The Sea Still Rises

“As if a train of powder laid from the outermost bound of the Saint Antoine Quarter to the wine-shop door, had been suddenly fired a fast-spreading murmur came rushing along. ‘It is Defarge,’ said madame. ‘Silence, patriots!’ Defarge came in breathless, pulled off a red cap he wore.” (231)

In Chapter 22, the French Revolution is clearly beginning in a dramatic fashion. This quote is using the metaphor of an explosion to show the progress of the revolutionaries and their mission. After the rebels stormed and captured the Bastille, and basically took control of Paris, men like Monsieur Defarge feel more confident displaying their status as a Jacques. Before the rebellion started and in its early stages, the revolutionaries only showed their beliefs by calling each other Jacques. Now, with the whole city secured and under control, the Jacques can more publicly display their status, like with these red caps. Also, the foreshadowing of the aristocratic bloodshed has changed symbols. For most of the novel up to this point, the wine in the wine shop has symbolized blood. Now, along with the wine, the red cap also symbolizes the bloodshed to come in the later stages of the revolution.