Susan’s Despair and Barbara’s Defiance
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Following the jailer's inspection, Susan succumbs to despair, lamenting their hopeless situation, while Barbara attempts to bolster Susan's spirits by reminding her of their past escapes.
Susan expresses her anxiety about her grandfather's well-being, triggering Barbara's reassurance, but Susan presses for more certain knowledge.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Resolute and focused, with a steely determination that masks underlying urgency and fear of failure. Her tone is calm but insistent, reflecting her commitment to action despite the dire circumstances.
Barbara Wright actively seeks an escape route, identifying a damp patch in the cell wall as a potential sewer connection to the river. She repurposes a bedframe cross-strut as a makeshift crowbar, attempting to pry loose a stone block. Her pragmatic focus contrasts with Susan’s despair, and she directs Susan to keep watch for the jailer while she works. Barbara’s actions are driven by a refusal to surrender to their fate, embodying her resourcefulness and determination.
- • To escape the prison cell by leveraging the damp patch in the wall as a potential sewer route.
- • To keep Susan engaged and hopeful, preventing her emotional collapse from paralyzing their chances of escape.
- • That their past successes were not purely luck but the result of their own actions and resourcefulness.
- • That the damp patch in the wall is a viable escape route, despite its apparent solidity.
Deeply despairing and emotionally fragile, with a surface-level compliance that barely masks her internal paralysis. Her voice is tinged with exhaustion and fear, reflecting her belief that their situation is hopeless.
Susan Foreman is emotionally overwhelmed by the certainty of execution and her grandfather’s unknown fate. Her despair is palpable, and she initially dismisses Barbara’s escape plan as impractical (‘It’s solid stone’). However, she eventually agrees to help by keeping watch for the jailer, showing a flicker of compliance despite her fatalistic outlook. Susan’s dialogue reveals her deep concern for the Doctor and her struggle to maintain hope.
- • To find reassurance about her grandfather’s safety, as his unknown fate is a primary source of her despair.
- • To avoid further emotional distress by complying with Barbara’s plan, even if she doubts its success.
- • That their luck has run out and they are doomed to execution.
- • That the prison wall is impenetrable, making escape impossible without significant resources.
Not directly observable, but inferred to be indifferent or sadistic, given the context of the Revolutionary Justice System’s brutality. His power is absolute, and his potential intervention is a constant threat.
The Jailer is implied to be present outside the cell, as Susan and Barbara react to his potential approach by pretending to be asleep and later shushing each other. His authority looms over the scene, reinforcing the oppressive atmosphere of the prison and the constant threat of discovery. The Jailer’s unseen presence drives the tension and urgency of Barbara and Susan’s actions.
- • To maintain control over the prisoners and prevent escape attempts.
- • To enforce the Revolutionary Justice System’s orders without mercy.
- • That the prisoners are guilty and deserve execution.
- • That any attempt at escape must be crushed immediately.
Not directly observable, but inferred to be fearful or resigned, given the context of their imprisonment. Their silence suggests submission to the system’s authority.
The New Prisoner is mentioned as being escorted by guards past the women’s cell block. Their presence triggers Susan’s warning to Barbara to stay quiet, reinforcing the constant influx of captives and the ever-present danger of discovery. The New Prisoner’s arrival underscores the prison’s role as a hub for the Revolutionary Justice System’s operations.
- • To avoid drawing attention to themselves and potentially incurring the jailer’s wrath.
- • To survive the prison environment, likely by conforming to its rules.
- • That resistance is futile and compliance is the only way to survive.
- • That the prison system is all-powerful and inescapable.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The bedframe cross-strut is repurposed by Barbara as a makeshift crowbar to pry loose a stone block in the cell wall. This object transforms from a mundane part of the prison’s furniture into a critical tool for escape, symbolizing Barbara’s resourcefulness and the prisoners’ desperation. Its use highlights the contrast between the prison’s oppressive design and the prisoners’ ingenuity in turning their confinement against it.
The damp patch on the cell wall serves as the critical clue that sparks Barbara’s escape plan. Noticed during her inspection of the cell, the patch suggests the presence of a sewer or moisture source behind the stonework, potentially leading to the river. This observation transforms a seemingly insignificant detail into a lifeline, driving the narrative forward and contrasting with Susan’s skepticism. The damp patch embodies the tension between hope and despair, as well as the prisoners’ reliance on small, overlooked details for survival.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The women’s cell in the Conciergerie Prison serves as the claustrophobic and oppressive setting for this event. Its stone walls, damp air, and faint torchlight create an atmosphere of despair and urgency, amplifying the prisoners’ emotional states. The cell’s design—intended to confine and break the spirits of its inmates—becomes a battleground for Barbara and Susan’s contrasting responses to captivity. The damp patch in the wall, a seemingly minor detail, takes on symbolic significance as a potential route to freedom, while the cell’s bars and locked door reinforce the prisoners’ helplessness.
The river, though not physically present in the cell, looms as a symbolic and practical destination in Barbara’s escape plan. Mentioned during their journey to the prison, it represents freedom and a potential route to rejoin the Doctor and Ian. The river’s existence outside the cell walls contrasts sharply with the prisoners’ confinement, serving as a beacon of hope and a reminder of the world beyond their imprisonment. Its mention during the escape planning underscores the desperation and longing driving Barbara’s actions.
The sewer behind the women’s cell wall is hypothesized by Barbara as a potential escape route to the river. Though not yet accessible, its existence is inferred from the damp patch in the wall. The sewer represents a narrow, fetid, and uncertain path to freedom, embodying the prisoners’ desperation and the high stakes of their attempt. Its mention introduces a sense of urgency and danger, as the prisoners must act quickly before the jailer discovers their plan. The sewer’s role in the escape plan contrasts with the cell’s oppressive design, highlighting the prisoners’ resourcefulness.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Revolutionary Justice System is the overarching force behind the prisoners’ captivity and the oppressive atmosphere of the Conciergerie Prison. Its influence is felt through the jailer’s authority, the prison’s design, and the constant threat of execution. The system’s brutality is reflected in Susan’s despair and the prisoners’ desperation to escape, as well as Barbara’s resourcefulness in turning their confinement against it. The organization’s goals are embodied in the jailer’s actions and the prison’s role as a tool of control and punishment.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Despite Susan's despair, Barbara remains proactive, shifting the focus towards escape and identifying the damp patch in the wall. This highlights Barbara's continuing resilience and resourcefulness."
Barbara devises an escape plan"Barbara's discovery of the damp patch leads directly to their digging efforts, which cause exhaustion and injury."
Despair and the Jailer’s Warning"Barbara's discovery of the damp patch leads directly to their digging efforts, which cause exhaustion and injury."
LeMaitre’s Command Silences the Jailer"Despite Susan's despair, Barbara remains proactive, shifting the focus towards escape and identifying the damp patch in the wall. This highlights Barbara's continuing resilience and resourcefulness."
Barbara devises an escape planThemes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"SUSAN: Oh, what's the use? We'll never get out of this dreadful place."
"BARBARA: I've never heard you talk like this before. You're usually so optimistic."
"SUSAN: I want to know about Grandfather."
"BARBARA: Look, we should try and get out of here. It hasn't always been luck, you know. We made our own opportunities."
"SUSAN: Yes. All you need are a couple of dozen drills and a gang of men and you might, might get out. What are you looking at?"
"BARBARA: Crowbars. May not be necessary to dig our way out after all. I might be able to lever up one of those stones with this."