The Concept Of Sacrifice In A Tale Of Two Cities

The French Revolution was a movement from 1789 to 1799 that brought an end to the monarchy, including many lives. Although A Tale of Two Cities was published in 1859, it was set before and during the French Revolution and had over 200 million copies sold. The author, Charles Dickens, is known for being an excellent writer and displays several themes in his writings. Sacrifice is an offering of an animal or human life or material possession to another person. Dickens develops the theme of sacrifice throughout the story by the events that occurred involving Dr. Manette, Mr. Defarge, and Sydney Carton.

Sacrifice is being willing to give up something good for something better. Life is full of boundless possibilities, but in order to transform a possibility into a reality we have to choose -- giving up the many in order to attain the one. Sacrifice is the ability to protect others for their sake. not yours. It has flaws if you think selfishly; It has no flaws if you think selflessly. Cyrano de Bergerac, written by Edmond Rostand, takes place in Paris, France. Cyrano loves Roxane but feels he is too ugly to woo her. Cyrano has to overcome the severe self-doubt and shame that result from his awkward appearance in order to reveal to Roxane that he wrote Christian’s love letters. A Doll’s House takes place in Norway. Nora's struggle with Krogstad,

Suffering (n.) The state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship. In A Tale of Two Cities, suffering is a reccurring theme that affected most of the novel’s major and minor characters. Suffering can affect different people in a variety of ways. Dickens’s purpose for writing this book was to warn the English about the consequences and destruction that comes with involving their nation in a Revolution with another country. Suffering can be broken down into many different types; may it be mental, emotional, or physical.

Sacrifice is “an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else.” -Anonymous. The Outsiders, by H.E Hinton is a book where Ponyboy and friends live life in a gang. You can see sacrifices being made in order for them to better the lives of each other. One theme evident in the novel is people make sacrifices for the things they care about.

Sacrifice is a prominent part of human living. In order to get what is needed or wanted, sacrifice is necessary, whether it is small or great. In the novel, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, he shows that in society, those with less must often sacrifice more. Hugo conveys sacrifice through the characters Fantine and Jean Valjean, by showing how they sacrifice in order to gain and also how their poverty makes their sacrifice even greater.

Throughout literature, death scenes often portray a deeper meaning in relation to a theme or life lesson. This is especially visible in Cyrano de Bergerac, a play by Edmond Rostand. The play surrounds Cyrano, a man with a tragically large nose but excellent linguistic skills. He loves a woman named Roxane, but is unable to reveal his true feelings because he is so ashamed of his outward appearance. Roxane instead, loves a handsome man named Christian who is not as witty and skilled poetically like Cyrano. Cyrano uses his excellent writing skills to write to Roxane, pretending he is Christian. Roxane eventually loves Christian purely because of the love letters written to her, but she is unaware Cyrano is the one writing. As the play continues,

In the novel “Man On Fire” Creasy sacrifices various things for his loved ones. Creasy, an ex-war veteran soon finds himself back with a gun in his hands making sacrifices similar to how he did in the war. Creasy sacrifices various things such as his body, his mental state and even his life. In the novel “Man On Fire” the author A.J. Quinnell asserts that sacrifice is necessary for love.

Another example of sacrifice in literature can be seen in the novel Macbeth by William Shakespeare. There are great examples of sacrifice from the two main characters. In the case of Macbeth, we see the theme of sacrifice in the form of sacrificing for power, as opposed to Brave New World Where sacrifices were made for peace. Discussing this topic in his book, On the Design of Shakespeare, H. S. Wilson States:

Sacrifice does not always require death. It can be any type of loss, varying from loss of integrity, to freedom or pride. In DBC Pierre’s novel, Vernon God Little, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, “The Wreck of the Hesperus,” the theme of sacrifice is communicated through the protagonists’ actions. The theme of the two texts, are demonstrated specifically through the character’s sacrifice of life, integrity, and dignity.

Charles Dickens novel A Tale of Two Cites had multiple themes, motifs, symbols, and allusions built around one or more characters, including the theme of no sacrifice, no victory. Sacrifices were used all throughout the book whether it was to help a revolutionary mob overthrow the king and queen or to say the husband of the person you love. Either way, they helped moved the plot along in a unique way the only Charles Dickens was able to master.

Particular situations that assess an individual’s identity often mirrors the beliefs and morals they prominently value. Due to the overwhelming significance that sacrifice plays in life, writers and artists have often displayed this theme through various forms of artwork, such as novels, plays, and paintings. Adding it as a theme within pieces of literature and art encourages individuals to reflect on their own sacrifices and how it affects their values. As a result, writers such as Arthur Miller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and William Shakespeare utilized the concept of sacrifice to emphasize the important values of reputation, unconditional love, and loyalty.

Throughout the novel, “Enchantress from the Stars,” there are many themes the author Sylvia Engdahl portrays in her writing. One theme that really stuck with me throughout the novel was the idea of sacrifice. The dictionary definition of sacrifice focuses on death, however, to me sacrifice can be shown in many ways; whether you’re sacrificing your life or something as simple as giving up something for someone else because it’s the right thing to do. Several characters portray this sacrifice theme throughout the novel by courageously putting their life on the line for the fate of the empire.

Each character sacrifices many things specific to the situation the characters are involved in for the well-being of their loved ones. The idea of one sacrificing out of love for another is illustrated through the great sacrifices made by Miss Pross, Lucie Manette, and Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities. Miss Pross is willing to sacrifice her personal life, her reputation, and even her physical life out of the pure love she has for Lucie. It is understood that Miss Pross would do anything to serve Lucie. For, Miss Pross has been the primary caretaker of Lucie since her father was imprisoned, and her mother died unexpectedly when Lucie was a young child.

The protagonist of A Tale of Two Cities for me was simply unquestionable. It had to be Charles Darnay! It was the result of Darnay’s actions that allowed us to have an intriguing story such as this. Charles Dickens mainly followed the life of Darnay, and without Darnay, there wouldn’t have even been a story. It was the fact that Charles was an Evremonde that allowed the story to have the climaxes and the significant scenes that it had. There would have been no trial that introduced Stryver and Carton, no returning to France that got Darnay locked up, no romance with Lucie, and most importantly, there would have ultimately been no sacrifice at the guillotine. Without Charles, it would have just been an average history book filled with historical content.

Throughout the book, A Tale of Two Cities the theme of sacrifice is used to help the reader realize the cost of life, as well as to develop the plot through the effects of those sacrifices. Through the characters of Sydney Carton, Dr. Manette, and Ms. Pross the theme of sacrifice is developed. The theme of sacrifice brings key aspects of the plot together, and Carton's sacrifice brings the novel to closer in the end.