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The Revolution of One City
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens mainly takes place in France, with a period of discontent amongst French citizens and ends with the madness of Revolution. Because the citizens of France patiently suffered for hundreds of years, Charles Dickens uses their built up anger to elicit a period of bloody revenge. The French Revolution essentially commenced with the calling of the Estates-General as the “government was almost bankrupt” (Source E). The Estates-General consisted of Three Estates, the Third Estate containing more than 95 percent of the population as well as paying 50 percent of their income in taxes (Source C). The Third Estate, underrepresented and heavily taxed, represented most of the population in
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that they grew frustrated towards the top 5 percent. Through Madame Defarge, Dickens displays the changing of French society from commoners passively against the aristocrats into revolutionaries possessing murderous rage towards the aristocrats; Dickens combines Madame Defarge with his portrayal of the French Revolution by condemning the revolutionaries for their savagery against the aristocrats. Dickens displays the change of France’s hoi polloi from doing nothing about their injustice into a group of bloody savages. When the Marquis de Evremonde ran over Gaspard’s child and threatens to run them over, the crowd’s “ long and hard experience of what such a man could do to them...that not a voice, or a hand, or even an eye was raised… But the woman who stood knitting looked up steadily and looked the Marquis in the face. [The Marquis’s] eyes passed over her, and over all the other rats” (113). In the early parts of the book, Madame Defarge constantly and silently knits, secretly adding to her register of death. When the revolutionaries storm the Bastille, Defarge reveals her inner self, filled with viciousness and clouded by vengeance when “she put her foot upon his neck, and with her cruel knife--long ready--hewed off his head” (222). Madame Defarge becomes one of the leaders of the Revolution, however, she commits wrongs in the same way that the aristocrats wronged the workers.
In “The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”, she breaks Right 7, “ all who promote, solicit, execute, or cause to be executed, arbitrary orders, ought to be punished,” as well as breaking Right 8, “the law ought to impose no other penalties but such as are absolutely and evidently necessary” (Source A). She breaks Right 8 as she tries to get Lucie and her family executed. Charles Darnay dying to pay for the sins of his family stretches Right 8’s “necessary” definition, but the total extermination of all Evremondes definitely violates Right 8’s “necessary” definition. She breaks Right 7 as she get Lucie’s family executed by making the wood-sawyer lie about Lucie’s actions, she tries to “cause [Lucie] to be executed” based on her desires. Her one focus on vengeance and willingness to kill innocent people such as Lucie demonstrates her savagery, which Dickens …show more content…
denounces. Through Madame Defarge, Dickens shows that violence cycles.
Before the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities, the Evremondes committed terrible crimes to Madame Defarge’s family, “[The Marquis de Evremondes brother] took [Madame Defarge’s sister] away--for his pleasure and diversion...When [Madame Defarge’s brother] took the tidings home, [Madame Defarge’s] father’s heart burst…[Madame Defarge’s brother] climbed in [the chateau]...[the Marquis de Evremondes brother] drew to defend himself--thrust at [her brother] with all his skill for his life” (331). The Evremondes could get away with these crimes because their social class of monseigneur far exceeded her family's social class. Her deceased brother said it best, “we were so robbed [by the Marquis de Evremonde], and hunted, and were made so poor, that our father told us it was a dreadful thing to bring a child into the world” (330). This oppression of her family happened to all the other peasants living on Evremonde land, and other peasants living around France. She becomes focused on one goal, the downfall of all aristocrats, especially the Evremondes. In the end, Madame Defarge’s downfall was her own gun. In the struggle between Miss Pross and herself, “Miss Pross…struck at [Madame Defarge’s gun]....as the smoke cleared, leaving an awful stillness, it passed out on the air...like the soul of [Madame Defarge] whose body lay lifeless on the ground” (374). Her death symbolizes Dickens’s belief that hatred, and vengeance in
particular, will never win. This belief of Dickens contributes to his overall attitude towards the French Revolution. Through Madame Defarge, Dickens demonstrates understanding of Madame Defarge’s past and does not blame her, but he does not support her bloodthirst either. In conclusion, Dickens condemns the revolutionaries for
In the book A Tale Of Two Cities the ways that they would kill people were that they would behead them and they would hang them or they would let them rot in prison. Most of the people that were killed were innocents or they were people that were in the way of them trying to take down the city. In the book the main character, Charles Darnay was arrested and was falsely accused of treason and being an illegal alien. Madame Defarge was taking out her anger on the whole family in which she thought had killed her sister. So Madame Defarge was going after all of the Marquis no matter if they had anything to do with t...
The Evremonde family had ruined her life when she was a child; the marquis had raped Madame’s sister, Madame’s father died from grief, and her brother died attempting to avenge his dead sister ("Madame Defarge in A Tale of Two Cities"). This tragic series of events in Madame’s life is what fueled her aristocratic hatred and philosophy that children should suffer for the “sins of their fathers.” Madame’s hatred for the marquis is still heavily prevalent following his death and she transfers it all to Darnay after hearing that he is alive and to marry Lucie. This aforementioned event is what transforms Madame into the antagonist of the novel, and thus also seals her fate as she chases down a way to ruin Darnay and the Manette’s. In the end, a simple and highly justified desire to avenge her family kills Madame Defarge and with her dies the threat of the novel and one of the most thought out and developed
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.
On the subject of the French she says, “I am a subject of His Most Gracious Majesty King George the Third and as such, my maxim is, Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks…God save the King.” (338) Since she is such, she is the perfect foil for Madame Defarge. Madame Defarge epitomizes chaos and violence. With her unrelenting bloodthirstiness and unceasing desire for revenge she symbolizes the intensity and bloodiness of the French Revolution. “The Evrémonde people are to be exterminated, and the wife and child must follow the husband and father.” (418) Madame’s chilling certainty and willingness to kill an innocent mother and child show the hatred that makes up the revolution she personifies and the peasants that were a part of it. Although Madame Defarge and Miss Pross are foils they share a common ground. They both have an uncompromising sense of duty; Miss Pross to Lucie’s safety and happiness, and Madame to a new and better France. They are both willing to do anything for these causes, including lying down their lives. As Miss Pross says, “I don’t care an English Twopence for myself. I know that the longer I keep you here, the greater hope there is for my Ladybird.” (427) Dickens uses these similarities he suggests that even seemingly opposites can have underlying
Charles Dickens writes this book explaining the French Revolution, in which the social and economic systems in France had huge changes and the French monarchy collapsed. This causes high taxes, unfair laws, and the poor being mistreated. Charles Dickens shows that cruelty of other people will lead to a revolution and in addition to the revolution more cruelty will occur. He explores the idea of justice and violence through the use of ambiguous characters with positive and negative qualities, meaning that they have to different sides to them; for example, Charles Darnay, Sydney Carton, and Dr. Manette. Throughout the story of A Tale of Two Cities, Charles dickens uses ambiguous characters to shows how violence and cruelty can be stopped through the power of true sacrifice.
The French Revolution was a period of social and political uprisings in France from 1789 to 1799, which is when the novel A Tale of Two Cities written by Charles Dickens takes place. The French Revolution marked the decline of powerful monarchies and the rise of democracy and nationalism. As it is said in the first sentence of the novel, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. During the extensive period of time during the conflicts of the revolution, every man is fighting for themselves. Due to this state of helplessness and solitude of the men in the revolution, many symbols in the novel were concocted and displayed to demonstrate a specific and powerful theme.
...remonde bloodline, most of which is innocent, must be exterminated to compensate for the deaths of her two siblings. The distinctions between the two women are especially evident when they engage in battle over the Evremonde family because they are speaking in different languages. Neither can understand the other linguistically, nor on a moral level. The message Dickens is attempting to convey through these characters is that of the many applications of passion, such zeal is best employed “with the vigorous tenacity of love [because it is] always so much stronger than hate” (365). In a decision between using one’s energy for love or hate, it is more productive and personally satisfying to choose the path of love because it is able to overcome that of hate.
A Tale of Two Cities takes place in England and France, during the time of the French Revolution. A Tale of Two Cities is a classic novel, where Charles Dickens presents to the reader archetypal main characters. From the beginning of the novel, the reader can know whether the characters are evil or not. In the novel, the main character, Sydney Carton, also contributes a lot to the theme of the novel-every individual should have both moral and physical courage, and should be able to sacrifice everything in the name of love.
Madame Defarge, on the other hand, does not just hate Lucie, but she hates the Manettes and all the Evremondes. One would think that such a strongly fueled hatred would permit Madame Defarge to overpower Miss Pross, but, as the reader finds out, Miss Pross' determination to keep her darling "Ladybird" safe, from any harm that might come to her or her family, allows her to overpower and kill her enemy. This time, the power of good overcomes the power of evil due to Miss Pross' true love and dedication to Lucie. Another struggle between love and hate can be found within Monsieur Defarge. In this particular case, it is evil that eventually triumphs.
Charles Dickens’s voice varies from being sympathetic with the revolutionaries, to a feeling of discord with their method of revolting. A Tale of Two Cities revolves around the French revolution and the tension in England. Dickens gives the tale of a family caught in the conflict between the French aristocracy and radicals. In the course of the book, the family handles extreme difficulty and obscurity. Dickens’s neutrality, though sometimes wavering from side to side, is apparent throughout each book in the novel.
Long ago in France, there were three types of people. There lived the poor people whom lived off of their land and the business of other people, which created the bottom of the social classes. There lived the rich people whom lived off of themselves and their businesses that they owned, which granted them noble power. Finally, there lived the royalties: King, Queen, and their people. These people belonged to their explicit social classes in France, which is the basis of the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Dickens uses these classes in his story to express the French Revolution and show how the poor were mistreated by the rich, and how the royalties were the most corrupt of the land. The French Revolution was the turning point of France at the time, which turned the entire basis of France’s monarchy around thanks to the classes of France banding together to stop the King. The social classes of France comprised the Revolution that turned France around and became a more civilized and fair society, and this is quite evident in Charles Dickens’s novel A Tale of Two Cities.
A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, is a story set in the year 1775 and through the turbulent time of the French Revolution. It is of people living in love and betrayal, murder and joy, peril and safety, hate and fondness, misery and happiness, gentle actions and ferocious crowds. The novel surrounds a drunken man, Sydney Carton, who performs a heroic deed for his beloved, Lucie Manette, while Monsieur and Madame Defarge, ruthless revolutionaries, seek revenge against the nobles of France. Research suggests that through Dickens’ portrayal of the revolutionaries and nobles of the war, he gives accurate insight to the era of the Revolution.
As Dickens describes, “It would be easier for the weakest poltroon that lives, to erase himself from existence, than to erase one letter of his name or crimes from the knitted register of Madame Defarge” (132). One family in particular whose name made it onto the registry is the Evrèmondes. As a young girl, a majority Madame Defarge’s family, including her sister, unborn nephew, brother, father, and brother-in-law all died because of the Evrèmonde brothers. Since that time, she has been determined to kill his entire family. We learn that they are “To be registered as doomed to destruction,” returned Defarge ….
A Tale of Two Cities promoted the image of a stable England by using revolutionary France as a setting to highlight the contrasts between the two countries, although Dickens seemed to believe in the eighteen-fifties that England was heading towards an uprising on the scale of the French Revolution. In the twentieth century, we see the French Revolution used as a 'lavish' setting in film and TV productions of A Tale of Two Cities. In the preface to the novel, Dickens says "It has been one of my hopes to add something to the popular and picturesque means of understanding that terrible time" (xiii).
The setting of a Tale of Two Cities is during French Revolution. To better interpret this novel, we have to take a look at why Dickens was so concerned about Revolution. Although Charles Dickens was born into a wealthy family, his parents, at last, got into prison because of debt. Since then, Dickens deeply realized the disparity that existed between the rich and the poor. He also believed that the whole society had the responsibility for poor people.