Pierre Dubois’s background (cut out from actual journal):

Pierre Dubois was born to a rather poor family who were all farmers. When he became of age, he applied to be a royal guard to support his family, who’s harvests were not meeting the minimum amount for them to survive off it. Pierre always disliked royalty, as he was raised to have great dislike for unequal and unjust things of all kind. Pierre’s parents both passed away before the revolution, his mother dying from tuberculosis and his father from a stroke on their farm. Pierre also had a younger brother whom he didn’t really care for, a reason being that his brother did not learn the lessons their parents taught, supporting royalty and nobility rather than the lower classes. In the original plans for the journal, this brother was meant to be killed during the Great Terror, while having moments where he confronts Pierre for being a radical revolutionary, which he was not. The story was also meant to delve deeper into Pierre’s mental state, but the word count did not allow for any of these details to be added.

Change and Continuity (French Revolution):

Changes: Old Regime abolished, feudalism removed from France. Monarchy destroyed in France; no longer monarchial. Revolutionary ideals spread outwards to Europe. Create of mass conscription (Levee en Masse), revolutionised warfare. Middle class gained power throughout revolution. Abolition of censorship; free speech became much more common.

Continuity: Autocracy replaced with Autocracy (Louis XVI to Napoleon), leaders all corrupt (Louis XVI, Robespierre, Napoleon). Religion abolished during Robespierre’s rule then reinstated during reign of Napoleon. Class separation and discrimination still existing; lower classes (poor) are still exploited by upper classes (wealthy)>