Sacrifice In A Tale Of Two Cities

Sometimes in life, it takes a tragic scenario for us to learn a lesson. In the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, the plot tells of a man named Cyrano who has a large nose and is unable to reveal his love to a woman named Roxane, so he poses under the name of a “handsome” man named Christian to win Roxane’s love. The two use what they lack from each other to eventually win her love, but the deaths of both Christian and Cyrano in the end reveal that if one loves and cares about someone, then one should sacrifice one's own needs for them. The first death we witness in the play is Christian’s when he is in battle and readers can learn that one must come to their own truths before one dies.

Charles Darnay was one of the few characters to make a sacrifice but he sacrificed various things like his family name. Obviously, Charles was one of the last people who wanted to be an Evremonde due to the cruel things his family did, including to his father-in-law. However, he could have been apart of his family and be super rich. Thankfully for him, he ditched his family, found Lucie, and had a father-in-law that would not hate him for what his family did. Later on, he decided to make another sacrifice by telling Manette about his family, the family that he had said should all be

Darnay represents this goodness by making something out of nothing, and working all on his own to make a life for himself other than being handed everything. Darnay chose a good way to go because Sydney Carton was Darnay's lawyer that saved him from being imprisoned or worse in one of his court cases. Carton looks identical but is an alcoholic that is jealous of Darnay and the life that he has made for himself. Darnay has scorned Carton and judged him to be a useless drunk, little does Darnay know that the person he scorns will save his life. Fortunately, Darnay learns the errors of his judgement, to honor Carton, he names his son Sydney, in honor of the man who twice saved his life. It would have been very easy for Charles to just take all the riches of being the marquis of France, but he would have been continuing his family tradition of wrongdoings and not been true to his character which symbolize justice. Dicken let us only believe that he is a good guy throughout the story and not giving us anything else about his character, “His latent uneasiness had been, that bad aims were being worked out in his own unhappy land by bad instruments, and that he who could not fail to know that he was better than they, was not there, trying to do something to stay bloodshed, and assert the claims of mercy and humanity” (Dickens 212). Darnay represent a good man, Justice and Duty but also learn from judging people too

Her drive for revenge leaves blood on her hands. Madame Defarge also has a desire to get back to Charles Darnay. She believes that he should pay for what his family did. The quote, “Back to the Conciergerie, and Death within four-and-twenty hours!” (345) shows what she thinks he deserves.

In the melodramatic novel, A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, the author uses the theme sacrifice. He shows that sacrifice is important in his story because some of his characters must give up their lives for another. Miss Pross dedicates herself to Lucie because she wants Lucie to have a brighter future than she did. Then, out of his love and devotion for Lucie Manette, Sydney Carton sacrifices his life to save a life she loves. The sacrifices Miss Pross and Sydney Carton make express that mankind will give everything for what they love and believe in.

Carton further helps Darnay and implies more of his heroism when he dies for him. Carton’s great love and respect for Lucie holds him to the promise he made to her when he said that he would die for anyone she loved. The sheer act of heroism possessed him to buy the elixir that would cause Darnay to pass out, to switch clothing, and take Darnay’s place in prison. Carton knew that if his plan was discovered, he would be just as dead as Darnay. However, Carton kept in mind his promise and carried it through. At this point in time, Darnay expressed a sense of heroism as well because he was prepared to face his death without fear. Darnay would have

Sydney Carton's life is made meaningful by the hope that he receives from Lucy Manette. At the beginning of the story, Sydney Carton's life has no significance. He is a drunkard with a seemingly worthless life. Sydney is working as a clerk for the lawyer C.J. Stryver, and though Sydney is the real brains behind the ideas, the attorney receives all the credit. Carton has had an unfavorable life and has no inspiration, nothing to live for. Sydney really wants for his life to have served some purpose, for him to have made a difference. He changes his life around after a conversation with Miss Manette in which Carton professes his love to her. Carton

Twelve months later Dr. Manette asked for Lucie’s hand in marriage. If Lucie accepts, Darnay will give his true identity to the Manettes. Sydney is also falling in love with Lucie but he knows that she is much to good for him and she will never be his. Lucies’s beauty is so magnificent to Carton that by knowing here, she has made his life worth living. Her presence gives Sydney a reason to get up in the morning. Sydney would do any thing for her "…O Miss Manette, when the little

Sacrifice in the Name of Love Charles Dickens became a profound writer at a young age, and had much literary success in his life. One of Dickens’ most famous works was his powerful historical fictional novel, A Tale of Two Cities. A Tale of Two Cities is full of metaphors and themes that help the reader understand the complexity of the novel, one of those major themes is sacrifice. In Dickens’ novel, sacrifice is strongly made in the name of love.

The third person Lucie was able to affect, and to recall to life, was Sydney Carton. Before meeting Lucie, he had felt like he had no purpose in life, and he spent his days drinking to get drunk. When he met Lucie Manette, he found that he still had something to live for and that recalled him to a life that he had never known before. This new Sydney Carton was willing to die for the love of his life’s husband, even though Darnay reminded him of what he could have been.

Mr. Ernest Defarge was a man who loved his wife, Madame Defarge, but also loved and had much respect for the Manette family and would sacrifice almost anything for them. Mr. Defarge said to Madame Defarge, “Extermination is a good doctrine, my wife, in general, I say nothing against it. But this doctor has suffered much…” (263). In this passage, Mr. Defarge was sacrificing his marriage by arguing that Dr. Manette has suffered much pain and does not deserve to be exterminated. This shows Mr. Defarge is trying to reason with Madame Defarge and he cares enough for Doctor to not hurt him any worse. Dr. Manette has had many struggles in his life which include him being imprisoned for 18 years, losing his wife, losing his job as a doctor, and having to be kept in secret most of his lifetime. Madame Defarge wants to exterminate their entire family, not only Darnay, because

In the beginning, Sydney Carton was a mean drunk that did nothing well and was only worried about himself. Carton had never done anything correctly, or for the benefit of others until he met Lucie, which was the love of his life, that he would do anything for. In another incident he shows his love for Lucie by dying in place of her husband, Charles Darnay, and when asked why he was dying for this man, his reply was, “ It is far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done: it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known” (446). Sydney Carton is basically saying that it was the best thing that he has ever done because he did not grow up doing things for other people’s better good. This shows how much he has changed from being a drunk and mean, to dying for the happiness of a person he loves. Sydney Carton has been greatly “recalled to life”, because he has changed so much, and it has made a huge impact in the book.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a story of great sacrifices being made for the sake of principle. There are many examples of this throughout the book made by many of the characters but some or more evident than others. In Book The First, entitled “Recalled to Life,” the most obvious sacrifice for the sake of principle was made by Dr. Manette. He is imprisoned for eighteen years in the Bastille, for no apparent reason. Another noticeable sacrifice made for the sake of principle was made in Book The Second, entitled “The Golden Thread,” also by Dr. Manette. Charles Darnay reveals the truth about himself and about his family history. He tells Dr. Manette his real identity and that he is heir to the Marquis

He says to her “for you [...] I would do anything” (147). When Darnay is sentenced to death Carton comes up with a master plan to switch with Darnay to take his place and fall into “eternal sleep” (304) for the good of Lucie and her family’s happiness. As the knitting- women count “twenty-three” (363) Sydney Carton dies. By dying he is recalled to life, he is “truly free” (363) from the hate of himself and the rejection he felt from others. Carton’s unlimited love for Lucie overcame the revolutionary’s hate, but that came with the consequence of the death of a beloved

This statement is revisited at the top of the novel once Carton offers up his life so as to save lots of that of Charles to make sure Lucie’s happiness.