Miss Pross

Last updated
Miss Pross (right) and Lucie by Fred Barnard, 1870s T2C Fred Barnard, Miss Pross et Lucie.jpg
Miss Pross (right) and Lucie by Fred Barnard, 1870s

Miss Pross is a character in Charles Dickens' 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities .

Contents

Miss Pross is the no-nonsense governess and friend of Lucie Manette. She is also the sister of Solomon Pross (later revealed to be the spy known as John Barsad).

She accompanies Lucie to Dover when Lucie goes to France to retrieve her father, Dr. Alexandre Manette, after his release from the Bastille, but her stout English patriotism causes her to stay in England. She is Lucie's constant companion accompanying her to the trial of Charles Darnay, to church, to just about everything. She is Lucie's shadow and protector, and overcomes her dislike of everything not English to accompany Lucie to France when her husband Charles Darnay is arrested in Paris as an aristocrat. After Charles has been rescued and the rest of the family has departed for England, Miss Pross confronts Madame Defarge, who had come to their lodgings to capture Lucie and her young daughter. In the struggle that ensues, Madame Defarge's pistol goes off, killing herself. Miss Pross leaves Madame Defarge's body there and escapes with Jerry Cruncher, but the psychological shock and the sound of the gun cause her to go deaf.

Reception



Teresa Mangan has explored underlying similarities between Miss Pross and Madame Defarge: both women kill in the name of other women whom they love (Pross fights to save Lucie, whereas Defarge seeks revenge for crimes committed by Darnay's family against her dead sister). [1] She concludes that:

"Miss Pross has also suffered as a stereotype. At best, she is held up as Madame’s antithesis (when Lucie is not positioned in that role). At worst, she is that “woman of a certain age,” a spinster, the literary equivalent of a quirky and amusing character actor of theatre and later film. Even within the constraints of her tertiary role, however, Miss Pross complicates this tale of two cities. Without the respectable, all-consuming outlet of loving Lucie, how like Madame Defarge Miss Pross might be." [1]

Portrayal in other media

Related Research Articles

<i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> (1935 film) 1935 film by Robert Zigler Leonard, Jack Conway

A Tale of Two Cities is a 1935 film based upon Charles Dickens' 1859 historical novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris. The film stars Ronald Colman as Sydney Carton and Elizabeth Allan as Lucie Manette. The supporting players include Edna May Oliver, Reginald Owen, Basil Rathbone, Lucille La Verne, Blanche Yurka, Henry B. Walthall and Donald Woods. It was directed by Jack Conway from a screenplay by W. P. Lipscomb and S. N. Behrman. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Film Editing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucie Manette</span> Fictional character

Lucie Manette is a character in Charles Dickens' 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madame Defarge</span>

Madame Thérèse Defarge is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. She is a ringleader of the tricoteuses, a tireless worker for the French Revolution, memorably knitting beside the guillotine during executions. She is the wife of Ernest Defarge.

Doctor Alexandre Manette is a character in Charles Dickens' 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities. He is Lucie's father, a brilliant physician, and spent eighteen years "in secret" as a prisoner in the Bastille prior to the French Revolution. He is imprisoned because in the course of his medical practice he learns of abusive actions by two members of the aristocratic Evrémonde family. While realizing the power at court of nobles such as the Evrémondes, Manette reports them to a minister of the royal government. He is seized from his young family and imprisoned under a lettre de cachet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Carton</span> Fictional character

Sydney Carton is a central character in Charles Dickens' 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities. He is a shrewd young Englishman educated at Shrewsbury School, and sometime junior to his fellow barrister Stryver. Carton is portrayed as a brilliant but depressed and cynical drunkard who is full of self-loathing because of what he sees as his wasted life. He feels a deep unrequited love for Lucie Manette, who nevertheless inspires him to try to be a better person. Near the end of the novel, Carton manages to change places with Lucie's husband, Charles Darnay, hours before Darnay's scheduled execution in France, giving his life for Lucie's sake. Later, Lucie and Charles name their second son after Carton.

<i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> (1911 film) 1911 film

A Tale of Two Cities is a 1911 silent film produced by Vitagraph Studios, loosely based on the 1859 novel by Charles Dickens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Darnay</span> Fictional character created by Charles Dickens

Charles Darnay, Charles D'Aulnais or Charles St. Evrémonde is a fictional character in the 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

<i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> 1859 historical novel by Charles Dickens

A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris, and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. In the Introduction to the Encyclopedia of Adventure Fiction, critic Don D'Ammassa argues that it is an adventure novel because the protagonists are in constant danger of being imprisoned or killed.

Ernest Defarge is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities.

<i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> (1958 film) 1958 film

A Tale of Two Cities is a 1958 British film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde and Dorothy Tutin. It is a period drama based on parts of Charles Dickens' novel A Tale of Two Cities (1859).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquis St. Evrémonde</span> Fictional character

The Marquis St. Evrémonde is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities.

<i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> (musical)

A Tale of Two Cities is a musical with book, music and lyrics by Jill Santoriello based on the 1859 novel of the same name by Charles Dickens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Cruncher</span> Fictional character from A Tale of Two Cities

Jeremiah "Jerry" Cruncher is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarvis Lorry</span>

Jarvis Lorry is a character in Charles Dickens' 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities.

<i>The Only Way</i> (1926 film) 1926 film by Herbert Wilcox

The Only Way is a 1926 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring John Martin Harvey, Madge Stuart and Betty Faire. It was adapted from the play The Only Way which was itself based on the 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. John Martin Harvey had been playing Carton in the play since 1899 and it was his most popular work. It cost £24,000 to make and was shot at Twickenham Studios. The film was a commercial success and reportedly took over £53,000 in its first two years on release. It was a particularly notable achievement given the collapse in British film production between the Slump of 1924 and the passage of the Cinematograph Films Act 1927 designed to support British film making.

<i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> (1980 film) 1980 American made-for-TV historical drama film by Jim Goddard

A Tale of Two Cities is a 1980 American historical drama film made for TV, directed by Jim Goddard and starring Chris Sarandon, who plays dual roles as two characters who are in love with the same woman. It is based on the 1859 Charles Dickens novel of the same name set in the French Revolution.

<i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> (1917 film) 1917 American film

A Tale of Two Cities is a 1917 American silent historical drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring William Farnum, Jewel Carmen, and Charles Clary. The film is based on Charles Dickens' 1859 novel of the same name, which has been filmed a number of times.

<i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> (1980 TV series) British television series which first aired in 1980

A Tale of Two Cities is a British television series which first aired on BBC 1 in 1980. It is an adaptation of the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It is the only BBC adaptation known to exist entirely. The 1957 adaptation is completely lost, while the 1965 version has only two surviving episodes, both of which are unavailable to be seen publicly.

A Tale of Two Cities is a British television series which first aired on BBC 1 in 1965. It is an adaptation of the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Out of the 10 episodes produced, 8 are believed to be lost. Episodes 2 and 3 survive, and various promotional photographs and productions stills featuring the actors in costume are available online.

<i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> (1989 TV series) French TV series or program

A Tale of Two Cities is a British-French television series which first aired on ITV in 1989. It is an adaptation of the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

References

  1. 1 2 Mangum, Teresa (2009). "Dickens and the Female Terrorist: The Long Shadow of Madame Defarge". Nineteenth-Century Contexts. 31 (2): 143–160 (p. 155, 157). doi:10.1080/08905490902981945. ISSN   0890-5495. S2CID   192021536.