A Tale of Two Cities

Madame Defarge is a meticulous, plotting, veangeful woman. As she continues to knit through any conversation she overhears, it is clear that she is important,that she is planning something. In fact, Madame Defarge is knitting in her work the names of all the people to die for the revolutionary cause. She is a terrifying character, quiet and terrible in her demeanor when seemingly not in action, and horrifyingly murderous when given the chance to fight. Her hatred of the aristocracy has been brought about by the oppresion that the aristocracy has put on the middle/lower class. Her anger has been builiding slowly, going unnoticed (not unlike her seemingy harmeless habit of knitting), but eventually bursts. Madame Defarge can be said to represent people of her class and below, absolutely desperate for something to occur in their favor. These people are starving, angry, and penniless. Over and over degraded by the greed of the class above them, it is easy to see why they would want to fight back.

"...the children had ancient faces and grave voices; and upon them, and upon the grown faces, and ploughed into every furrow of age and coming up afresh, was the sign, Hunger. It was prevalent everywhere. Hunger was pushed out of tall houses, in the wretched clothing that hung upon poles and lines; hunger was patched into them with straw and rag and wood and paper; hunger was repeated in every fragment of the small modicum of firewood that the man sawed off..."

The repeted use of the word 'Hunger' here (and it continues) demonstrates the extreme desperation of the people. Stuck in lives of poverty, starvation, misery, and hopelessness, the people are not only hungry literally (in the nutritous sense), but just as much, perhaps even more in the desire for an improved state of living. The use of the word Hunger over and over again beats into our minds the severity of their situation. Their suffering here foreshadows and explains their eventual revolt. Though the vengeance and violence cannot be justified, it is easier to understand their reasoning when we look at life from their point of view. 'Hunger' is said here to have been prevavlent in every small piece of wood that the man sawed off. It is so persistant in their lives that I cannot help feeling extreme pity for these people, whom misery seems to follow into every single facet of their lives.

A Tale of Two Cities was very difficult to read, but when looked at carefully, encompassed a captivating plotline. I enjoyed learning about the time period and the social and cultural circumstances of the time period, as I have been learning parallel information in European History. It is amazing to see the facts I learn every day backed up in an actual story which touches on the emotions, conversations, and desires of the actual people in the time period. Though I wish I had had more time to carefully analyze the symbols and characters in the story, I did enjoy the plot and energetic scenes.