Indra Ismayudi Tanjung : A Comparison Between Miss Pross And Madame Defarge In Charles Dickens’ A Tale Of
Two Citie, 2010.
This theory is related to the concept of common women, in order to show that Miss Pross and Madame Defarge actually step ahead of their time. Later, their
existence as women who step ahead of their time is considered as the similarity, which exists in the characters of these two female characters in A Tale of Two
Cities. Furthermore, this theory can also help to show the difference that exists in these two female characters, that actually Miss Pross and Madame Defarge
represent two different things in A Tale of Two Cities, which are love and hate.
2.2. Theory of Conflict
Conflict is any important event or moment, which is defined into essential element in developing the plot. In 1995, Hornby utters that conflict also means a
serious disagreement or argument, or a serious difference of opinions. It happens in the characters and reveals to something negative. A story will be more
interesting if there is a conflict, which improves the plot. An event in human life can be considered to be a story if there is conflict, a sensational and dramatic
problem, which makes stories become interesting. Jones 1958 also defines social conflict as a conflict that happens
between humans because of the problem arises in the relationship of human beings. Meanwhile, internal conflict is a conflict that happens inside the person
himself. I try to recognize more about the conflict that happens between Miss
Pross and Madame Defarge, in order to support the theory of characterization and add more details to these two female characters. This theory of conflict is
expected to prove that through their conflict, the characters of Miss Pross and Madame Defarge actually step ahead of their time, because they are considered
Indra Ismayudi Tanjung : A Comparison Between Miss Pross And Madame Defarge In Charles Dickens’ A Tale Of
Two Citie, 2010.
to act differently from the common women. Later, this theory can help to show the difference that exists in this two female characters, that through their conflict,
the characters of Miss Pross and Madame Defarge actually represent two different things in A Tale of Two Cities, which are love and hate.
2.3. The Concept of Feminism
Womens studies have concept and method that women are gender- neutral, as long as they do not make assumptions that reflect a focus on mans
reality only. Meanwhile, the term of Feminism means a movement seeking the reorganization of the world upon a basis of sex-equality in all human relations; a
movement which would reject every differentiation between individuals upon the ground of sex, would abolish all sex privileges and sex burdens, and would
strive to set up the recognition of the common humanity of woman and man as the foundation of law and custom Ruth, 1995, p. 5. The feminists believe that
the quality of human beings included women must not be judged in the terms of the gender. According to Ruth 1995, Feminists tend to reject both the practice
of separating human qualities into two categories-one of them for men and one for women and the valuing of one of those categories above the other. Feminists
recognize that all such characteristics of masculine and feminine may appear in either sex.
Those Feminism points of view above have just been recognized in 1960s. However, as Gorham 1982 informs, it is believed that Victorian era has
become the starting point of the feminist movement, especially during mid- Victorian period. The first reason was because there was consideration of the
missing information about humans. Women have been invisible. They have been
Indra Ismayudi Tanjung : A Comparison Between Miss Pross And Madame Defarge In Charles Dickens’ A Tale Of
Two Citie, 2010.
likely to be kept out from the public to do domestic sphere of home and family and womens work. The activities done by men were considered more important.
The next reason of the existence of feminism or womens study was because of the misconception about humans, particularly about women. There have been
many misconceptions about womens bodies, mental capacities, activities and achievement, compared with the concept of men who control everything. This
misconception has been widely recognized in the society. Society influences deep matters of behavior, personality and intellect.
Because of the missing information and the misconception about women, the feminists then try to correct the point of view about women among the
society. The feminist perspective looks at many similarities between the sexes and concludes that women and men have equal potential for their individual
development. It means that feminists have tried to raise the status of women and to see that women also have the same potential like men have. Feminism tries to
create new women, who are different from the traditional women. In this case, some women who are considered to step ahead of their time may be the examples
of what the feminists call new women. I use of the concept of feminism only as a supporting concept in order to
recognize that there has been a little bit of aspiration of Feminist idea inside the characteristics of Miss Pross and Madame Defarge as two women who step ahead
of their time. That also may prove that even though the concept of Feminism has just recognized broadly in 1960s, probably some women at that time has begun
to think and to realize, that women are not merely considered as inferior human beings.
Indra Ismayudi Tanjung : A Comparison Between Miss Pross And Madame Defarge In Charles Dickens’ A Tale Of
Two Citie, 2010.
2.4. The Concept of Common Victorian Women
