Miss Pross is a character that is shown to be lovable and caring from the beginning of the story. She takes care of Lucie while Doctor Manette is in prison. She is a motherly figure and is seen as being a sweet but small character in the novel. Throughout the story, Dickens lets the reader know that Miss Pross has a real and strong devotion to Lucie and would not let anything happen to her. While Lucie flees with her family at the end of the story, Miss Pross is the character to come face-to-face with Madame Defarge. After realizing that they are enemies, Madame Defarge takes out a gun, and Miss Pross strikes the gun aside and ends up killing Madame Defarge. This is unexpected for her character but fitting because of her devotion to Lucie. Since Madame Defarge was an evil character with no one stopping her, having a more minor character like Miss Pross kill her was a pleasant surprise. Her selflessness in the novel makes her a loved character to the reader.
Charles Darnay, out of all characters, was like the critic of the French Revolution and the antithesis of what came to mind of aristocrats during the Revolution. In a sense, he is also like an underdog, however, not in the way as Sydney Carton is. Darnay is from a noble, and aristocratic family that is ultimately brought down as a result of the French Revolution. Despite what the revolutionaries believed, Charles Darnay represents the good and the honor that exists within some members of the French nobility. Not every aristocrat was like the Marquis Evremonde, who ran over a child with his carriage. Charles Darnay represents honor, duty, and responsibility as he came to the aid of his friend, Gabelle, when he was imprisoned by the revolutionaries. Despite the charges of his trial, he also remained rather loyal to France as a country. He married a Frenchwoman and returned to France to help Gabelle. The actions of the revolutionaries and of Madame Defarge led me to question whether the intent of the revolution was righteous. In summary, Darnay was aware of the wrongdoings of the French nobility, and in his part, tried to right wrongs and denounce tyranny.
Do you think Charles Darnay deserved to have his life saved by Sydney Carton twice? One sad passage of the novel to me is when Charles Darnay is thinking and writing to all of his loved ones in preparation for his death but fails to even bring Sydney Carton, his essential savior, to mind.
Madame Defarge is most definitely the main villain in A Tale of Two Cities. She is a bitter woman who is obsessed with getting revenge against the Evremondes, as well as the aristocrats in general. It is understandable why Madame Defarge is the way she is because she had a traumatic childhood thanks to the Evremondes. The reader finds out that her sister was raped by an Evremonde, her father died, and her brother was killed trying to avenge his sister's honor, so it is understandable why she wants revenge. At first I thought she was a rather quiet, yet observant woman whom spent the day knitting in her and her husband's wine shop. However, the reader later finds out that she is knitting a pattern as a record for all of the people the revolution will destroy. She is a bloodthirsty and ruthless woman who lives for one purpose only. She encourages other women to take part in the revolution and is amused when watching people get sent to the guillotine. She feels no remorse or guilt for any of the actions she has committed or taken part of. At the end, she seeks to destroy Lucie's family, so it is fitting when Miss Pross, Lucie's guardian, kills her at the end of the story. Madame Defarge seeked political justice, and in doing so, Dickens manages to dehumanize her and completely obliterate any trace of compassion she might have had.
Madame Defarge was one of the most dynamic characters introduced in A Tale of Two Cities. At first, she was depicted as a quiet wife of a wine maker. She does not seem like a very important character,mainly because all she did was knit. It seemed odd that she never left the house without taking her yarn and knitting needles. Her knitting seems insignificant ,but eventually it was revealed that she was knitting a list of the names wealthy aristocrats, that she wished to kill during the revolution. Madame Defarge was a main reason why the revolution happened. Aside from having her own reasons to take part in the revolution, she persuades other women to join forces with her. Madame Defarge transcends from a seemingly unimportant character into a principal role. During the Revolution, she became an evil and cold-hearted person. She began killing individuals based on their social standing rather than based on their actions. It was not until Madame Defarge took over the government with her husband, Monsiuer Defarge, that the reader saw how much she had changed. She became a blood thirsty individual who killed only to please herself. It did not make sense why she was so willing to hurt others. It is not until later when she reveals that her family was killed by Charles Darnay's father and uncle, that the reader fully understood her intentions.Her thoughts had been consumed with what had happened to her as a child, so she felt that she had to do something in order to retaliate. The fact that she was seeking revenge on Charles shows how truly insane she was. Overall, I feel that Madame Defarge had the most shocking transformation in the story which resulted in her having a major impact in general.
Madame DeFarge is portrayed as the innocent wife and too quiet to disturb anyone. She immediately rose suspicion. I find Madame DeFarge as one of the most interesting characters of the novel because of her silent transformation and overall impact on the novel itself. Madame DeFarge is more than just a woman obsessed with knitting. She is an evil character that embodies the "too quiet" aspect of her eery silence. She is always in the shadows and at times appears as though she may be a shadow herself. Madame DeFarge is bitter and blood-thirsty. Throughout the novel, she seems to have a cloud hanging over her head wherever she is. Everyone she encounters feels the shade from this cloud and they become encompassed by the darkness it brings. Madame DeFarge is a walking symbol of death for most of the story. Towards the end, she becomes less quiet and more active in her malevolent ways. She becomes a woman that kills for pleasure and no longer reason. The revolution incited this violence in her, but one can argue that this attitude was part of her persona all along. Ultimately, Madame DeFarge is a truly amazing character because of her silent but deadly ways, and her overall symbol of death.
Doctor Manette comes into the picture of the novel when it is discovered that he is being held captive in Paris, where he had spent a span of some years. There is no specific explanation for why he has been held in captivity for so long. All the reader learns is that he was thought dead by his daughter, Lucie, and that during his imprisonment, he had taken to shoemaking day and night as a result of some mental distress. Manette regains his sanity soon after he is "recalled to life" and reacquainted with his daughter who is accompanied by Mr. Jarvis Lorry. The confusions Manette suffered from do occur again over the course of the novel, but do not detract from his overall benevolent character. He gains the love and respect of many of the other protagonists of the novel, for being a loving and caring father and for dedicating himself to freeing Charles Darnay from imprisonment and almost certain execution. He is a respected and lovable character, whom misfortune does eventually befall. When Darnay's loyalty to the revolutionary state is questioned yet again, Doctor Manette is framed for having accused Darnay, and can therefore not vouch for him again. This however, makes Manette an even more sympathetic character. The hardships he lived with paired with his kind, loyal nature evoke feelings of sympathy and respect for Doctor Manette.
Doctor Manette is a very interesting character. He spent many years in prison causing him to go insane. Before his imprisonment he was a respectable doctor, but in prison he was a meek shoemaker. When Lucie and and Mr. Lorry come to release him, he is still in a mindless state. Lucie however helps bring him back to normalcy and soon doctor Manette is sane. It was interesting how doctor Manette would fall back into insanity when he was reminded of his past. When Charles revieled his secret to him, he returned to making shoes at his work bench. His work bench symbolized his past and how he was still tied to his time in prison. Doctor Manette was only truly free when the workbench was destroyed.
One of the things I found most mysterious about Doctor Manette, and the novel in general is that there really is no explanation for why he was held captive in that room making shoes. I wonder what a respected Doctor would do to end up in a situation like that.
Doctor Manette is a truly fascinating character because even though the public views him a celebrated figure, he internally struggles with himself and his traumatizing experiences. Doctor Manette is a well known figure due to his status as a physician and a former prisoner. However even though the public views him favorably, they do not know the torture that he goes through. Scarred by prison, Manette turns to shoe making whenever he is stressed, upset, or in a difficult situation. From when his daughter got married to when he couldn't save Darney from execution, Manette finds himself in a trance of making shoes. Mr.Lorry and Miss Pross even destroyed his tools and bench without him knowing in order to avoid relapse. However, when he couldn't save Darney from the second trial, he had an emotional turmoil and frantically searched for his shoe making tools. Shoemaking was a scary way for him to forget about reality because he would spend weeks in this trance. Also, Doctor Manette's character really stood out because of his unconditional love for his daughter. After years of separation, he was finally able to be reunited with her and bring him back to his normal self. He exemplifies fatherly love because he would go far and beyond to make her happy. Manette did everything he could to save Darney and was very distraught when it was clear that Darney could not avoid the second trial because he knew that his daughter would be unhappy. Manette's shoemaking habits and unconditional love towards his daughter makes him a truly unique character who played a large role in The Tale of Two Cities.
I agree with your description of Doctor Manette. Throughout the novel, it was obvious that he showed his love for his family even when he was internally struggling. He puts his daughter before anyone else including himself.
I think Madame Defarge is one of the most complex characters in the novel. At first, she is just seen as an innocent wife, but then grows into a serious revolutionary. Throughout the novel she has a dark shadow cast across her due to her knitting. Her knitting names of people that she believes should die shows that something dark is going to come out from her. Her acts during the revolution were hard to believe and it was difficult to imagine where all of that anger was coming from. Once the reader discovers her past with the Evremondes, everything becomes clearer. She wanted to get revenge and she was not going to let anything get in her way. She wanted to finish what her brother had started when he died so many years ago. However, she was blinding by that rage and thirst for blood when it came to Charles Darnay. He had given up his title and everything that he had because he was disgusted by what his family had done and what they stood for. She allowed her need for revenge drive her crazy and take this too far, and it is ultimately what got her killed.
I believe that Madame Defarge is a character with much content to her background. When she is first introduced in the book she appears as a quiet lady that spends her time knitting in her and her husband's wine shop. However as the book progresses, her character seems to become more developed. She begins to be an avid leader in the revolution and leader of the women participating in the revolution. Also towards the end of the book, the readers learn that she is the younger sister of the woman that was raped and killed by Charles Darnay's father and uncle. The readers learn this through a letter written by Doctor Mannette which was read at Charles Darnay's trial by Mr. Defarge. Madame Degfarge also doesn't stop at the execution of Charles Darnay, she wants Doctor Mannette, Lucie, and the daughter Lucie to be killed due to their relation to Charles Darnay. Madame Defarge is a very dark character that has no sympathy for human life. I believe that the death of her brother, father, and sister had caused her to be a heartless woman that spends her time seeking unjustifiable revenge. She has had a hard upbringing in life and has not recovered from her past.
Being a surprising character throughout the novel, Madame DeFarge begins as nothing more than a wine shop keeper’s wife. We do not learn much about her character until later on in the story when she plays in integral role in recruiting women for the French Revolution and killing hundreds of people, innocent or guilty, based on nothing but social status and family relations. Madame DeFarge’s initial silent character transforms into a vengeful, heinous woman as the revolution unfolds. The reader finally sees her true colors as she sends dozens of high-ranking people and aristocrats to their deaths at the guillotine. The DeFarge family especially wants to kill the Evremondes because of the past relationship between their families where some of the DeFarges were raped and/or killed. The revengeful Madame DeFarge singles out Charles Darnay because his uncle was involved in the murders of her family. At the first trial, Charles is found innocent because of his marriage with Lucie and Dr. Mannette’s status and analysis of Charles. The second trial is where Madame DeFarge brings the letter written by Dr. Mannette that explains his old feelings and the back-story of the Evremondes. Madame DeFarge uses this letter in a vengeful way to get Charles sent to the guillotine immediately. Her patterns of death in her knitting reflect the person she is. Madame DeFarge has to sympathy or regard for human life. She wants to send the world a message and does so by killing hundreds of people solely based on rank or social status.
Mrs. Pross is one of the only characters in the novel, who never has any twist and turns to her motives or beliefs. She is strictly a caring, loving, mother-like figure to Lucie Manette and she truly devotes herself to her. Having basically raised her she feels like Lucie is her own and her life completely revolves around her. I loved how in the end Mrs. Pross was the one to defeat the enemy because it showed how strong her loyalty to Lucie was. The moment she killed Madame Defarge was so liberating and we see how brave she was. The shines a new light on Mrs. Pross showing she is more than just a cook and caregiver for Lucie, she is also a guard.
Charles Darnay, while being a fairly flat and static character, plays an important role in both the book's plot and morals. Darnay is a French aristocrat who disassociates himself with royalty being of the cruelties they inflict on the lower classes. He is a loyal and heroic character, as seen by his saving of Gabelle. Darney does not change throughout the novel, as he begins and ends with immovable moral codes, but he contrasts with another main character who does change, Sydney Carton, causing Carton's transformation to be much more striking.
One of the biggest surprises and plot twists in the novel was towards the end when Madame Defarge comes looking to kill Lucie, but she is instead murdered by Mrs. Pross. Prior to this event, Mrs. Pross was no major character except as a caretaker or mother figure of Lucie while her father was held captive. She also worked with Mr. Lorry to help Doctor Manette stop himself from shoemaking. Hence, her main role was simply to take care of and protect the family. Then the intensity rises when she turns the tables and kills Madame Defarge, one of the most evil of the characters in the novel. While it may seem that this impulse was out of the ordinary for Mrs. Pross, it was actually nothing but normal. Her job is protect the family and because Madame Defarge was a dangerous threat to Lucie, Mrs. Pross did what she had to do in order to keep her safe. Thus, she embodies the protective mother figure of Lucie and her family. However, Mrs. Pross technically saves many more lives other than Lucie and Doctor Manette. Madame Defarge had an extended hit list and planned to kill any person who got in the way of the revolution, but because she is now dead, many other lives have been freed from her wrath. Therefore, Mrs. Pross literally becomes the overall mother figure of the city.
Madame DeFarge is a truly fascinating antagonist in this novel because she embodies true hatred and evil incarnate. Her hatred for the aristocratic class is so deep that she will go to any lengths to destroy the entire population. Although it was only the two Evrémonde brothers who wronged her siblings, she will settle for nothing less than the extermination of the family line. Madame Defarge has no pity for Charles Darnay, Lucie, and their child (despite their blatant innocence) because they all share an association with the Evrémonde brothers who tore apart her family. However, hatred cannot trump love, and it is for that reason that Madame Defarge meets her end at the hand of Miss Pross. Miss Pross is a perfect foil for Defarge because her actions are driven by pure love for her dearest Miss Manette. When Madame Defarge barges into Lucie’s household, with the intent of murdering her family, Miss Pross refuses to step down. She eventually senses Madame Defarge’s cruel objectives and knows that she must prevent Madame Defarge from entering the last closed door at all costs. Miss Pross does not yield after Madame Defarge reveals her weapons. In the same way Sydney Carton willingly sacrifices his life for the sake of Lucie Manette, Miss Pross puts her life at risk to protect her mistress. Madame Defarge’s hatred is no match for the love Miss Pross carries with her, and she is killed by her own weapons. Although Miss Pross does not forfeit her life for Lucie, her hearing is forever lost, for Madame Defarge takes it to the grave.
Miss Pross is a very important character in Tale of Two Cities. Her devotion and care for Lucie is extremely apparent in the novel as Lucie grew up. She’s very selfless and the sacrifices she took for Lucie’s health and safety when Madame Defarge was going to hurt Lucie ends up making her a very significant character because of her charitable actions. Her loyalty and love for Lucie shines throughout the entire story and she is deemed as a very devoted character. I find the connection between Miss Pross and Madame Defarge a very interesting one. Miss Pross is a perfect example of a foil for Madame Defarge because Madam Defarge is the epitome of vengeance and cruelty where as Miss Pross is a very caring woman. Where Madame Defarge lacks in love Miss Pross supplies it. They both embody very different characteristics yet they are extreme characters in the sense that Miss Pross is very caring and Madame Defarge is very cruel.
In the beginning of the novel, Madame DeFarge comes off as a simple woman, taking pleasure in things such as knitting and taking care of the wine keeper's store. However, it is discovered later on that she was knitting a list of enemies whom she wished to kill during the Revolution. Because of the traumatic event she experience, in which prior generations of Evrémonde raped and killed many members of her family, she writes off anyone who is involved with the Evrémonde as worthy of death. Those included are Charles Darnay, Lucie, and their child, although Charles renounced his title to the lands of the peasants. Her actions are a depiction of true evil, which can only be stopped by true love, which is embodied in Miss Pross, who ends up killing Madame DeFarge with her own weapon.
Madame DeFarge's character is representative of the truest form of evil and hate that people had for the aristocracy. She is a suspiciously quiet character throughout the novel which evokes a darkness about her. She constantly knits what is revealed to be a list of people that she believes should die at the hands of the revolution. Unlike her husband, she has no mercy for anyone. Once it is revealed that she is the lost sister whose siblings died at the hands of the the Evremonde brothers, it becomes even clearer that she is on a strict mission of vengeance and will stop at nothing to get it. She takes no pity on even the innocent (Lucie, Mr. Manette, and Lucie's child) and dismisses Charles Darnay's claim that he does not want his uncle's title or position. She relentlessly tries to kill all those connected to the Evremondes. Ultimately, Madame DeFarge's pure evil is defeated by the the epitome of love: Miss Pross. Miss Pross ends up killing Madame DeFarge when she attempts to arrest Lucie. Charles Dickens channeled the hate of the people into Madame DeFarge's character and demonstrated its defeat by love in its embodiment in Miss Pross.
Doctor Mannette had a circular journey in this novel. When we first meet Dr. Mannette he is broken down mentally and can only seem to focus on one task which is making shoes. When we meet Dr. Mannette next he has been living in England with his daughter Lucie for about 5 years and is almost completely rehabilitated. He now can function pretty much on his own and even has started seeing patients again. As time goes on he gets better and better until one day Charles tells him about his past and that his father and uncle are the reason he went to prison. This causes Dr. Mannette to have a nine day relapse that he spends only making shoes. However on the tenth day he snaps out of it and is fine. Later on Dr. Mannette and Lucie must go to France to help get Charles out of jail. Dr. Mannette is given lots of power as the chief medical officer of the prisons as he was a prisoner of the Bastille. Dr. Mannette is now able to return all the favors Lucie did for him by giving her updates on how Charles is doing and is almost able to get him out of jail but unfortunately can not. When he is not able to do so he is broken down again and asks for his workbench almost completing a complete circle in his character progression.
Miss Pross is one of the reasons I enjoy reading British literature; all somewhat modern stories contain at least one character that exemplifies the steely convictions of the caring and kind servant. These minor characters are always supporting the other characters in ways we don’t even quantify, from everyday advice to killing women hellbent on revenge. Miss Pross in particular was always caring and considerate about Lucie and only wanted the best, demonstrated the devotion one can expect to arise between a servant and their benevolent masters. And she did this with the characteristic British bite and attitude that brings a certain charm to these characters. Her crowning achievement of killing Mrs. DeFarge only served to demonstrate her loyalty and determination to the safety and well-being of Lucie, another reason Miss Pross is so likable.
Madame DeFarge the antagonist of A Tale of Two Cities becoes a symbol of the French Revolution, embodying its mayhem and ruthless destruction. She is introduced in the book as nothing more than the quiet wife of Monsieur DeFarge who says nothing but continously knits. Her silence is almost too quiet and leaves an ominous feeling surrounding her character. She is later revealed to be involved in the Revolution and knits a register of the enemies of the Revolution. Madame DeFarge presents herself as a force to reckoned with when she cuts off the governor's head and confronts Lucie after discovering she is married into the Evremonde line. When Dickens reveals her tragic past and reasoning behind her detestation of the Evremondes, it is almost too late for her to receive any sympathy from the audience, having grown cold and completely uncompassionate with time. Her plot against Lucie and bloodthirsty vengefulness result in her ultimate downfall during a struggle with Miss Pross(a mother figure to Lucie). Madame DeFarge's twisted sense of justice and hate brings about her own end, and symbolises the conquering of love over hate.
Miss Pross is a character that is shown to be lovable and caring from the beginning of the story. She takes care of Lucie while Doctor Manette is in prison. She is a motherly figure and is seen as being a sweet but small character in the novel. Throughout the story, Dickens lets the reader know that Miss Pross has a real and strong devotion to Lucie and would not let anything happen to her. While Lucie flees with her family at the end of the story, Miss Pross is the character to come face-to-face with Madame Defarge. After realizing that they are enemies, Madame Defarge takes out a gun, and Miss Pross strikes the gun aside and ends up killing Madame Defarge. This is unexpected for her character but fitting because of her devotion to Lucie. Since Madame Defarge was an evil character with no one stopping her, having a more minor character like Miss Pross kill her was a pleasant surprise. Her selflessness in the novel makes her a loved character to the reader.
ReplyDeleteCharles Darnay, out of all characters, was like the critic of the French Revolution and the antithesis of what came to mind of aristocrats during the Revolution. In a sense, he is also like an underdog, however, not in the way as Sydney Carton is. Darnay is from a noble, and aristocratic family that is ultimately brought down as a result of the French Revolution. Despite what the revolutionaries believed, Charles Darnay represents the good and the honor that exists within some members of the French nobility. Not every aristocrat was like the Marquis Evremonde, who ran over a child with his carriage. Charles Darnay represents honor, duty, and responsibility as he came to the aid of his friend, Gabelle, when he was imprisoned by the revolutionaries. Despite the charges of his trial, he also remained rather loyal to France as a country. He married a Frenchwoman and returned to France to help Gabelle. The actions of the revolutionaries and of Madame Defarge led me to question whether the intent of the revolution was righteous. In summary, Darnay was aware of the wrongdoings of the French nobility, and in his part, tried to right wrongs and denounce tyranny.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Charles Darnay deserved to have his life saved by Sydney Carton twice? One sad passage of the novel to me is when Charles Darnay is thinking and writing to all of his loved ones in preparation for his death but fails to even bring Sydney Carton, his essential savior, to mind.
DeleteMadame Defarge is most definitely the main villain in A Tale of Two Cities. She is a bitter woman who is obsessed with getting revenge against the Evremondes, as well as the aristocrats in general. It is understandable why Madame Defarge is the way she is because she had a traumatic childhood thanks to the Evremondes. The reader finds out that her sister was raped by an Evremonde, her father died, and her brother was killed trying to avenge his sister's honor, so it is understandable why she wants revenge. At first I thought she was a rather quiet, yet observant woman whom spent the day knitting in her and her husband's wine shop. However, the reader later finds out that she is knitting a pattern as a record for all of the people the revolution will destroy. She is a bloodthirsty and ruthless woman who lives for one purpose only. She encourages other women to take part in the revolution and is amused when watching people get sent to the guillotine. She feels no remorse or guilt for any of the actions she has committed or taken part of. At the end, she seeks to destroy Lucie's family, so it is fitting when Miss Pross, Lucie's guardian, kills her at the end of the story. Madame Defarge seeked political justice, and in doing so, Dickens manages to dehumanize her and completely obliterate any trace of compassion she might have had.
ReplyDeleteMadame Defarge was one of the most dynamic characters introduced in A Tale of Two Cities. At first, she was depicted as a quiet wife of a wine maker. She does not seem like a very important character,mainly because all she did was knit. It seemed odd that she never left the house without taking her yarn and knitting needles. Her knitting seems insignificant ,but eventually it was revealed that she was knitting a list of the names wealthy aristocrats, that she wished to kill during the revolution. Madame Defarge was a main reason why the revolution happened. Aside from having her own reasons to take part in the revolution, she persuades other women to join forces with her. Madame Defarge transcends from a seemingly unimportant character into a principal role. During the Revolution, she became an evil and cold-hearted person. She began killing individuals based on their social standing rather than based on their actions. It was not until Madame Defarge took over the government with her husband, Monsiuer Defarge, that the reader saw how much she had changed. She became a blood thirsty individual who killed only to please herself. It did not make sense why she was so willing to hurt others. It is not until later when she reveals that her family was killed by Charles Darnay's father and uncle, that the reader fully understood her intentions.Her thoughts had been consumed with what had happened to her as a child, so she felt that she had to do something in order to retaliate. The fact that she was seeking revenge on Charles shows how truly insane she was. Overall, I feel that Madame Defarge had the most shocking transformation in the story which resulted in her having a major impact in general.
ReplyDeleteMadame DeFarge is portrayed as the innocent wife and too quiet to disturb anyone. She immediately rose suspicion. I find Madame DeFarge as one of the most interesting characters of the novel because of her silent transformation and overall impact on the novel itself. Madame DeFarge is more than just a woman obsessed with knitting. She is an evil character that embodies the "too quiet" aspect of her eery silence. She is always in the shadows and at times appears as though she may be a shadow herself. Madame DeFarge is bitter and blood-thirsty. Throughout the novel, she seems to have a cloud hanging over her head wherever she is. Everyone she encounters feels the shade from this cloud and they become encompassed by the darkness it brings. Madame DeFarge is a walking symbol of death for most of the story. Towards the end, she becomes less quiet and more active in her malevolent ways. She becomes a woman that kills for pleasure and no longer reason. The revolution incited this violence in her, but one can argue that this attitude was part of her persona all along. Ultimately, Madame DeFarge is a truly amazing character because of her silent but deadly ways, and her overall symbol of death.
ReplyDeleteI agree with how her being "too quiet" added to the ominous vibes she gave off to everyone around.
DeleteDoctor Manette comes into the picture of the novel when it is discovered that he is being held captive in Paris, where he had spent a span of some years. There is no specific explanation for why he has been held in captivity for so long. All the reader learns is that he was thought dead by his daughter, Lucie, and that during his imprisonment, he had taken to shoemaking day and night as a result of some mental distress. Manette regains his sanity soon after he is "recalled to life" and reacquainted with his daughter who is accompanied by Mr. Jarvis Lorry. The confusions Manette suffered from do occur again over the course of the novel, but do not detract from his overall benevolent character. He gains the love and respect of many of the other protagonists of the novel, for being a loving and caring father and for dedicating himself to freeing Charles Darnay from imprisonment and almost certain execution. He is a respected and lovable character, whom misfortune does eventually befall. When Darnay's loyalty to the revolutionary state is questioned yet again, Doctor Manette is framed for having accused Darnay, and can therefore not vouch for him again. This however, makes Manette an even more sympathetic character. The hardships he lived with paired with his kind, loyal nature evoke feelings of sympathy and respect for Doctor Manette.
ReplyDeleteDoctor Manette is a very interesting character. He spent many years in prison causing him to go insane. Before his imprisonment he was a respectable doctor, but in prison he was a meek shoemaker. When Lucie and and Mr. Lorry come to release him, he is still in a mindless state. Lucie however helps bring him back to normalcy and soon doctor Manette is sane. It was interesting how doctor Manette would fall back into insanity when he was reminded of his past. When Charles revieled his secret to him, he returned to making shoes at his work bench. His work bench symbolized his past and how he was still tied to his time in prison. Doctor Manette was only truly free when the workbench was destroyed.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I found most mysterious about Doctor Manette, and the novel in general is that there really is no explanation for why he was held captive in that room making shoes. I wonder what a respected Doctor would do to end up in a situation like that.
DeleteDoctor Manette is a truly fascinating character because even though the public views him a celebrated figure, he internally struggles with himself and his traumatizing experiences. Doctor Manette is a well known figure due to his status as a physician and a former prisoner. However even though the public views him favorably, they do not know the torture that he goes through. Scarred by prison, Manette turns to shoe making whenever he is stressed, upset, or in a difficult situation. From when his daughter got married to when he couldn't save Darney from execution, Manette finds himself in a trance of making shoes. Mr.Lorry and Miss Pross even destroyed his tools and bench without him knowing in order to avoid relapse. However, when he couldn't save Darney from the second trial, he had an emotional turmoil and frantically searched for his shoe making tools. Shoemaking was a scary way for him to forget about reality because he would spend weeks in this trance. Also, Doctor Manette's character really stood out because of his unconditional love for his daughter. After years of separation, he was finally able to be reunited with her and bring him back to his normal self. He exemplifies fatherly love because he would go far and beyond to make her happy. Manette did everything he could to save Darney and was very distraught when it was clear that Darney could not avoid the second trial because he knew that his daughter would be unhappy. Manette's shoemaking habits and unconditional love towards his daughter makes him a truly unique character who played a large role in The Tale of Two Cities.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your description of Doctor Manette. Throughout the novel, it was obvious that he showed his love for his family even when he was internally struggling. He puts his daughter before anyone else including himself.
DeleteI think Madame Defarge is one of the most complex characters in the novel. At first, she is just seen as an innocent wife, but then grows into a serious revolutionary. Throughout the novel she has a dark shadow cast across her due to her knitting. Her knitting names of people that she believes should die shows that something dark is going to come out from her. Her acts during the revolution were hard to believe and it was difficult to imagine where all of that anger was coming from. Once the reader discovers her past with the Evremondes, everything becomes clearer. She wanted to get revenge and she was not going to let anything get in her way. She wanted to finish what her brother had started when he died so many years ago. However, she was blinding by that rage and thirst for blood when it came to Charles Darnay. He had given up his title and everything that he had because he was disgusted by what his family had done and what they stood for. She allowed her need for revenge drive her crazy and take this too far, and it is ultimately what got her killed.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Madame Defarge is a character with much content to her background. When she is first introduced in the book she appears as a quiet lady that spends her time knitting in her and her husband's wine shop. However as the book progresses, her character seems to become more developed. She begins to be an avid leader in the revolution and leader of the women participating in the revolution. Also towards the end of the book, the readers learn that she is the younger sister of the woman that was raped and killed by Charles Darnay's father and uncle. The readers learn this through a letter written by Doctor Mannette which was read at Charles Darnay's trial by Mr. Defarge. Madame Degfarge also doesn't stop at the execution of Charles Darnay, she wants Doctor Mannette, Lucie, and the daughter Lucie to be killed due to their relation to Charles Darnay. Madame Defarge is a very dark character that has no sympathy for human life. I believe that the death of her brother, father, and sister had caused her to be a heartless woman that spends her time seeking unjustifiable revenge. She has had a hard upbringing in life and has not recovered from her past.
ReplyDeleteBeing a surprising character throughout the novel, Madame DeFarge begins as nothing more than a wine shop keeper’s wife. We do not learn much about her character until later on in the story when she plays in integral role in recruiting women for the French Revolution and killing hundreds of people, innocent or guilty, based on nothing but social status and family relations. Madame DeFarge’s initial silent character transforms into a vengeful, heinous woman as the revolution unfolds. The reader finally sees her true colors as she sends dozens of high-ranking people and aristocrats to their deaths at the guillotine. The DeFarge family especially wants to kill the Evremondes because of the past relationship between their families where some of the DeFarges were raped and/or killed. The revengeful Madame DeFarge singles out Charles Darnay because his uncle was involved in the murders of her family. At the first trial, Charles is found innocent because of his marriage with Lucie and Dr. Mannette’s status and analysis of Charles. The second trial is where Madame DeFarge brings the letter written by Dr. Mannette that explains his old feelings and the back-story of the Evremondes. Madame DeFarge uses this letter in a vengeful way to get Charles sent to the guillotine immediately. Her patterns of death in her knitting reflect the person she is. Madame DeFarge has to sympathy or regard for human life. She wants to send the world a message and does so by killing hundreds of people solely based on rank or social status.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Pross is one of the only characters in the novel, who never has any twist and turns to her motives or beliefs. She is strictly a caring, loving, mother-like figure to Lucie Manette and she truly devotes herself to her. Having basically raised her she feels like Lucie is her own and her life completely revolves around her. I loved how in the end Mrs. Pross was the one to defeat the enemy because it showed how strong her loyalty to Lucie was. The moment she killed Madame Defarge was so liberating and we see how brave she was. The shines a new light on Mrs. Pross showing she is more than just a cook and caregiver for Lucie, she is also a guard.
ReplyDeleteCharles Darnay, while being a fairly flat and static character, plays an important role in both the book's plot and morals. Darnay is a French aristocrat who disassociates himself with royalty being of the cruelties they inflict on the lower classes. He is a loyal and heroic character, as seen by his saving of Gabelle. Darney does not change throughout the novel, as he begins and ends with immovable moral codes, but he contrasts with another main character who does change, Sydney Carton, causing Carton's transformation to be much more striking.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest surprises and plot twists in the novel was towards the end when Madame Defarge comes looking to kill Lucie, but she is instead murdered by Mrs. Pross. Prior to this event, Mrs. Pross was no major character except as a caretaker or mother figure of Lucie while her father was held captive. She also worked with Mr. Lorry to help Doctor Manette stop himself from shoemaking. Hence, her main role was simply to take care of and protect the family. Then the intensity rises when she turns the tables and kills Madame Defarge, one of the most evil of the characters in the novel. While it may seem that this impulse was out of the ordinary for Mrs. Pross, it was actually nothing but normal. Her job is protect the family and because Madame Defarge was a dangerous threat to Lucie, Mrs. Pross did what she had to do in order to keep her safe. Thus, she embodies the protective mother figure of Lucie and her family. However, Mrs. Pross technically saves many more lives other than Lucie and Doctor Manette. Madame Defarge had an extended hit list and planned to kill any person who got in the way of the revolution, but because she is now dead, many other lives have been freed from her wrath. Therefore, Mrs. Pross literally becomes the overall mother figure of the city.
ReplyDeleteMadame DeFarge is a truly fascinating antagonist in this novel because she embodies true hatred and evil incarnate. Her hatred for the aristocratic class is so deep that she will go to any lengths to destroy the entire population. Although it was only the two Evrémonde brothers who wronged her siblings, she will settle for nothing less than the extermination of the family line. Madame Defarge has no pity for Charles Darnay, Lucie, and their child (despite their blatant innocence) because they all share an association with the Evrémonde brothers who tore apart her family. However, hatred cannot trump love, and it is for that reason that Madame Defarge meets her end at the hand of Miss Pross. Miss Pross is a perfect foil for Defarge because her actions are driven by pure love for her dearest Miss Manette. When Madame Defarge barges into Lucie’s household, with the intent of murdering her family, Miss Pross refuses to step down. She eventually senses Madame Defarge’s cruel objectives and knows that she must prevent Madame Defarge from entering the last closed door at all costs. Miss Pross does not yield after Madame Defarge reveals her weapons. In the same way Sydney Carton willingly sacrifices his life for the sake of Lucie Manette, Miss Pross puts her life at risk to protect her mistress. Madame Defarge’s hatred is no match for the love Miss Pross carries with her, and she is killed by her own weapons. Although Miss Pross does not forfeit her life for Lucie, her hearing is forever lost, for Madame Defarge takes it to the grave.
ReplyDeleteMiss Pross is a very important character in Tale of Two Cities. Her devotion and care for Lucie is extremely apparent in the novel as Lucie grew up. She’s very selfless and the sacrifices she took for Lucie’s health and safety when Madame Defarge was going to hurt Lucie ends up making her a very significant character because of her charitable actions. Her loyalty and love for Lucie shines throughout the entire story and she is deemed as a very devoted character. I find the connection between Miss Pross and Madame Defarge a very interesting one. Miss Pross is a perfect example of a foil for Madame Defarge because Madam Defarge is the epitome of vengeance and cruelty where as Miss Pross is a very caring woman. Where Madame Defarge lacks in love Miss Pross supplies it. They both embody very different characteristics yet they are extreme characters in the sense that Miss Pross is very caring and Madame Defarge is very cruel.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the novel, Madame DeFarge comes off as a simple woman, taking pleasure in things such as knitting and taking care of the wine keeper's store. However, it is discovered later on that she was knitting a list of enemies whom she wished to kill during the Revolution. Because of the traumatic event she experience, in which prior generations of Evrémonde raped and killed many members of her family, she writes off anyone who is involved with the Evrémonde as worthy of death. Those included are Charles Darnay, Lucie, and their child, although Charles renounced his title to the lands of the peasants. Her actions are a depiction of true evil, which can only be stopped by true love, which is embodied in Miss Pross, who ends up killing Madame DeFarge with her own weapon.
ReplyDeleteMadame DeFarge's character is representative of the truest form of evil and hate that people had for the aristocracy. She is a suspiciously quiet character throughout the novel which evokes a darkness about her. She constantly knits what is revealed to be a list of people that she believes should die at the hands of the revolution. Unlike her husband, she has no mercy for anyone. Once it is revealed that she is the lost sister whose siblings died at the hands of the the Evremonde brothers, it becomes even clearer that she is on a strict mission of vengeance and will stop at nothing to get it. She takes no pity on even the innocent (Lucie, Mr. Manette, and Lucie's child) and dismisses Charles Darnay's claim that he does not want his uncle's title or position. She relentlessly tries to kill all those connected to the Evremondes. Ultimately, Madame DeFarge's pure evil is defeated by the the epitome of love: Miss Pross. Miss Pross ends up killing Madame DeFarge when she attempts to arrest Lucie. Charles Dickens channeled the hate of the people into Madame DeFarge's character and demonstrated its defeat by love in its embodiment in Miss Pross.
ReplyDeleteDoctor Mannette had a circular journey in this novel. When we first meet Dr. Mannette he is broken down mentally and can only seem to focus on one task which is making shoes. When we meet Dr. Mannette next he has been living in England with his daughter Lucie for about 5 years and is almost completely rehabilitated. He now can function pretty much on his own and even has started seeing patients again. As time goes on he gets better and better until one day Charles tells him about his past and that his father and uncle are the reason he went to prison. This causes Dr. Mannette to have a nine day relapse that he spends only making shoes. However on the tenth day he snaps out of it and is fine. Later on Dr. Mannette and Lucie must go to France to help get Charles out of jail. Dr. Mannette is given lots of power as the chief medical officer of the prisons as he was a prisoner of the Bastille. Dr. Mannette is now able to return all the favors Lucie did for him by giving her updates on how Charles is doing and is almost able to get him out of jail but unfortunately can not. When he is not able to do so he is broken down again and asks for his workbench almost completing a complete circle in his character progression.
ReplyDeleteMiss Pross is one of the reasons I enjoy reading British literature; all somewhat modern stories contain at least one character that exemplifies the steely convictions of the caring and kind servant. These minor characters are always supporting the other characters in ways we don’t even quantify, from everyday advice to killing women hellbent on revenge. Miss Pross in particular was always caring and considerate about Lucie and only wanted the best, demonstrated the devotion one can expect to arise between a servant and their benevolent masters. And she did this with the characteristic British bite and attitude that brings a certain charm to these characters. Her crowning achievement of killing Mrs. DeFarge only served to demonstrate her loyalty and determination to the safety and well-being of Lucie, another reason Miss Pross is so likable.
ReplyDeleteMadame DeFarge the antagonist of A Tale of Two Cities becoes a symbol of the French Revolution, embodying its mayhem and ruthless destruction. She is introduced in the book as nothing more than the quiet wife of Monsieur DeFarge who says nothing but continously knits. Her silence is almost too quiet and leaves an ominous feeling surrounding her character. She is later revealed to be involved in the Revolution and knits a register of the enemies of the Revolution. Madame DeFarge presents herself as a force to reckoned with when she cuts off the governor's head and confronts Lucie after discovering she is married into the Evremonde line. When Dickens reveals her tragic past and reasoning behind her detestation of the Evremondes, it is almost too late for her to receive any sympathy from the audience, having grown cold and completely uncompassionate with time. Her plot against Lucie and bloodthirsty vengefulness result in her ultimate downfall during a struggle with Miss Pross(a mother figure to Lucie). Madame DeFarge's twisted sense of justice and hate brings about her own end, and symbolises the conquering of love over hate.
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