Category: A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities is a story about love, sacrifice, aristocracy, revenge, affection, benevolence, and anger. Sydney Carton depicts sacrifice, Lucie- Dr. Manette represents affection, and Charles Darney – Lucie shows love.

The characterization of Dickens is very much realistic. A few of them act a little dramatically but stick to their characters just like Madame Defarge who is a hard-core revolutionary. He has used well-shaped powerful symbols in his novel that depict the sharp description of characters. The description is so elaborative that a reader can tell it’s Ms. Manette by seeing her fine beauty or whether it’s Madame Defarge who has a petrified heart. The dialogues are so relevant; they go absolutely with the characters Mr. Jarvis Lorry and Dr. Manette’s dialogues show the cultured face of the period, Madame Defarge is a wrathless firebrand woman depicting the contemporary French revolutionaries. Dickens hasn’t made animations instead he created every kind of people; generous, greedy, loving, benevolent, bold, proud, coward.

The details Dickens has added surely make up imagination in readers minds just like I have one of the guillotines, personifies horror bloodshed, and crushes humanity in one shot.

The opening sentences are marked as the most strongest and powerful lines in English Literature. Dickens has done what he a maestro is at. The contrasts that he has made not only between the two cities but also their conditions and the people.

Sydney Carton is my favorite and will always remain. He is selfless, and intelligent, the agonies he went through, and his iconic sacrifice stand apart from all. He proves to be the most impactful and dynamic character of the novel. He gave his life just to ensure the peace and happiness of his beloved.

The second most iconic character is Madame Defarge, she’s the most sinister, malicious woman character in literary history. Her knitting register is as horrific as a pale nun.

Although the story in the beginning was a little boring as Dickens took a long in bringing the story to the plot the other half was interesting and fast-paced. Overall it’s a good read. No matter how many times I read the magic hasn’t worn off.

Are sacrifices inevitable? Every day, these gestures of altruism are made all around the world. From soldiers risking their lives for the civilians of a nation, to something as simple as high school students sacrificing their sleep for their education, dedications are unavoidable during our lifetime. Whether it be a modicum to give up, like sleep, or a copious bit, such as one’s life, sacrifice remains as a form of selflessness. The concept of caring more about others’ wishes rather than one’s own is routine in today’s society. Self- sacrifice is an idea also embedded in the novel, In A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. The notion of sacrifice and selflessness in A Tale of Two Cities, is sustained through Charles Darnay’s renouncement of his title, the Revolutionaries who risked their lives, and Sydney Carton’s ultimate sacrifice.

The Evremonde family had committed numerous crimes and sins in the course of Charles Darnay’s life. Even after his father’s death, that guilt and negativity lingered. Consequently, Darnay was driven to renounce his title as a Marquis, and give up his property and any inheritance he would have gotten. Darnay declared to his uncle, the Marquis,“‘It is little to relinquish. What is it but a wilderness of misery and ruin!’” (Dickens 126). Darnay found this a simple sacrifice, that would finally cut all ties to his wretched family. From this moment on, he gave up all luxury to become a French tutor in England, a sacrifice many would hesitate to take,“..Princes that had been, and Kings that were to be, were not yet of the Teacher class” (Dickens 131). The power that Darnay gave up freed him from the sins of his ancestors, and allowed him to start afresh as a new person. However, as this new person, Darnay realized that he will need to work hard to maintain this modern lifestyle, “He had expected labour, and he found it, and did it and made the best of it. In this, his prosperity consisted” (Dickens 131). The previous quote reflects how Darnay’s traits, such as conscientious and diligent, will benefit him throughout the story. Leaving behind his previous identity allowed him to be his own person. Darnay and his mother wished to help the peasants of France, however, never could under the name Evremonde. His role in the novel represented the nobles’ inability to curve their family name, and demonstrated how with sacrifice, anyone can grasp liberty and escape their horrid destinies.

Revolutionaries, or the Third Estate, during the French Revolution, sacrificed their lives and almost everything they had to rid themselves of the tyranny of France. They hoped for a better future, a free nation of liberty for their children and significant others. Dickens’ description, “Fathers and mothers who had had their full share in the worst of the day, played gently with their meagre children; and lovers, with such a world around them and before them, loved and hoped”(Dickens 228), showcased the Revolutionaries true sentiments of the tyranny of France. Though towards the end of the Revolution they transformed into bloodthirsty and rapacious murderers, they started off as petrified and intimidated peasants, who would do anything for the future of their children and loved ones. On July 14, 1789, the Storming of the Bastille took place. Approaching the end of the uprising, Madame Defarge had brutally beheaded the governor, who was at the Bastille. As the deceased governor’s body slumped against the stairs of Hotel de Ville, the Revolutionaries illustrated their thirst for bloodshed and fury that they possessed, “Saint Antoine’s blood was up, and the blood of tyranny and domination by the iron hand was down…” (Dickens 222). Marking the start of the revolution, the infamous revolt casted a shadow upon the tyranny of the nation. It was also at this moment where the Revolutionaries quickly turned homicidal, thriving off the blood of their enemies; nobles, the monarchy, and anyone who stood in theri way. This will remain as a prominent issue in A Tale of Two Cities.

Though many events occur during this novel, many remember this story for its terminal cessation; the ultimate sacrifice. Sydney Carton, a man who was introduced as a diffident drunkard, became an altruistic, self-sacrificing gentleman by the end of the novel. Carton sacrificed his life for the woman he loved, Lucie Manette. The readers recalled the promise he made to her a few years before he was beheaded, “‘For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything… I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you…’” (Dickens 154). Indeed, he would do anything for Lucie Manette and her happiness. Another scenario, one that pertains to the previous one mentioned, was when Lucie Manette fainted when she found out Charles Darnay was sentenced to death. As Carton carried her back to the coach, he uttered, “a life you love” (Dickens 341), referencing to when he said, “‘there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you!’”(Dickens 155), a number of years back. This message of sacrifice came up again, due to the fact that at this moment he decided to give himself up for Lucie Manette’s future and elation. With the words, “‘He will perish: there is no real hope’” (Dickens 342), he foreshadowed his own death. Considering his passing was how the story ended, Carton’s ultimate sacrifice was the last imprint the novel leaves behind on the readers. Though he did not necessarily liked seeing the woman he loved with another man, he registered how blithe and radiant Lucie Manette was with him. Devoting his life was how Lucie Manette was able to reconnect with Charles Darnay and was to remain jovial, a desire Sydney Carton possesed.

Sacrifice, along with the idea of selflessness, correlates with the modern world, as well as A Tale of Two Cities. Darnay renouncing his title and property, the Revolutionaries risking their lives, as well as Sydney Carton sacrificing his life, all support the notion of sacrifice and selflessness in Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. Reflecting this theme of sacrifice, Charles Darnay gave up his title and luxury to be free of the sins and guilt of his ancestors. In addition to Darnay, the Third Estate risked everything, even their lives, to free France from the nobles’ and monarchary’s tyranny. Finally, yet importantly, Sydney Carton sacrificed his life, in order to conserve the gaiety of the woman he loved, Lucie Manette. So, is sacrifice actually inevitable? Clearly, as exhibited in A Tale of Two Cities, sacrifices and dedications must be implemented in order to make decisions and characterize one’s life. No decision in life can be executed without an act of selflessness.

“Troubled as the future was, it was the unknown future, and in its obscurity there was an ignorant hope.” (259). Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities begins its tale in the year one thousand, seven hundred, and seventy-five—the best of times, and the worst—as it is famously known. The story starts before the French revolution, when the idea of change is growing. It follows a French doctor, wrongfully imprisoned 18 years before for witnessing something he shouldn’t have. His daughter, Lucie Manette, finds him in Paris after his release, and they go to England together. Haunted by the shadows of his past, Dr. Manette desperately tries to suppress them. Six years later, his daughter marries a French marquis who had renounced his title, and who is also trying to cast away his past. By this time, 18 years after the book began, the French revolution was at its most horrific.

To start, the chapter titles in this book are very fun. They connect, they lead up to things, and help carry a topic. One of my favorites is the “Knitting,” “Still Knitting,” and “The Knitting Done,” chapter names. These chapters mostly follow Madame Defarge, the wife of a wine-shop owner who helped put the first momentum into the revolutionary uprising. The chapter names follow the idea of knitting because Madame Defarge is always knitting, or brewing hatred. In “Knitting,” Monsieur Defarge consults his comrades about the death of an aristocrat that they were involved in. During “Still Knitting,” monsieur talks to his wife about the revolution. Madame Defarge gives good advice about waiting for the right time to strike. She says, “It does not take a long time. . . for an earthquake to swallow a town. Eh Well! Tell me how long it takes to prepare the earthquake?” (180). She’s saying that the change that they want won’t happen overnight. It takes time, patience, and planning. Yet, it is interesting because the French revolution does seem to happen almost overnight. This conversation reminds me of Mrs. Lovatt from Sweeney Todd telling Sweeney to wait for his revenge. Mrs. Lovatt says, “Don’t you know, silly man/half the fun is to plan the plan.” These characters are very similar in that they seem like docile, ordinary ladies, who bake and knit, until stirred with meaning. It is interesting how these outwardly different people, one English, and one French, can both be roused so effectively by their need for vengeance as to become cold-hearted killers. This shows that revenge is a powerful motivator, no matter who you are or where you live. Appearances often hide unknown vigor. The book says, “Madame’s resolute right hand was occupied with an axe, in place of the usual softer implements, and in her girdle were a pistol and a cruel knife.” (217). She carries these weapons with her throughout the whole book, just like how she carries her hatred for aristocrats throughout the whole book. It just goes to show that when someone is passionate about something, like Madame Defarge is about revenge on the class of people who hurt her, people are capable of almost any wild transformation. She always did say that knitting was just to bide the time. Madame Defarge, and all the other Paris women who would knit, were just waiting for the right time to strike.

To add on, the two cities of this book are Paris and London. While Paris was still planning revolution, there was still a whole cast of characters in England. Lucie and her father, Doctor Manette, were French-born, and so was Lucie’s husband, “Charles Evremonde, called Darnay.” It is important to mention that Lucie and her husband first met when he was on trial for being a French spy. Sydney Carton, Mr. Darnay’s look-alike and defense council, got him out of a brutal sentence. This is really amazing foreshadowing, because almost 200 pages– and 20 years later, Charles Darnay is back on trial, this time in France, and is once again saved by the innocent Sydney Carton. Sydney is a really interesting character, mostly because although he isn’t talked about so much, he does an awful lot for Lucie and Charles Darnay. What happened was that Mr. Darnay was put in prison for a year on the charges of “being an emigrant,” in France. When he was brought to trial, it was only by the good reputation of Doctor Manette that he was set free. The relief that a reader feels when he is finally out of prison is astounding. This is because Charles and Lucie are the type of characters that are so wholesomely good, that you are always on their side, and want the best for them. Maybe that is why Sydney gives his whole life to them. Accordingly, when a few pages later, and barely 2 hours later in the book, Mr. Darnay is arrested again, your heart as good as breaks. This time, he is on trial for a crime that his father committed, and on evidence that his father-in-law provided unwillingly. This is an amazing example of how Charles Dickens ties all of his characters together, and in ways you would never expect. It is so because Doctor Manette was originally thrown in jail so that he couldn’t testify against Charles’s father about a wrong done to the family of the now-bloodthirsty Madame Defarge. What’s best is that none of them knew how they were connected. Isn’t it crazy how so many people can be so horribly affected by one evil deed? And it’s an amazing twist of fate that they would all be thrown together again more than 40 years later for the final act of justice. It’s interesting how nobody guilty is ever really punished. Charles’s mother had said wisely at the time of the crime four decades ago, “I have a presentiment that if no other innocent atonement is made for this, it will one day be required of [Charles].” (336). She was right. And now, even after the original offender was dead, someone else would have to pay.

Last, only after reading this book will the reader really understand why the Reign of Terror was called such. It was terrifying. There were several times in the book that actually makes the reader feel disturbed and unsettled. For instance, Charles Dickens describes a dancing mob that ran through the streets and said, “There could not be fewer than five hundred people, and they were dancing like five hundred demons. . .They danced to the popular Revolution song, keeping a ferocious time that was like a gnashing of teeth in unison. They advanced, retreated, struck at one another’s hands, clutched at one another’s heads, spun round alone, caught one another and spun round in pairs, until many of them dropped.” (283). This quote gives off an essence of madness. Lucie, who witnessed it, was definitely struck back in horror. It shows the pure raging energy of the French people, and is one of the scariest things to be found in the book. The French people were so suppressed, and for so long, that when the time finally came to get some payback, they couldn’t handle it. Their emotions ran too high, and they ended up bathing the city in blood. It is like how Madame Defarge wanted revenge so badly that “It was nothing to her, that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers. . . that his wife was to be made a widow and his daughter an orphan. . .” (367). She didn’t care who died or if they deserved it! She only cared about taking what she felt to be hers. This must be what many other Frenchmen and women were feeling as well. Charles Dickens often calls the revolution a fever. Page 351 states, “Physical diseases, engendered in the vices and neglects of men, will seize on victims of all degrees; and the frightful moral disorder, born of unspeakable suffering, intolerable oppression, and heartless indifference, smote equally without distinction.” This quote illustrates how the people in Paris felt. They felt sick, overcome with a fever they never knew they could feel until then, and were swept away by it. They were lost in a powerful blur, as if in a real illness. Everyone caught it, and felt it keenly. In the chapter “The Knitting Done,” Madame Defarge meets her end. She died just as angry and vengeful and malign as she was during her life. Long, long before the revolution, Madame Defarge had been smitten with the fever.

All in all, not only is this A Tale of Two Cities, but it is also a tale of revenge. It is a tale about how the past never really dies. There are always people who are affected by your actions, and you never know when they will come back to bite you. Most importantly, it is a tale about people who would do the craziest things for reasons even they might not understand. This book should be recommended to anyone who likes a good story with surprising twists, and subtle suspense. “And all of us have like wonders hidden in our breasts, only needing circumstances to evoke them.” (287).

Bibliography

1. Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. Bantam Classics, 2003.
2. Sondheim, Stephen, and Angela Lansbury. “‘Wait.’” Highlights from Sweeney Todd, RCA Red Seal.

Aberjhani once said: “Hearts rebuilt from hope resurrect dreams killed by hate”. In ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, Charles Dickens negatively introduces specific characters and makes sure to highlight some of their flaws. Sydney Carton is a man of several distinct characteristics. He is the sloppily dressed, inebriated lawyer. He is the earnest young man confessing a hopeless love to a golden-haired girl. He is the prisoner, voluntarily approaching Madame la Guillotine, his head held high. Carton is one of the most dynamic and poignant characters, who is also shown in the novel to be somewhat immature in his actions and thoughts when facing a crucial argument had in the tale. He is first introduced to readers as a frustrated and depressed alcoholic but soon turns out to be a very noble, genuine, and heroic man.

“Careless and slovenly if not debauched” (Dickens, 72) is the very first description given to readers about Sydney Carton’s appearance which is not your typical description of your everyday conventional superhero. At this point in the novel Carton is not at all a hero. He is barely a man, and furthermore, a significantly flawed man. He frequently alludes to the fact that his life has been wasted, stating that “he cares for no man on earth and no man on earth cares for him” (Dickens, 82). Shown frequently indulging alcohol, Carton is a drunk. He is depicted as wasting his cleverness and youth on passing time by drinking himself into laziness. He is no prince charming or knight in shining armor, however, Carton is not flawed to a point where he is dislikable. He has an affinity for alcohol, true, but he is never violent or profane. In fact, Carton’s faults make him more of an admirable and relatable hero. Dickens’ early embellishment of Carton’s imperfections sets the stage for his protagonists later actions and proves faults do not hinder heroism.

Carton is softened and changed by his love for the beautiful Lucie Manette. He becomes acquainted with Lucie and Doctor Manette at the trial of Charles Darnay in London, and soon becomes a familiar face at the Manette home. One night, Carton opens up his whole heart to Lucie, as she later describes it, she sees his heart ‘bleeding’. Though deeply in love with her, he fully realizes that he is not worthy of her. Many men so violently in love would pursue the women whom they loved, regardless of anything but their own feelings. Carton is different in this respect. He honestly tells her that even if she had returned his love, “he would have been conscious… that he would bring her misery, bring her sorrow and repentance, blight her, disgrace her, pull her down with him” (Dickens, 145). Knowing that he is unable to make Lucie happy, Carton is enough of a man to step aside. It is his heroism alone that prompts him to let his rival marry the girl he loves all because he knows it is what’s best for her. Through his passionate love for Lucie, Carton grows in strength of heart and begins to demonstrate heroism.

Upon reading Charles Dickens’ novel ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, Sydney Carton’s heroism becomes indisputably clear. Dickens’ embellishment of Carton as a flawed man merely elevates Carton as a hero, demonstrating how ordinary, struggling human being can become extraordinary. Dickens gradually details Carton’s character growth as his love for Lucie Manette causes him to act of greatness. Far from the inebriated lawyer, he now “holds a sanctuary in the hearts” of many (Dickens, 364). He has laid down his life for the woman he loves and in doing so he proved himself to be a genuine and very noble man. He is still Sydney Carton, but now undoubtedly, he is a hero.