"'Marvelous cognac this, madame.' It was the first time it had ever been so complimented, and Madame Defarge knew enough of its antecedents to know better. She said, however, that the cognac was flattered, and took up her knitting" (p 187).
In this passage, John Barsad, the man with a "sinister expression," ordered cognac, which is a brandy distilled from a French white wine. Barsad is a spy sent to infiltrate the Defarges' group of Jacques and disrupt their plans for revolution. Madame Defarge immediately knows not to trust him. I think this could be for a variety of reasons. Going by the idea that wine is a metaphor for blood, Barsad did not really choose the correct drink, since, first, he chose brandy and, second, he chose a brandy derived from white wine. Perhaps if he had chosen a red wine, he would have been a sneakier spy since red wine corresponds more with blood than white wine. When he lies about the quality of his brandy, "Madame Defarge knew enough of its antecedents to know better," saw right through his act, and knew this man could not be trusted.
Sorry this is sort of off topic but just to put this out there, Barsad was one of the people testifying against Darnay and so was Roger Cly, the man who was convicted of being a traitor in "The Honest Tradesman".
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2 comments:
I think that's a great interpretation with him not choosing the correct drink. I also think that his choice of brandy with white wine may have been Dickens's way of showing how the spy is different than those planning the uprising, who are, as you said, always seen or represented with red wine.
To go along with your off topic piece, I think these last two chapters showing Cly and Barsad both to be spies makes Darnay seem to be more of the "good guy" that was mistreated by the government.
This is a very interesting passage to read, and i especially like you're analysis of the Cognac. I never thought of it in that way, and by reading this it helps build ones understanding of the complexity of Madame Defarge. Although she already knows Barsad is a spy, he is unknowingly showing her he is not on the revolutionaries side. Great post!!
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