Madame Defarge Quotes

Madame Defarge tries to kill and hurt everyone who opposes her in Tale of Two Cities. Her only hobby is knitting, and she knits as a way to show anger and bring fear to her enemies. She knits a list of people who die in the revolution. The essay shows how Madame Defarge has motives for her killings, her allies, and if the behavior is justified.
In the first book of the novel, the goal of Madame Defarge includes exterminating the noble race. She is constantly knitting in the wine shop she owns. The knitting shows a passive way to express her hatred towards others. “Her knitting was before her, but she had laid it down to pick her teeth with a toothpick” (Dickens 55). The quote shows how even in her first showing in the book, she is knitting. Her knitting and constant plotting brings frequent fear to her husband, Ernest Defarge, and all other wine shop patrons. Considering even her own husband is afraid for his life, Defarge keeps death in secrecy and shows extremely negative qualities. Defarge knits a register for the intended killing of the revolution in secrecy to show her hatred towards certain people. She has negative characteristics in regard to the loss of her family and her plot to kill all of her enemies. Madame Defarge lasts as the leader attributed to all women fighting in the revolution and

she shows these qualities throughout the novel.
Book 2 shows how Madame Defarge has few allies and kills for herself.

“The fingers of the knitting women were vicious, with the experience that they could tear” (Dickens 391). Considering she keeps to herself and plots against many people, she has few friends, and customers are conflicted towards her. Although she has few people in favor of her actions, Defarge still has alliances. Madame Defarge is in alliance with a character named “The Vengeance” and they both kill for their own sake. They both tie together in the way of their actions. Although Madame Defarge and The Vengeance kill for themselves, Defarge’s killings are justified by the way her family was

treated.
Madame Defarge believes all children should suffer for “the sins of their fathers.” Her insight of children influences her decisions and ultimately determines her fate. Even if Madame Defarge has a horrible past, her actions and behaviors are not justified. As the book goes on, Charles Dickens goes on to narrate how cold and how she basically ceases to be human. She shows the inhumanity by killing without remorse, and will not stop until she kills all of her enemies. Madame Defarge has little care all across the novel. She does not care for her own safety and cares to hurt those who wronged her.
To conclude, Madame Defarge killed for vengeance and selfish reasons. Her knitting proves to be a way to contain her own anger and hatred, and to bring fear to those who oppose her. Madame Defarge shows her goals of killings and how she brings constant fear to her husband when she knits. In book two, Madame Defarge brings out her few allies and her reasonings behind the plotting of murder. Lastly, she believes throughout the book, children should suffer for their fathers’ sins and demonstrates the influences of family.