“‘You are a philosopher, you there,’ said the Marquis, smiling. ‘How do they call you?’ ‘They call me Defarge.’ ‘Of what trade?’ ‘Monsieur the Marquis, vendor of wine.’” (115)
At the time of this passage, Monsieur the Marquis has just hit the child in St. Antoine. Just before this quote, Defarge tries to comfort Gaspard by saying, “It has died in a moment without pain. Could it have lived an hour as happily?” (115). This is when Defarge and Monsieur the Marquis begin their short conversation. Monsieur Defarge seems to tell his occupation in an ominous tone. If this wine is a metaphor for blood as Dickens has used it before, Defarge would be saying, very matter-of-fact like and to a nobleman no less, that he will be a part of the killing and the bloodshed in the French Revolution.
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2 comments:
I agree completely with this post. I think Defarge is questioning Monsieur's authority by addressing him is such a way. He is being outwardly polite, but I think the dark tone in the passage implies that he does not think Monsieur the Marquis deserves the title of Monsieur. This questioning of whether or not the higher class deserve authority will, like Alex has said, lead to bloodshed.
I also think the wine, representing the bloodshed, has almost become a code, like the name Jacques. In the future, if anyone in the book mentions wine, bloodshed will come to my mind.
When I read this passage, I picture Defarge saying his title with a dignified tone mixed with an ominous encoded message. I agree that he is dropping a hint of his detestation and disloyalty to the Marquis, but this hint is too subtle for the Marquis who so blind to everything happening around him. But I also think that Defarge kind of tests the Marquis to see if he would continue to stomp all over the villagers even after one had earned his attention. The Marquis only enhances the image he has of being unfeeling and disconnected with the world around him when at first he throws a coin to Gaspard to pay for the priceless death of his son, and then he throws a coin to Defarge, as if he was a dog begging for a treat. Another way to think about it is if Defarge is the vendor of wine, with wine meaning blood, and the Marquis just threw a coin at him to pick up, the Marquis has just paid for and requested his own blood and death.
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