Lucie Manette - kind young woman, daughter of a Doctor. Very compassionate towards other characters.
Madame Defarge - complete opposite of Lucie. Very vengeful and rough. Knits a list of all the aristocrats she sends to the Guillotine.
Miss Pross - Nursemaid to Lucie. She protects and defends Lucie.
The Guillotine - this is an interesting feature to Dickens' story. The Guillotine is given a feminine identity. She takes the lives of the aristocracy with no mercy.
A Seamstress - She is only mentioned at the very end of the story. On his way to his death Carton meets a young seamstress whom he comforts.
----------
The women drive the story here. Their hatred and anger form all the major conflicts and terror. Revenge against the selfish actions of a man cannot be vented personally, so the women take charge. Because they have no political power or vote, they enact their desires through the men they influence. Madam Defarge sits to the side of the Guillotine and weaves the names of those she desires to destroy. Only one woman in this story has ultimate power over the powerless men and women brought to her clutches - the Guillotine. Other than her might, all the women are subservient to the power of men.
No comments:
Post a Comment