Who Is Madame Defarge In A Tale Of Two Cities

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Knitting the Revolution Madame Defarge progresses throughout A Tale of Two Cities, starting as a background character and quickly becoming the main antagonist by the end of the story. Dickens does not say much about her in the beginning, but as the story develops Dickens gives more insight into the backstory of Madame Defarge. Readers learn about all of the struggles that the Defarge family has been through, such as her sister being raped by Marquis St. Evrémonde. These events cause Madame Defarge to attempt to kill the children of those who wronged her.
Madame Defarge is a character that remains mostly in the background. Though it may not be noticeable at first, Madame Defarge is actually an important character. When Madame Defarge first appears in the story she is in the corner of the Defarges’ wine shop. She signals to her husband to walk around the store with the men by using a toothpick and raising her eyebrow slightly. That her husband immediately knows what she is signaling means this is not the first time this scenario has played out. This …show more content…
Her first ally, as expected, is her husband. In Book the First and part of Book the Second Madame Defarge's main ally is her husband. However, her main ally quickly becomes a woman whose name is unknown. The woman is referred to throughout A Tale of Two Cities as “The Vengeance”. “The Vengeance” is one person, however, she symbolizes an entire group of those who are a part of the French Revolution. The basis that forms the alliance is the mutual hatred towards the noble race. Madame Defarge is an antagonist in Book the Second. Madame Defarge and her allies struggle with how long it takes to lay the groundwork for the revolution. Monsieur Defarge Complains about how the slowness causes him to become tired and depressed. Madame Defarge undergoes a change in Book the Second, in which readers see Madame Defarge establish herself as a vital character in the
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