Chapters 20 and 21 Summary and Analysis

The dauphin was in very bad health. Born with a spinal deformation, he was never a healthy child and now his deformed ribs were crushing his internal organs. Antoinette and the king visited him as often as possible in his final days. When the young boy finally died, they were both extremely saddened.

The Estates General was bogged in procedural issues over how to formally recognize its members. The public grew increasingly impatient with the deputies for their lack of action. The Third Estate, which had been chosen by the king in large numbers because he thought they would the most likely to support him, decided to leave the Estates General and form what they called the National Assembly, a new body that claimed sovereignty from the people. They invited the other members of the Estates General to join...