"Crush humanity out of shape once more, under similar hammers, and it will twist itself into the same tortured forms. Sow the same seed of rapacious license and oppression over again, and it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind" (Dickens 362). These prophetic words of Charles Dickens and the chilling message they create are a large part of the reason his novels are stories of all places and all times. Dickens is able to reveal complex truths about society and its organization through his influential and compelling characters. In his two novels, Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities, he clearly demonstrates his cold attitude toward injustice and oppression in society. He feels that the only hope mankind and society has to escape hate and oppression is through the rebirth of individuals. The superb character of Madame Defarge represents the cycle of hate and inhumanity present in society and Dickens' attitude toward it. Figures such as Pip and Sydney Carton embody the notion of rebirth and sacrifice leading to a change for the better, ultimately leaving the reader with a sense of hope.
Many powerful and memorable women exist in Dickens' novels. Madame Defarge is one such woman; in A Tale of Two Cities she represents the cycle of inhumanity present in society and Dickens' cold attitude toward it. To begin, the first part of Dickens' insight into the cycle of inhumanity is his bitterly sarcastic view of the oppression that took place in France before the Revolution. Dickens treats the strong distinction between social classes in France and the ruling aristocratic government with irony and crudeness, such as his description of the "Monseigneur" - the true essence of the aristocratic class. The Monseigneur's morning chocolate could "not so much get into his throat without the aid of four strong men besides the cook . . . It was impossible for [him] to dis...