Monday, January 11, 2016

In A Tale of Two Cities, comment on the character Miss Pross.

From her first entrance, which startles Mr. Lorry
exceedingly, Miss Pross establishes herself as a comic character but also a character
that represents loyalty and and love to her "Ladybird", Lucie Manette, of course
culminating in her terrific struggle with Madame Defarge towards the end of the
novel.


In Chapter 4 of Book I, Miss Pross is described as
the character who bursts in when Lucie faints upon hearing the news that her father is
still alive:


readability="19">

A wild-looking woman, whom even in his
agitation, Mr. Lorry observed to be all of a red colour, and to have red hair, and to be
dressed in some extraordinary tight-fitting fashion, and to have on her head a most
wonderful bonnet like a Grenadier wooden measure, and good measure too, or a great
Stilton cheese, came running into the room in advance of the inn servants, and soon
settled the question of his detachment from the poor young lady, by laying a brawny hand
upon his chest, and sending him flying back against the nearest
wall.



So aggressive is her
entrance, in fact, that Mr. Lorry assumes her to be a man, but she quickly shows her
compassion to Lucie whilst at the same time ordering around Mr. Lorry ("you in brown")
and the inn servants. Her attachment and affection for Lucie continues to be established
in the tale, perhaps most amusingly when she assures Mr. Lorry that there are "hundreds
of visitors" all paying suit to Lucie, when in fact there are only three. She, with Mr.
Lorry, is responsible for the destruction of Dr. Manette's work bench and tools, which
again demonstrates her love and care of Lucie's family.


Of
course, Miss Pross's love comes into its own as she fights Madame Defarge at the end of
the novel to ensure Lucie's escape. Consider how a part of this struggle is
related:


readability="15">

Madame Defarge made at the door. Miss Pross, on
the instinct of the moment, seized her round the waist in both her arms, and held her
tight. It was in vain for Madame Defarge to struggle and strike; Miss Pross, with the
vigorous tenacity of love, always so much stronger than hate, clasped her tight, and
even lifted her from the floor in the struggle that they
had.



Even though she loses
her hearing in the struggle, Miss Pross, in her own words, "does not care tuppence" for
her life, and willingly shows herself as a loyal loving servant willing to sacrifice
herself for those she loves (just as Carton lays down his life for
Darnay).

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