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Sacrifice In A Tale Of Two Cities

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France, overflowing with cruelty and misery from the French Revolution, was a broken state from 1789 to 1799; however, it is in this broken state that Dickens becomes captivated and proceeds to compose one of the most remarkable stories of all time. Not only does Dickens capture the spirit of the revolution itself through A Tale of Two Cities, but he also captures the tribulation of the French people. As portrayed in the story, being suffocated with suffering can compel people to respond in various ways. One might completely ignore the state of others, like the aristocracy; one might resort to acting in savage ways as a result of extreme misfortune, like the peasants; or one might finally realize that in order to better the situation they must make a sacrifice. Through these sacrifices made by Miss Pross, Darnay, and Carton, Dickens illustrates …show more content…

Acting upon his moral duty, Darnay puts his life on the line in hopes to have an influence on the situation of those who suffer in these dire times. Up against the menacing Madame Defarge, Miss Pross gains courage out of love, and defeats the sinister woman, all while sacrificing her hearing for the betterment of Lucie’s state. No longer roaming lost through life, Carton unearths his purpose as he sacrifices all to switch positions with Darnay, allowing Lucie to live a life she loves. However, these characters do not carry out their sacrifices because they are obliged to or even because they desire to, but they do so because they know it is just. Sacrifice is powerful, sacrifice is noble, but sacrifice is not easy. One’s life is no facile thing to surrender; however, it does become the honorable thing to surrender when one takes into consideration others, moral duty, and

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