Liberty, Equality and Fraternity

Cameron McVay Beg. High School Literature October 14, 2008 Mrs. Helmreich Liberty, Equality and Fraternity The French Revolution was a horrific time in history. The slaughtering of innocent men, women and children just because they were judged to be aristocrats was ghastly. The motto of the French Revolution was Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. The people did not follow the motto. The characters in The Scarlet Pimpernel are hypocritical of the motto that they cherish. Bibot, Beauregard and Chauvelin all used the motto Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, but their actions were inconsistent with the motto. Bibot, a sergeant in charge of Paris’ West Barricade, was responsible for the death of many innocent French men, women and children and had an evil sense of humor. “Oh! How extremely funny . . .the fugitive would prove to be a woman… who looked terrible comical when she found herself in Bibot’s clutches after all, and knew that a summary trial would await her the next day and after that, the fond embrace of Madame la Guillotine.” Page 3. Bibot wanted desperately to capture the Scarlet Pimpernel and thought anyone who let him get away should be put to death. Bibot was an evil person.“Citoyen Bibot spat on the ground to express his contempt for his comrade’s stupidity” pg 5. He happily retold the downfall of his comrade and then moments later made the same mistake. Bibot shows that even people high in the government did not live by the motto. Beauregard, the innkeeper, was a stereotypical rude Frenchman. He was a rude, self-centered Frenchman who did not care about his customers or fellow man. His rudeness is apparent. “It was not for a free citizen to show deference, or even courtesy, to anyone, however smartly they might be dressed” pg 182. He also showed contempt toward another French citizen. “The man stood and lounged about, smoking his evil-smelling pipe, sometimes under Marguerite’s very nose, as any free-born citizen who was anybody’s