A Tale of Two Cities

Novel | Charles Dickens

Discuss the Significance of Defarge's Knitting in "A Tale of Two Cities"

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Who is Madame Defarge and how does she die Discuss the significance of her knitting NU In A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens creates many unforgettable characters Among them Madame Defarge is the most feared She is calm on the surface but filled with anger inside Through her Dickens shows how revenge can turn a woman into a symbol of terror Madame Defarge Madame Defarge is the wife of Monsieur Defarge She is also a leader among the revolutionaries She demands freedom for the French people But more than freedom she wants revenge Her family once suffered under the Evr monde brothers So she hates Charles Darnay and his family Dickens says of her She was absolutely without pity Book Three Chapter XIV This line shows her cold and heartless nature Significance of Her Knitting Madame Defarge is always seen with her knitting But it is not a hobby

Her knitting is a secret weapon In it she records the names of her enemies Each stitch marks a person for death Once a name enters escape is impossible If asked what she knits she answers only Pastime This silence makes the knitting more deadly It represents revenge fate and hidden cruelty Her knitting is like a list of death written in thread Her Death At the end Madame Defarge goes to Lucie s house She plans to kill Lucie and punish her family But Lucie is absent Only Miss Pross is there Madame Defarge demands entry but Miss Pross blocks her way They fight fiercely Madame Defarge pulls a pistol In the struggle the gun fires It kills Madame Defarge instantly In short Madame Defarge is a powerful symbol of revenge Her knitting is a sign of silent hatred Her death shows that violence finally destroys itself Through her Dickens warns against the dangers of blind cruelty

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