Charles Dickens Ambiguous Characters

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Charles Dickens portrays Madame Defarge, Sydney Carton, and Charles Darney as morally ambiguous characters. Dickens’ background as a muckraker dissected into it to reveal the hidden story boiling underneath human nature. Muckrakers are incredibly objective, as was Dickens’ writing style. His past experiences gave him an insight of morally ambiguous characters to use in his novel. Madame Defarge can clearly be described as hasty, vengeful, whatever nasty adjective seen fit. However, if you think of the reasoning behind it, her argument is valid.
“But, the Evrémonde people are to be exterminated, and the wife and child must follow the husband and father." (3.14.6) She is instantly frantic when it comes to the thought of the Evrémondes. There
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She is an atrocious lady without an ounce of grace in her body. "I care nothing for this Doctor, I. He may wear his head or lose it, for any interest I have in him; it is all one to me.” (3.14.6) All she has is a sense of justice, rather that thinking of the actual perpetrators. It encompasses her brain and she has no other way of thinking, other than justice for the wrongdoings. From an audience standpoint she is a senseless woman who has only one thing on her mind, and that is to go through with her “hit list”. Madame Defarge is a keen example of the theme “family”. The Defarges, Manettes, and the Evrémondes are keen roles in the movement of this novel. However, the Defarges are the sparks that bring in the feud. The novel itself shows devotion and that is how they are central to the family theme. She is devoted to her sister and brother and is seeking justice to finally ease her soul. On some level she feels either guilty or responsible for the death of her family. That is why she is so devoted to seeking and getting revenge on the …show more content…
Charles flat out has two identities. He is Darnay or he is Evrémonde. Charles was born in to the toxic name Evrémonde, giving you a negative lens over him. However, he always strives greatness and what is best for his family. I feel the name Evrémonde gives him the passive aspect of his personality. In way it controls him to be better as well. "I know that when she is clinging to you, the hands of baby, girl, and woman, all in one, are round your neck. I know that in loving you she sees and loves her mother at her own age, sees and loves you at my age, loves her mother broken-hearted, loves you through your dreadful trial and in your blessed restoration." (2.10.39) When asking for Lucie’s hand in marriage he completely understands the tight relationship between Dr. Manette and Lucie. Charles is another character that clearly demonstrates the theme of Family. Dickens is always keeping people on their toes. He used the tool of ambiguity to show that humans can’t be perfectly one or the other. He knew this as his job as a muckraker and as a novelist. It is exceptionally intelligent to want to show each side from a non-bias standpoint when humans are naturally biased. It made you think more than just read a story. It forces you to see it from each angle, which I think made it such an exceptional

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