Olivia Baccari
Mrs. Haynes
English, E
14 November 2017
The Courageous Carton
Sydney Carton is a courageous character, he helps out Lucie in a tremendous way. Dickens has Carton save Darnay so that Lucie and her family will have a better future. Carton is taking his life so that Lucie and her family can successfully escape back to England. When Darnay is writing his letters, in his jail cell, he looks up and sees, “The door was quickly opened and closed, and there stood before him face to face, quiet, intent upon him, with the light of a smile on his feature, and a cautionary finger on his lip, Sydney Carton” (Dickens 355). Carton loves Lucie so much that he will do anything to make her happy, even if it means death for him. Since Carton’s
After eighteen years of solitary confignment in the Bastille prison, Lucie’s father (Alexander Manette) has gone insane and is unaware of the life around him. With Lucie's patience and compassion Mr. Manette is restored to his old self. Now that Lucie and her father have reunited their bond cannot be broken. Lucie’s good-hearted nature is brought up once more when she shows her understanding toward Sydney Carton as he confesses his feelings about her, even though he has been nothing but a bitter, confused drunk around her. The first time Lucie met her father: "With the tears streaming down her face , she put her two hands to her lips, and kissed them to him; then clasped them on her breast, as if she laid his ruined head there" (Dickens
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.
Carton has given up his own life to give Lucie and a child whom he’s never met a better life. A main theme in A Tale of Two Cities is loyalty, and Sydney Carton’s loyalty seems to lie with not only Lucie, but with everyone but himself.
When Lucie gave birth and named their first daughter “Little Lucie”, Little Lucie become closed to Sydney Carton. Carton enjoys hanging out with the family and felt worthy around Darnay’s family. Later in the 3rd Book, once Charles is tried once more then sentenced to death, Carton remembers his promise to Lucie. He realizes that he will most likely escape with shift places with Charles and nobody can notice due to their similar look. He devises and carries out a thought to save lots of Charles. As he's progressing to the scaffold to die, he is bothered however this is often the foremost worthy issue he has ever wiped out his life (Dickens 55). He is aware of that his life currently has that means even supposing he's close to behave.
Lucie and Sydney Carton also illustrate sacrificing for their loved ones throughout the book. “‘She was the golden thread that united him to a past beyond misery’” (p. 96). This quote describes how Lucie holds her father together. Lucie demonstrates sacrifice for her loved ones by guiding Dr.Manette to his recovery. Lucie sacrifices time to help Dr.Manette recover from his prison sentence. She makes sure that nothing will interrupt his peace and bring him back to his awful prison memories. Carton demonstrates sacrifice for his loved ones because even though he is battling with addiction and depression he still puts a smile on his face whenever he is around Lucie. He sacrifices his own heart wrenching feelings to make Lucie feel safe and sound.
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.
Carton loves Lucie just as much as Charles except Carton will do anything for her even sacrifice his life for her. The love is present and Carton makes it clear by meeting with Lucie before she marries Charles. Carton then expresses his love for Lucie but instead of asking for her love back he says all he wants is to make an impact on her life. “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. And when you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you” (Dickens 156). Carton seems to have found his purpose and that is Lucie. During the meeting with Lucie, Carton explains that he is beyond repair and how he cannot be saved by her. By saying Carton would “embrace any sacrifice” he alluding to his purpose and legacy. Carton feels so bad about himself that he wants no one to feel the way he feels. He has discovered his purpose. Sydney Carton will trade places with Charles Darnay and be sacrificed for the greater good of Lucie. When Carton learns what has to be done he walks and thinks about the resurrection. “I am the resurrection and the life, saith the lord: that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. This allusion to Jesus gives Carton life. By saying “I am the resurrection and I am the life” Carton is saying that he is the resurrection to Lucie and Charles but also the life because even though he will be sacrificed he will live through the spirits of Lucie and Charles giving him a new life. :In a single movement at once actual and symbolic, Cartons spiritual self, “The life within him” disguised by mortality, imprisoned by the mundane world, is liberated through
Earlier in the novel, when Carton confesses his love to Lucie, he states, “And when you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you” (117). His word is tested later in the end of the novel. Darnay is sentenced for execution, but Carton would not allow for Lucie to loose “the life she loves” (117). Carton trickes Darnay into switching places and eventually, Carton is executed in Darnay’s place, without any of the Revolutionists realizing. Indeed, he is willing to give up his own life, a life Lucie could never love the way she loves Darnay, so she and Darnay could stay together. Besides sacrificing his life for Lucie’s husband, Sydney also sacrifices his life because he believes the people of the city would benefit from it. Carton states during his last moments of life, “I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss, and, in their struggles to be truly free, in their triumphs and defeats, through long years to come, I see the evil of this time and of the previous time of which this is the natural birth, gradually making expiation for itself and wearing out” (292). Carton explains how he thinks the Revolution will end since the revolutionist have achieved their goal of killing the last “Evrémonde.”
Darnay is a softhearted, admirable man, who despite his ties to the French aristocracy, rejects their ungracious principles. Darnay also can be regarded as a modest man. After he is acquitted by Carton, he elucidates that “I hardly seem yet,” returned Charles Darnay, “to belong to this world again.” (Dickens 83). The quote displays how Darnay is unsure that after being convicted he can return to live a happy life. He feels that he cannot rightfully exist without continually being reminded of his past actions. The quote uses diction to display Darnay’s feelings, and portrays him as a prudent man. In the chapter, Darnay clearly wishes to avoid conflict with Sydney Carton, characterizing him as a kindhearted, benevolent man. He says, “Nevertheless,” pursued Darnay, rising to ring the bell, “there is nothing in that, I hope, to prevent my calling the reckoning, and our parting without ill-blood on either side.” (Dickens 85). Essentially, Darnay elucidates that whether or not Carton tolerates him, he should still express his gratitude for his assistance in the trial. Charles Darnay declares that the two should not be on poor terms, although they mutually dislike each other. Darnay does not want to depart from dinner with the agony of ill blood with Carton, and hopes his declaration will sway Carton to reconcile. His statement displays how compassionate and amiable Charles Darnay is, and how he truly serves as a role model for Sydney
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
In A Tale of Two Cities, written by Charles Dickens, Sydney Carton is introduced as a lethargic alcoholic that has little interest in living. As the story progresses, however, Dickens shows Sydney’s interest in another character named Lucie. Later, Sydney even announces his love to her before she weds another man, Charles Darnay, yet he still continues to speak of the worthlessness of his life as the story continues. It becomes very obvious to the reader that Lucie is the focal point of Sydney’s life, and that he lives primarily in the light of her happiness. Towards the end of the novel, Darnay is in prison and soon facing the guillotine. Sydney, who looks stunningly similar to Darnay, takes his place and dies to ensure Lucie’s happiness with Darnay in their future. From the time he announced his love to Lucie until his death, Sydney showed his passionate interest and care for Lucie while showing apathy for his own life. It is clear that Sydney valued Lucie and her happiness more than his own life. Therefore, by
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
Sydney Carton is the most memorable character in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, a story of redemption, resurrection, self-sacrifice change and love, all of these words have to do with the extreme transformation of. Sydney Carton had such great love for Lucie Mannette that evolves from a depressed loaner that can only attempt to substitute happiness with alcoholic indulgence to a loyal caring friend who makes the ultimate sacrifice for the ones he loves.
The love that both Darnay and Carton had towards Lucie Manette was a thrilling addition to the plot. They both first displayed affection towards her through helping her at different times. The first time Darnay laid eyes on Manette, they were fellow passengers on a sea voyage back to England from France. Upon seeing that her father was weak and tired so Darnay aided her in caring for him. Carton however was a fellow person in the trial of Darnay with Manette. Because Manette and her father were on the ship with Darnay, they were called as witnesses at his trail. Manette cared for Darnay and at one point fainted under the suspense. Carton was watching the room intently and “took in more details of the scene than he appeared to take in; for when Miss Manette’s head dropped upon her father’s breast, he was the first to see it and get her help” (Dickens 83). As time went on, both Darnay and Carton came to visit Manette at her home, ignorant of the other’s actions. Carton, knew he was not worthy of Manette, however one day when they are alone he expressed his heart to her as he had never done before. He said, “I shall never be
In the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Sydney Carton was portrayed as a character whose life had no meaning. He believes that he will never be able rise into a better life, but by being willing to sacrifice himself the life that he wasted helps push and create a life for those whom he sacrificed himself for. As the novel progresses however, little by little, Sydney Carton gains more meaning to his life and gains ownership over his life. In the final passage of the novel, Carton sacrifices his life which saved the life of Charles Darnay, a man who appeared as his opposite, everything that Carton wasn’t and everything Carton wished he could’ve been. The literal meaning of the final passage of the novel is that those are words that Carton may have written if he had the