DARKNESS
BOOK THE THIRD, CHAPTER 12
By Srikar Katta
CHARACTERS
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Sydney Carton
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Defarge
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Jacques Three
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Madame Defarge
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Vengance
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Dr. Manette
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Mr. Lorry
PLOT SUMMARY
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Carton is in France and has to meet with Mr. Lorry at 9 o’clock in the night. He debates whether
or not he should go out and be seen. He decides that it is best that people know a man that
looks like Darnay is in town.
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He eats dinner at an inn. He then sleeps until 7 o’clock. When he gets up, he decides to go to
Defarge’s wine shop.
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Carton goes over to the bar where he pretends to speak really bad French. Then Madame
Defarge mutters that he looks a lot like an Evrémonde.
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When Defarge walks into the bar, he thinks that it is Darnay as well.
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He talks to Jacques Three, Vengance, and Madame Defarge about the Revolution. Defarge
thinks that enough has happened to Manettte’s family.
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His wife reprimands him for saying this and that only when all rich people are exterminated, can
all the bloodshed end. Madame Defarge turned into the swine she is trying to exterminate.
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Defarge tries to tell his wife that everyone has suffered, even Doctor Manette. Madame Defarge
believes that Manette is not a true patriot. Defarge then talks about Lucie’s devastation at her
husband’s verdict.
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She yells at him even more. All she has to do to kill Lucie is say something. Along with that, all
Evrémondes should be killed. She will never stop pursuing the killers of her sister and her
family.
PLOT SUMMARY CONT.
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Sydney over hears everything and then realizes that it is 9 o’ clock and needs to meet Mr.
Lorry and Doctor Manette.
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It’s almost midnight and no one has reported of seeing the Doctor.
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Finally, he shows up, but he keeps asking for his workbench. He has to finish working on
his shoes.
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Mr. Lorry goes to try to “fix” the Doctor but nothing happens.
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Sydney then tells Mr. Lorry that Lucie, little Lucie, and the Doctor are still no longer safe.
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Sydney tells Mr. Lorry the plan. Mr. Lorry will collect traveling immunity papers while
Carton visits Darnay in prison. Sydney gives Mr. Lorry his own papers and tells him to
prepare a carriage and leave with the Manettes and Darnays.
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Mr. Lorry promises to protect the family and to follow the plan.
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Sydney leaves.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
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Dramatic irony- “After looking at her, as if the sound of even a single French word were
slow to express itself to him, he answered, in his former strong foreign accent. ‘Yes,
madame, yes. I am English!’ ”-A few chapters ago, Carton spoke perfect French. The
readers know that he can speak French, while the Defarge people don not.
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Simile-”She seemed to raise it (the listener’s eyes were always on his paper), and to let it
fall with a rattle on the ledge before her, as if the axe had dropped.”- This compares the
wine glass falling to the falling of an axe. This shows how much power she has. Even
though she just dropped a glass, she made it seem like the falling of an axe, most likely
on the head of another person, causing their death.
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Personification- “ ‘Then tell Wind and Fire where to stop,’ returned madame; ‘but don’t tell
me.’ “ They can’t actually tell wind and fire to stop. This just represents how set Madame
Defarge is to her plan. Nothing can stop her.
CONNECTIONS
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Carton pretends to not be able to speak of French even though he can, as we saw in a
few chapters back.
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We also learn that Madame Defarge is part of the family that was killed by the Evrémonde
boys. That is why Madame Defarge is looking for vengance.
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Doctor Manette is alsogoing back to his old patterns during prison and his nine days
without Lucie.
ESSENTIAL QUOTE
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‘ “Where is my bench? I have been looking everywhere for my bench, and I can’t find it.
What have they done with my work? Time presses: I must finish those shoes.” They
looked at one another, and their hearts died within them.’-This shows how darkness has
fallen on the people. Now, even Manette has gone back to his old depressed patterns. All
hope that they had of saving Darnay has been replaced by darkness.