early on, here we have them helping out the barefoot republicans.
"as offerings to the country from this multitude in rags, and asked as a recompense permission to dance the carmagnole, or Revolutionary dance, before the Convention." So it’s sort of a useless interchange—the republic doesn’t really need anything from people who only have rags to wear, but all they can offer is their celebrity status so the people can say they performed for the great representatives? With the government trying to control the economy through all those assignats, the inflation is out of whack, so the people don’t have much to contribute.
We see some anonymous women showing up here. Sort of. They’re not involved in the actual political process at all, just taking up the government’s time with their demonstrations of loyalty.
"The orators saluted the crowds; sometimes they flattered them, they said: "You are infallible, you are irreproachable, you are sublime"; the people have a childish side, they like these sugarplums." Characteristics more associated with idealized characters (like Cimourdain) than the unorganized, drifting crowds. The compliments don’t really seem all that sweet, and it seems weird that it’d be childish to like them.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2014-05-26 12:49 am (UTC)"The English offered twenty thousand shoes to our bare-footed soldiers." The English had been supplying boats to the counterrevolutionaries early on, here we have them helping out the barefoot republicans.
"as offerings to the country from this multitude in rags, and asked as a recompense permission to dance the carmagnole, or Revolutionary dance, before the Convention." So it’s sort of a useless interchange—the republic doesn’t really need anything from people who only have rags to wear, but all they can offer is their celebrity status so the people can say they performed for the great representatives? With the government trying to control the economy through all those assignats, the inflation is out of whack, so the people don’t have much to contribute.
We see some anonymous women showing up here. Sort of. They’re not involved in the actual political process at all, just taking up the government’s time with their demonstrations of loyalty.
"The orators saluted the crowds; sometimes they flattered them, they said: "You are infallible, you are irreproachable, you are sublime"; the people have a childish side, they like these sugarplums." Characteristics more associated with idealized characters (like Cimourdain) than the unorganized, drifting crowds. The compliments don’t really seem all that sweet, and it seems weird that it’d be childish to like them.