Madame Defarge As The Antithesis Of Lucie
In the novel titled A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens depicts Madame Defarge as the antithesis of Lucie Manette, the literal embodiment of rage and revenge. While Lucie is compassionate, loving, and known as the ‘Golden Thread’, Madame Defarge is portrayed as cruel and revengeful, quite the opposite of the ‘Ideal Woman’ at the time. Madame Defarge’s secret management of Charles Darnay’s reimprisonment demonstrates her cunningness as well as her immense cruelty. Even though she had been working against him ever since she heard John Barsad mention his name, the fact that she plays a metaphorical game of ‘cat and mouse’ with Darnay and his family shows just how heartless she is. Madame Defarge had meticulously planned Darnay’s rearrest, and
had “kept [Manette’s letter], biding [her] time”; when Danay was sentenced to death; Madame Defarge also appeared to taunt Lucie saying “ [m]uch influence around him, has that Doctor…[s]ave him now, my Doctor, save him!”, further proving to Lucie and her family that she can make their lives miserable, using her vast influence and power (Dickens 330). Madame Defarge ruthlessly seeks revenge against Darnay and his family for crimes that were committed by a prior generation of Evremondes. However, her need for vengeance extends beyond the Evremonde family and is the leading cause of her desire to see the entire noble class exterminated. It is nothing to her, “that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers; she saw, not him, but them. It was not hing to her that his wife was to be made a widow and his daughter an orphan” (Dickens 359). Due to her lack of pity and heartlessness, Madame Defarge ultimately becomes as vicious as the men who destroyed her parents and siblings and completely crushed her view of the world and the people living in it.
had “kept [Manette’s letter], biding [her] time”; when Danay was sentenced to death; Madame Defarge also appeared to taunt Lucie saying “ [m]uch influence around him, has that Doctor…[s]ave him now, my Doctor, save him!”, further proving to Lucie and her family that she can make their lives miserable, using her vast influence and power (Dickens 330). Madame Defarge ruthlessly seeks revenge against Darnay and his family for crimes that were committed by a prior generation of Evremondes. However, her need for vengeance extends beyond the Evremonde family and is the leading cause of her desire to see the entire noble class exterminated. It is nothing to her, “that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers; she saw, not him, but them. It was not hing to her that his wife was to be made a widow and his daughter an orphan” (Dickens 359). Due to her lack of pity and heartlessness, Madame Defarge ultimately becomes as vicious as the men who destroyed her parents and siblings and completely crushed her view of the world and the people living in it.