ATTC 5
P 359
The demonization and vengefulness of Madame Defarge, in my opinion, shows Dickens’ true colors as far as his opinion of women. The treatment of Lucie’s character I can forgive, because some women really do just want to be wives and mothers (although the fact that the author is male still makes me a bit suspicious about his intentions with that character), but Madame Defarge, a beautiful, strong, and evidently scorned French woman, has no character other than weaving a complicated web and outright attempting to assassinate people to avenge her brother and sister. The few female characters in ATTC (and presumably Dickens’ other books) are uncomplicated and motivated by one thing each. His male characters, wrought with depth and emotion, stand in stark contrast to the lack of effort he seemed to toss into his female characters. The only women in ATTC are Madame Defarge, Lucie Manette, Lucie’s daughter (also named Lucie, character: child), Madame Defarge’s deceased sister (described only in a story by Doctor Manette), Jerry Cruncher’s wife (written into existence only to be beaten by Cruncher to deepen his character), and Miss Pross (ironically the most complicated female character in the book). Every one of Dickens’ women in ATTC exists only to be used by his male characters, with the exception of Defarge and Pross. Defarge, with extremely simple (albeit bloodthirsty) motivations, is the only woman who is crucial to the plot without being the tool of men. Pross, on the other hand, is difficult to figure out. I’m still thinking about who her character is and what she’s motivated by. She is the only enigma in a field of throwaway characters.