Pross's Love For Lucie example essay topic

A Tale of Two Cities With enough love anybody has the ability to do what they are driven to do. Love has many powers, especially the power to triumph over evil. In the novel, Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens he is able to demonstrate this through characterization. Through Miss Pross, Madame Defarge, and Sydney Carton readers are able to understand how love can motivate a person to prevent evil. People who are in love have something in common, aside from the obvious; the natural instinct of protecting their loved ones from harm.

Miss Pross, Lucie Manette's governess, has brought Lucie up and looked after as if she was her own daughter. Miss Pross basically has a maternal love for Lucie. Miss Pross became very defensive when Madame Defarge, a radical of the French Revolution, came looking for Lucie and her family. Miss Pross is very aggressive with Madame Defarge: I know that your intentions are evil and you may depend upon it, I ll Hold my own against them I am your match (358). Miss Pross immediately took a stance, for Lucie's safety, against the evil intentions of Defarge. Since Miss Pross was trying to delay Madame Defarge because Miss Pross knew the longer I keep you here, the greater hope there is for my Ladybird I ll not leave a handful of that dark hair upon your head, if you lay a finger on me (359).

Miss Pross's primary task was to prevent Madame Defarge from discovering Lucie wasn t in the house, in hope of buying time for Lucie and her family as they flee from France. The Miss Pross, who had never struck a blow in her life, seized her [Defarge] around the waist in both her arms, and held her tight Madame Defarge's hands were at her bosom. Miss Pross looked up, saw what it was, struck at it, struck out a flash and a crash, and stood alone-blinded with smoke (360). Because of Miss Pross's never-ending love for Lucie she killed a woman who was a potential threat to her and her family, even though she never fought anyone in her life.

Miss Pross's love for Lucie was so great that she risked her life over the evil Defarge for Lucie's sake. Fortunately, the power of love was stronger than that of evil. A family's relationship contains the strongest love there is. Madame Defarge shows this as she seeks revenge for the killing of her sister, from the evil Evremonde family. Madame Defarge told her husband, Defarge, I was brought up among the fishermen of the seashore, and that peasant family so injured by the two Evremonde brothers, as that Bastille paper describes, is my family. Defarge, that sister of the mortally wounded boy upon the ground was my sister, that husband was my sister's husband, that unborn child was their child, that brother was my brother, that father was my father, those dead are my dead (334).

Because of the evil doings of the Evremonde brothers, one being the father of Charles Darnay [Lucie's husband], Lucie wanted revenge. Revenge for her dead family could only be accomplished by attacking the kin of the Evremonde family; therefore, she could only blame Doctor Manette, Charles Darnay, Lucie, and their daughter. Her love motivated her to bring Darnay to trial for death, in which he was found guilty, and then go to kill the others. Madame Defarge was so determined to revenge the evil of Darnay's father and uncle: it was nothing to her, that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers; she saw, not him, but them (354). Defarge's love drove her to irrational conclusions to triumph over the evil of the Evremonde by taking it out on their ancestors, as well as all that were associated or related with them. Madame Defarge had underestimated the power of Sydney Carton's unrequited love for Lucie.

Carton was like a knight to Lucie when she fainted: He carried her lightly to the door, and laid her tenderly down in a coach Before I go, I may kiss her? (329). This shows the care and gentleness Carton had for the fainted Lucie, after finding out her husband would be a victim of the guillotine. Because of his strong love for her Carton was brave enough to disguise himself as Darnay, and die in his place.

Carton wanted to spare Lucie of the devastation the death of Darnay would cause her and her family. To prevent her suffering he laid his life to assure her happiness. The incredible love that Carton had for Lucie led him to fight the evils of the guillotine, which was brought about by Defarge's hatred for the ancestor of Evremonde. This shows another example of love triumphing over evil.

Love, whether platonic or intimate, is a very strong emotion. Not only will people do anything for love, they will do anything to protect their love. Love has the ability to motivate people to take a stand against anything that is negative. Love causes people to act unselfishly in order to benefit their lovers. This is why love triumphs over evil. 330.