arnay, Carton still loves her and in the end, gives his life tosave Darnay for her. Dickens, who was fascinated with French history, especially theFrench Revolution, begins by criticizing the aristocrats' treatment of the poor people ofFrance. In the seventh chapter of book two, the Monsieur the Marquis had accidentallydriven his carriage over a young child, killing him. Instead of worrying about the child'swelfare, the Monsieur's reaction was to worry about his horses: "One or the other of you isfor ever in the way. How do I know what injury you have done to my horses."(Dickens,111) He deemed their lives inferior and insignificant, as illustrated when he threw a goldcoin to the child's devastated father as compensation. The Monsieur the Marquis revealedhis true sentiments to his nephew: "Repression is the only lasting philosophy. . . fear andslavery, my friend, will keep the dogs obedient to the whip. . ."(Dickens, 123) Dickensmakes it abundantly obvious that the aristocrats are to meet doom, with symbolicreferences to fate and death. For instance, as the Monsieur the Marquis rides through thecountry, a glowing red sunset appeared over him, signifying his bloody death. In the wordsof the author, ". . . the sun and the Marquis going down together. . ."(Dickens, 114) Madame Defarge's knitting is also a symbol of impending doom, as she records the namesof all those who are to die when the revolution takes place. Dickens also expresses hisdisillusionment with some of the outcomes of the French Revolution. He believed that thepeople did not just liberate themselves, but also took vengeance towards the aristocracy. This is confirmed in the conversation between the revolutionaries: " Well, well, but onemust stop somewhere. After all, the question is still where?' At extermination,' saidmadame."(Dickens, 341) Madame Defarge embodies this attitude, as she wants to haveCharles Darnay killed, not because he has done something...
