Madame Defarge Essay

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Knitted in Blood During a time of conflicting warfare, a person’s social position and temperament play a significant role in the ideals of society. A Tale of Two Cities manifests society’s response to the French Revolution. Times like this result in two options, either to keep moving on with life, or give in to the vengeance. Charles Dickens portrays both sides of humanity through his characterization. Madame Defarge is the most prominent character that represents the inability to resist violence during the Revolution. In Madame Defarge’s quest for revenge, her continuous knitting and dominance prompt her character development, establishing her character as the antagonist. In “Book the First,” Dickens portrays Madame Defarge as having an unspoken …show more content…

Although Madame Defarge’s hatred is initially fixed solely on the Evrémondes brothers, the revolutionary atmosphere extends this hatred to Lucie and her family. Dickens portrays Madame Defarge’s enemies, the Darnays, as the protagonists of the novel by provoking sympathy from the audience. As a result of Madame Defarge’s struggle to deal with her family’s death, the conflict between the opposing forces arises. Originally, Madame Defarge’s goal was to bring justice to the guilty. Due to the rise in the Revolution, her motives become based more on executing cruelty without …show more content…

The relationship formed between these two characters intensifies their ultimate intentions in support of the Revolution. With provocation from The Vengeance, Madame Defarge’s thirst for the execution of Lucie and her child and the Revolution as a whole is amplified. Madame Defarge, her cronies,and her stitches “knitted, in her own . . .symbols, [it] will always be as plain to her as the sun” (Dickens 303) play a significant role in the headway of the

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