The Defarge-Marner Hypothesis

Normally, people would find it strange to use famous literary works to find a causal relation between people who like to knit and crotchet, and possible psychological reasons for their doing so.

Of course, another reason as to why people would find it idiotic to even consider passions for knitting and crocheting as being compulsions to counter vehement obsessions due to ups and downs in everyday life, is because they could simply be normal pass-times which the said individual developed an affinity for due to having the necessary skills for it.

First and foremost, let us consider the possibility that most people would find crotchet and knitting patterns as somewhat time-consuming, or in the worst-possible scenario: an element that could lead to a rise in their blood pressure levels due to its apparent complexity.

Here is one such example:

Pre-shot of Eustace before he blows up while trying to desperately sew with a needle

Well, there were other factors present in the fictional setting for this event, so it's not exactly the particular task which resulted in our beloved character's explosion. However, it can be put into consideration that sewing/knitting/crocheting isn't as much of a catch as compared to playing with Lego blocks or doing outdoor photography in order to relieve yourself.

Yes, it requires patience. A lot of patience, to be precise. Question is, how do you get it?

And, that brings me to my cleverly devised hypothesis after browsing once more through two of my favorite reads: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (most of you are probably fans of this one) and Silas Marner by George Eliot (her work, you probably haven't even checked out, unless you are a die-hard classical literature fan like me).

See, there were two intriguing characters from both these novels who were into the whole knitting thing. And yes, I know that crocheting and knitting are two separate things, but in all due fairness; they are similar to quite a great extent. Let me explain; they both require the employment of a needle to be pushed in and out of a cloth in order to create a product, and because we all agree that needles are dangerous to play with, therefore, we also agree that even doing such a kind of activity for fun requires absolute caution and patience; something the mind needs to be well-prepared for.

Well, voila! The Defarge-Marner hypothesis. Here is a description of both characters that could help put in perspective the explanation I wish to further work upon in order to ensure that I manage to convince you of its validity:



Madam Defarge: She sits quietly, weaving and knitting in the initial chapters of the story. But, we come to know that she is a victim of great injustice; her sister having been raped by a well-respected noble, and therefore, her violent hatred for the upper-class is quite understandable.And what has she been knitting all along? You may ask. Oh yes, the names of the people she intends to have
killed during the French Revolution!

A psychopath, nonetheless who waits patiently, knitting and plotting revenge against her oppressors. Quite scary...

Silas Marner: A character with a happy ending, but with an interesting sad opening to begin with. A weaver, who has been met with great psychological harm at the hands of those he used to love dearly; I am not going into the details, because I really want all of you who haven't read the novel to do so kindly.

What's essential to keep in mind about this character is that he weaves out of pure impulse, and that his weaving has over the years become a fruitless attempt to distract him from his clearly upsetting life. He feels nothing, he cares for nothing and his weaving is similar to a spider spinning a web as if she has done it several times and without any ulterior motive to make her happy, other than guarantee her food to quell her hunger.


And so, the Defarge-Marner hypothesis, put simply is:

"People who knit/crotchet/ sew as part of some lifelong passion are actually victims of earlier oppression; either physical or psychological or both in the making. The immortal kind-of dedication and patience required to excel in the practice itself begs us to consider the idea that only someone who has gone through a lot can pursue the practice further ahead."

Of course, to confirm my hypothesis, the need to carry a survey would be deemed necessary. In my personal experience, I can claim that my mom and a particular former friend are subject to the self-proposed theory. They can knit, because they've both been tried in extremely challenging social environments and therefore they possess the patience to pursue these rather tasking activities, so to speak. Of course, it couldn't be just a case of inhumane patience, but also a means of great distraction from the many tyrannies still imprinted on their minds.

Feel free to argue with me on this one. Who knows? It might lead to the discovery of something exciting and beneficial for humanity as a whole. Let's see.