Madame Defarge is the villain in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, representing the revolutionary spirit of the French Revolution. Her motive for violence and desire for revenge is revealed to be due to the abuse suffered by her sister and brother at the hands of the Evremonde brothers, one of whom was Charles Darnay’s father. Madame Defarge moves from a passive position to an active one, knitting the names of those who will be guillotined. She lacks compassion and is guilty by association, but is ultimately defeated by love and compassion. Dickens uses her character to argue for equal rights and decent living conditions for all citizens.
Madame Defarge or Thérèse Defarge is the implacable villain of Charles Dickens’ 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities. His wickedness is not without reason and, in a sense, he metaphorically represents the revolutionary spirit that swept through France during the 18th century French Revolution, which first demanded equal rights for all citizens, and then in a mafia-like manner took away those same rights. to many innocents. Dickens creates a powerful, memorable and chilling character in his portrayal of her, much motivated by his concern that England was, in her day, on the verge of a revolution if greater social justice for all her inhabitants were not pursued .
Dickens loved to reveal mysteries as his books went on, and the motive behind Madame Defarge’s dispassionate call for violence, and particularly for the death of the female protagonist, Lucy Manette Darnay, her husband Charles, and their baby it is not explained until near the end. of the novel. Since the book is so well known, hopefully it won’t be considered a spoiler to explain why. Long before Mrs Defarge married her husband, her sister and brother were victims of terrible abuse and cruelty by the Evremonde brothers, one of whom was the father of Charles Darnay. As a result, she is determined to see the line of Evremonde killed, right down to the Darnay’s young daughter.
As the novel progresses, Defarge moves from a relatively passive position – we first see her knitting in the wine shop she owns with her husband – to a much more active place. It’s this subtle embroidery that often gives people chills when they first meet her character. The reader later discovers that Madame is knitting the names of all who will be guillotined or accused of crimes in the coming Revolution.
Thérèse’s experiences as a girl warp and distort her reason. She is childless, a figure without compassion, but with a remarkable energy to exact her revenge. She is the mob, essentially, since she either doesn’t consider or stops to think that her own actions may be unfair. Despite Charles Darnay’s rejection of her family inheritance and despite her denouncing the acts of the Evremondes and leaving England, she is guilty by relation and association. Lucy, a complete innocent and daughter of the much respected Doctor Manette, is equally at fault for marrying an Evremonde. The hints at the end of the novel suggest that Madame Defarge will accuse Doctor Manette, the only one who assisted Thérèse’s sister and brother and paid for him with years in prison, of conspiracy.
In the end, the villain is defeated by the thing she lacks most: love for others. Miss Pross, Lucy’s companion and servant, physically defends her, and in this battle, Defarge’s own pistol is discharged of her, killing her instantly. This moment in the novel underscores one of Dickens’ main points, that love, compassion and true justice can be the best revenge.
It’s not that Dickens remains indifferent to the real harm done to characters like Madame Defarge and her family. Indeed, he argues through her character that these evils can exact an extraordinarily high price by stripping people of their humanity, making them far less likely to seek justice for everyone in any way but violently. Ultimately, Dickens’ character became as evil as his oppressors, and it is this mafia mentality that provides a strong argument for providing all citizens of England with equal rights and decent living conditions. Thérèse Defarge is not only the symbol of the mob and the revolution, but also a clear warning from Dickens.
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