Augustin Calixte's Monologue

Hi! I’m an 11 year old boy named Augustin Calixte. I currently live in Bastille, with my mother, father, and my two annoying sisters. We have a big house, a big backyard for me to play in and something official is always happening at our house, there’s never a day that doesn’t. To keep me out of Mom’s hair, she says we can get whatever we desire so of course I splurge and try to get all the expensive items. She does say I’m spoiled but that’s better than being poor! How do they even live? I’d starve if I didn’t have a piece of chocolate ever few hours. I mean, haven’t they heard of working. Get up and do something with your life. Which I guess is mean, but if I were them, I’d find someone rich like us and become there servant. Like we have
now! We have 5 servants that answer to us whenever. There like toy robots… It’s awesome! I remember one time; I purposely dropped my plate of spaghetti on the floor so Alfred would clean it up. He’s my servant. I consider him a friend but I like to push his buttons, because if he gets mad, he’s fired so it’s funny to watch him get frustrated. Life is swell.

13 May 1789 Wow, this is quite surprising I’m listening to Mothers orders to write in my journal! But anyways, I overheard mother talking about the King today. She was saying without him many wealthy individuals like us wouldn’t exist. She said we are the top layer of society (whatever that is) and we’re included in important official positions, and that we had several special powers and privileges. For example, mother constantly talks about the money she acquires from the classes lower than us. She went on to say below us there was the clergy, the bourgeoisie (middle class), and the peasants (rural poor).She said the peasants had no vote and laws abused them, Either way, I’m glad I’m even able to form a sentence because I saw some kids about my age, walking toward a farm to begin their day at work. That was my first time I actually felt bad, and I never feel bad. I just felt things weren’t fair but then again I love my rich life. I’m okay with them slaving over a meal for their family. But anyways, if everything keeps going smoothly we’ll live a long healthy life, bathing in money!
14 July 1789
I grew up traveling town to town with my family, not for any other reason but being in the upper class.
We had the freedom to go where ever we chose. I remember quite vividly, going far away from home just to eat a seven course meal. But anyways, there really wasn’t an in between, either you were rich or poor. I can recall watching angry people, my mom called them peasants, who marched and attacked a prison further east. Mom told me that the prison was a symbol of the royal authority. She said everything was going to be okay because all they had were weapons and no food so they would all soon become weak and die off. I was terrified but I nodded my head and we proceeded on. Later on in the day, we saw boney women, marching through a rain storm, trying to attack the city wall, which had an abundant supply of food. Not long after, we can heard from a messenger, the peasants demanded the king to be killed. Now that I think about it, I don’t remember hearing anything about what happened to the king. I think Mom tries to keep me away from all the violence and drama, but what boy doesn’t want to see people heads guillotined off and paraded around! But I do miss the old days, when I didn’t have to worry about rioters coming through our yard, protesting the upper class. It’s a hard knock life being an 11 year old in this
situation.

2 August 1789

It’s been awhile since I’ve written in here! A lot of political things are happening and I’m slightly scared for Mom and Dad. I’m not sure what is happening, other than ease dropping of my parent’s conversations at the table. What I’ve heard so far was that there was a rumor the King and other authorities were going to overthrow the third estate (commoners), which sent panic to the peasants. The peasants took it to themselves, and attacked manor houses in an effort to destroy legal records of their feudal obligation. Dad then added, this act was the only way for the peasants to get their opinions out about feudal dues but then taxes went unpaid. Then the middle class responded by forming a National Guard Milia to protect property rights. And I guess that’s hurting us as the upper class because we benefit from the lower classes. I scared for Mom and Dad but more importantly what’s going to happen when we don’t have enough money for food or even the house? As far as it seems, I think society is on a downward spiral to dirt.