Baby Come Back To Me: Recalled To Life In A Tale Of Two Cities

Baby Come Back to Me: Recalled to life in A Tale of Two Cities

Many times when people are recalled to life, the driving force as to why they change is the positivity and support from people around them. In the novel A Tale of Two Cities, the author Charles Dickens shows how characters, when surrounded by good people, can change their lives for the better. By using specific details, Dickens is able to portray to the reader how by being surrounded with family and friends, one is able to be recalled to life. For Dr. Manette and Sydney Carton, Lucie Manette is mostly responsible for their resurrection, however in Jerry Cruncher’s case, his son and his wife are his motivation to change. The reader is first introduced to a character being

In the beginning of the novel, Charles Dickens portrays Cruncher as a sketchy man who only cares about himself, and is seen as a “resurrection man”(157) because he digs up body parts and illegally sells them to doctors. Cruncher yells at his wife constantly for “praying against him”(54), which he insists is interfering with is work as an “honest tradesman”(153). Cruncher’s son, Young Jerry, admires every aspect of his fathers secretive life. Young Jerry sees his father as a hero, stating “I thought you knowed everything, father”(157). In the end of the novel, when Darnay is up for trial, Jerry provides key information into keeping Darnay alive when he angrily objects that Barsad had placed "shameful impositions upon tradesmen"(295) and then reveals that Cly's body wasn't in his coffin, and it was in fact filled with rocks. While fleeing England, Cruncher states to Ms. Pross “never no more will I do it”(352), referring to the grave digging he does in secret. Jerry also promises to Pross that “never no more will I interfere with Mrs. Cruncher’s flopping”(352), which depicts how his opinions on his wifes praying has changed. This final statement by Cruncher shows how he has changed thanks to the positivity and love shown by the people around