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Madame Defarge
fictional character
Also known as: ThérÚse Defarge
Madame Defarge, fictional character in A Tale of Two Cities (1859), a novel by Charles Dickens set during the French Revolution.
A symbol of vengefulness and revolutionary excess, Madame Defarge sits outside her Paris wine shop endlessly knitting a scarf that isâin effectâa list of those to be killed. Incorporated into the scarfâs pattern are the names of hated aristocratsâincluding the St. EvrĂ©mondes, the family of Charles Darnay, a leading character.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.
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