How do the Defarges manipulate the mender of roads in Chapter 15?
In A Tale of Two Cities, the French are pretty clearly divided into patriots and aristocrats. The patriots (peasants) must stand as a united front against the aristocrats (rich) if they ever hope to win a revolution to effect change. The Mender of Roads is clearly not an aristocrat, and he is clearly one of the poor peasants.
The Defarges take him to Versailles, the glorious palace of the King and Queen. They take him for one purpose--to make sure he is not swayed, later on, by all the finery and trappings of this luxurious lifestyle. We watch his eyes glaze over when he sees it all for the first time, and we understand that he will not be able to kill and destroy that which he finds so beautiful and impressive. The Defarges are quite sly with him, telling him as he's cheering madly for the royals:
"Bravo!...You...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
are the fellow we want," said Defarge in his ear; "you make these fools believe that it will last for ever. Then, they are the more insolent, and it is the nearer ended."
After the Mender of Roads pauses to reflect, he agrees. The Defarges go on to use two analogies, dolls and birds, to further their point. They ask if he were given all the dolls or all the birds he could find and wanted to take some of their clothing or plumage for himself, would he not take the richest, brightest and finest? When he says he would, indeed, Madame Defarge replies:
"You have seen both dolls and birds to-day....now, go home!"
What they hoped to achieve was some disillusionment for the sumptuous appearance of the aristocracy, reminding him it was all trappings--trappings bought at the price of food on his table and clothes on his back.
How do the Defarges manipulate the mender of roads in A Tale of Two Cities?
The mender of roads is a simple peasant who gets involved in the revolution almost by accident when he notices a man hanging off the carriage of the Marquis. The Defarges treat him well because they want his information.
The Defarges pretend to be interested in what the mender of roads’s needs.
“My wife,” said Defarge aloud, addressing Madame Defarge‚ “I have travelled certain leagues with this good mender of roads, called Jacques. I met him—by accident—a day and half’s journey out of Paris. He is a good child, this mender of roads, called Jacques. Give him to drink, my wife!” (ch 15, p. 107)
The mender of roads is only respected and well-treated because he has information the Defarges want. If he did not have such an incredible story to tell, he would not likely have been important.
He described it as if he were there, and it was evident that he saw it vividly; perhaps he had not seen much in his life. (ch 15, p. 109)
Clearly, the mender of roads enjoys feeling needed and having people listen to him. They do not see him as an equal.
Defarge and the three glanced darkly at one another. The looks of all of them were dark, repressed, and revengeful, as they listened to the countryman’s story; the manner of all of them, while it was secret, was authoritative too. (p. 109)
They ask him a series of questions to make sure his information fits their needs.