Qu'ils mangent de la brioche"

Madame Thérèse Defarge is the relentless villainess in the Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities. Her villainy is not without reason, and in a way, she metaphorically represents the revolutionary spirit that swept through France during the 18th century Revolution, which first demanded equal rights for all citizens, and then in mob fashion stripped those very rights from many innocents.

The reason behind Madame Defarge’s dispassionate - and villainous - demand for violence, and particularly for the deaths of Lucy Manette Darnay, her husband Charles, and their child are known only to those who stayed till the end of the book.

I do hope it will not be considered a spoiler to explain this reason now; if so considered, you can always stop now

Okay, so like long before we are introduced to her, Madame Defarge's sister and brother were victims to some terrible physical and psychological abuse and cruelty by the Evremonde brothers.

One of the brothers was Charles Darnay’s father.

These experiences (of Thérèse Defarge as a young girl) subsequently warp and twist her reason. She is childless, a figure without compassion, but with considerable energy in the exacting of her revenge.

She is the mob, in essence, since she does not consider or stop to think that her own actions may be unjust

Defarge moves from a relatively passive position; when first we meet, she's knitting, in her little corner, in the wine shop she owns with her husband, some would say she is the picture of docility, appearing to be minding no one's business but her own. It is this "devious" needlework that often gives people the chills when they revisit her character.

You see dear reader, Madame Defarge is knitting the names of all those who will be guillotined or charged with crimes in the coming revolution, in her scarves. It's a hit-list made of wool, with the names and crimes of the aristocrats that should eventually fall into the fatal embrace of La Guillotine

Okay, so like, moving on

Despite Charles Darnay’s rejection of his family inheritance and in spite of him denouncing the acts of the Evremondes and leaving France for England, he is considered guilty, in her mind, by relationship and association.

His wife Lucy, a complete innocent, and daughter of the much respected Dr. Manette, is equally at fault for having married an Evremonde.

Madame Defarge will accuse Dr. Manette, the only one who assisted her sister and brother during their travails (and paid for it by years in prison), of conspiracy.

In the end, the villainess - Madame Defarge - is defeated by the thing she lacks most: the love of others. Miss Pross, Lucy’s companion and servant, physically defends her, when attacked by Madame Defarge. It was during the ensuing fight, that Thérèse's gun discharged, killing her instantly.

This moment in the novel underscores one of Dickens main points, that love, compassion, and true justice can best mindless vengeance.

It is not that Dickens remains unsympathetic to the real evils done to characters like Madame Defarge and her family. In fact, he contends through her character that these evils can exact an extraordinarily high price by stripping people of their humanity, making them far less likely to seek justice for all in any manner except a violent one.

In the end, Dickens’ character - Madame Defarge - has become as evil as her oppressors, and it is this mob mentality that provides a strong argument for providing all citizens of England (and indeed the world) with equal rights and decent living circumstances.

Madame Thérèse Defarge is not just the symbol of the mob and the revolution, but also a distinct warning from Dickens to us all.

- Now, about the photo: earlier this afternoon, She decided to give "Trader Joes" a try, we agree, they do nice bread -