Sydney Cartie Character Analysis

It is not this Sydney Carton who gave himself up for the rival. That Sydney Carton died when he swapped place with Charles. Even though his plan hinged on his life being worth less than everyone else, in the end it causes him to become the most significant person in all of their lives. He shows that the truest love, love that even God himself would respect, is the willingness to lay down one’s own life for a friend. He turns what would have been a miserable tale into a bittersweet legend of redemption and selfless love. Perhaps Sydney was right in saying that there was no place on Earth for him; in the end he may have simply been too good for to stay

Lastly, good did triumph over evil in Sydney Carton. Sydney Carton is a drunk who hates Darnay because if Carton was not a drunk he would have everything Darnay has, like the love of Lucie Manette. Carton is seen as the darkness because of the disparity he has and how low he has fallen. Whereas Darnay is seen as light or the good guy due to how his life is going. In the end when Sydney gives up his life for Darnay it shows how Sydney is transferring from being sad and dark. His selfless act proved that the “bad” Sydney Carton has saved Darnay and kept Lucie, Cartons love, happy.

This wasted potential is emphasized when both Darnay and Carton fall in love with Lucie Manette. Darnay, as the typical charming hero, is chosen over desperate, brooding Carton. As a result, Carton finds himself channeling his love and his physical advantage of being Darnay’s double into keeping Lucie safe and happy by way of rescuing Darnay from the guillotine. Thus, Carton is able to become the proverbial “good guy,” a role he saw for himself in his counterpart, Darnay. He also managed to thwart the Defarges’ plot to murder all those connected to the aristocracy in any way. In this way, Dickens is able to use the comparisons and contrasts between the two men to show how love is capable of victory over violence and vengeance.

“‘Are you dying for him?’ she whispered. ‘And his wife and child. Hush! Yes.’ ‘O you will let me hold your brave hand, stranger?’”( Dickens 631). The Seamstress recognizes that Sydney has taken Charles place to be killed, she begins to adore him because of his heroic act. Sydney gave up his opportunity to marry the love of his life, Lucie and instead gave his life for her happiness. Sydney thought of himself as a Christ-like figure because of his sacrifice. Carton a foolish hero shows how love for one's cause can cause you to take your own life.

Sydney Carton performs many courageous acts that create positive changes for the Evrémonde family’s future. Carton’s actions strive to improve the Evrémonde family’s life, while boldly putting his at risk. His fearless actions reunite the Evrémonde family back together, producing a new, positive outlook of the future for them. When Carton enters Darnay’s prison cell, it is described that Carton, “dressed himself in the clothes the prisoner had laid aside, combed back his hair, and tied it with the ribbon the prisoner had worn” (Dickens 358). Carton acts gallantly in order to salvage Darnay’s life, for he switches places with him in the prison. As a result of Carton’s brave actions, Darnay is free once more to be with his family and lead a

Not only did he sacrifice for Darnay, but he also did this for Lucie's happiness. Darnay was going to die, therefore Carton disguised himself to Darnay so that Darnay will not have to die, causing Lucie to be sad. Carton did not want to see Lucie sad, this is why he sacrificed himself for Darnay and Lucie. “ I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. I see her, an old women, weeping for me on the anniversary of this day. I see her and her husband , their course done, lying side in their last earthly bed, and I know that each was not more honored and held sacred in the other soul, than was in the souls of both” (Dickens 372). In reality Carton was sacrificing just for Lucie’s happiness, because he loved her too much to see her become sad about the death of her husband. Cartons thinks that he will be reborn through Lucie because of his sacrifice he made. Not only did Sydney Carton sacrificed for his loved ones but he also sacrificed for his friend Mr. Stryver, who “strived” only for himself, and did not really do anything for others. Mr. Stryver was starting his new life, however he needed a partner to reach his goals. He then partnered up

Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities, reveals a person that is so complex that students of British Literature still have not fully understood Sydney Carton’s character. Dickens introduces him to the reader as an arrogant, frustrated, no account barrister who lives through the lives of others. Yet throughout the novel one can see that he is a brilliant barrister who does not realize his worth, a man changed through love and devotion, and a self-sacrificing individual.

Carton unselfishly decides that he is going to take Darnay’s spot in prison and die for him. The narrator depicts, “Quickly, but with sure hands and a sure heart, Carton dressed himself in the clothes Darnay had laid aside. He combed back his hair and tied it with the ribbon Darnay had been wearing”(page). Carton’s fearless act displays his kindness and loyalty to Lucie and her family. Carton could have easily gone on living his life and let Darnay die and then pursued his love for Lucie, but he realizes that all the people he loves would be miserable without Darnay.

As the novel progresses, he develops a love for Lucie Manette and makes a promise to do anything in his power for her, even if that is risking his life. He knows that one day his promise will come into play, and his life will finally be executed. Sydney Carton is compared to a jackal against Stryver, who is considered a lion, because Carton provides all of the information to maintain Stryver’s reputation. This jackal and lion relationship is illustrated when Dickens observes, “.. that although Sydney Carton would never be a lion, he was an amazingly good jackal, and that he rendered suit and service to Stryver in that humble capacity” (65). Sydney Carton is a very smart man who does not say much, but grasps important information.

This love eventually drives Carton to give his life, which protects Lucie’s happiness. Carton says to Lucie, “If it had been possible, Miss Manette, that you could have returned the love of the man you see before you-self-flung away, wasted, drunken, poor creature of misuse as you know him to be-he would have been conscious this day and hour, in spite of his happiness, that he would bring you to misery, bring you to sorrow and repentance, blight you, disgrace you, pull you down with him” (Dickens 156). In this scene, Carton is telling Lucie that even though he loves her, he knows that she does not return this love. He proceeds to tell her that even if she had loved him, he would have made her miserable because of how he lives his life. Carton’s conversation with Lucie shows that Carton is hopelessly in love with Lucie, and yet that love is unattainable to him. However, he has the strength to sacrifice his feelings for her because of this love. During this conversation, Carton also says to Lucie, “think now and then that there is a man who would give his life to keep a life you love beside you!” (Dickens 159). Here, Carton tells Lucie that if ever her life and happiness were in danger, and he could save her from that pain by giving his life, he would gladly do it. This is a direct reference to the end of the novel, where

As Darnay’s execution was drawing close, Carton took matters into his own hands and saved Darnay for his sake and the sake of Lucie. In order to do this successfully, he impersonated Darnay: “Carton dressed himself in the clothes the prisoner had laid aside, combed back his hair, and tied it with the ribbon the prisoner had worn (Dickens 296). By doing this, Carton chooses to die for Darnay, which allows him to be “reborn” and return back to England to live a content life with his loving family again. Not only is he doing this for Darnay, Carton is mainly doing it because of his unconditional love for Lucie, as well as his need for her to live happily with her family. In addition to the rebirth of Darnay caused by Sydney’s sacrifice, Sydney seeks and discovers his own rebirth.

Through this quote as well as Carton’s promise to Lucie, Dickens characterizes Carton, showing his staunch and faithful nature. At the time when he had rescued Darnay from execution, he had not yet pledged his loyalty to Lucie; his actions had been “mere professional claptrap”, and he did not “[care] what became of [Darnay]” (213). However, after swearing to sacrifice himself for her and all whom she loves, Carton’s mindset changes, later prompting him to tell Darnay that he is only “speaking of the past” (213). Due to Darnay’s importance to Lucie, Carton strives to reconcile with him, hoping to establish better relations between them. The fact that Carton does this, despite Darnay being both the prime object of his envy and his former rival

Driven by the plot, Sydney Carton helps to develop the theme through his sacrificial actions. Carton was introduced to the story as one of the lawyers that helped portray Charles Darnay as innocent in his hearing. Fading in and out after the trial, I thought he’d be a minor character. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Following the plot to the end of the book, Carton swaps places with Darnay right before his sentence to the guillotine, sacrificing his life to save Charles. Sydney’s selfless actions of sacrifice were made so the progression of well being could continue for the Manette family. No well being can come from the phase of depression Darnay's family would have suffered through if Carton hadn’t switched places with him.

Before his redemption, Carton was weak and unsure of what to make of himself; however, he comes to realize what he must do to save the life of Charles Darnay. With a “decided step” (pg), Sydney marches to his future, even though it means that he will die. The word “decided” connotes that Sydney has made up his mind; he will not falter in his actions, and his determination is something that was never present in his life before this moment.

In the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities, Carton had no inspiration or purpose in his life. He wasted himself away by becoming an alcoholic who had no aspirations or dreams. He also had low confidence in himself and did not believe that he could turn his life around or make anything of his life despite his brilliance. When Lucie appeared in his life, he finally found something worth living for. Carton expresses his love for Lucie by saying "For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything. If my career were of that better kind that there was any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you." He was willing to sacrifice anything, even his life for Lucie, and in the end he ended up being executed for Charles Darnay so Lucie could live a long life with her husband and children. This shows that Carton was so passionate about Lucie, that his life would be fulfilled by her happiness. Besides his mental resurrection through Lucie, Carton was also quite literally resurrected since Lucie promised to name her newborn after Carton. This gave Carton a chance to be a part of Lucie’s life forever, even after he himself had passed away. In conclusion, Lucie gave the inspiration for Carton to change from being a low life alcoholic to an intelligent man with a purpose in