The human soul is never static. It changes on a daily basis because of the life a person leads, their experiences, and the people they meet. In A Tale of Two Cities, nearly all of the characters go through some type of internal change which contributes to the development of who they are as a person. One of the most dynamic characters in the book is Sydney Carton because his progression from a depressive alcoholic to a state of peace is truly admirable. When one first meets him in the book, the hatred he has for himself is so much so that he believes he can never care for another person. But as the book continues, his love for Lucie completely alters him as his soul becomes both more confident and tranquil.
If one is so lost by their own depressive disposition, they simply cannot afford to care for anybody else's troubles besides their own. In the beginning of the story, Sydney Carton saw himself as a failure and a disappointment. “‘...I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me’” (Dickens 82). His job as a “jackal” alongside Stryver’s “lion” and his alcoholic tendency added on to his self-hatred,
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making him incapable of caring for any other man besides his pitiful self. However, later in the book, the essence of love and devotion very well changes him to be a completely different man. In the name of love, one may go as far as to the extent of sacrificing everything.
When Carton realizes his love for Lucie, after some time he gains the confidence to say his feelings to her. He knows that she will never love him back, yet he insists he is willing to sacrifice everything for the happiness of Lucie and her loved ones. “‘...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 or sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for you and those dear to you’” (Dickens 147). Compared to the man who once claimed he cannot care for another man in the world, here he is selflessly renouncing his life in exchange for Lucie’s well-being. Carton’s penultimate sacrifice will eventually remedy him to become the person he wants to
be. Time is the ultimate conductor of all advancements of the human spirit. As the years go by, Sydney becomes more self-assured and brave. Nevertheless, when he saw Lucie’s happiness in danger, he has already accepted what he must do. “They said of him, about the city that night, that it was the peacefullest man’s face ever beheld there. Many added he looked sublime and prophetic” (Dickens 363). Since he had the courage to acknowledge his fate, everything came into perspective. He was giving up his life in the name of the woman he loves most and that is all that really matters. Knowing this is his endgame, he is perfectly content with it because he knows he is going to live forever in the hearts of the family he saves. Starting off as a self-loathing alcoholic, over the years Sydney Carton changes into a more confident person and ends up giving up everything in the name of love. Only then, he is at peace. At one point, Carton claims he never cares for any man and no man cares for him. Later on, his life is taken because he cares too much about Lucie and her family. As the book proceeds, his soul completely transforms into a state of mind that is, alas, at rest.
This quote shows that Carton wishes he had been a better person, and knows that he could have been as successful as Darnay if only he had applied himself to his job or found love. Sydney Carton is a man deep in self-doubt and self-hatred. He is an alcoholic who is often moody and depressed (Moss and Wilson). Carton has an extremely low opinion of himself, and has no happiness or love in his life. Carton’s sacrifice ultimately purifies him, and saves him from his own self-loathing. Though Carton’s strength comes from his love for Lucie, his apathy for his life does as well; “he is a brooding individual, socially outcast, and both driven and tormented by an impossible love.” (Gonzalez-Posse 346) This quote shows Carton’s unattainable need to
Sydney Carton, one of the main characters of the book, A Tale of Two Cities, is a drunken lawyer who works with Stryver on the trial of Charles Darnay.he doesnt care about anything. At first this man seems as if he is a lazy, good for nothing, alcoholic. he tells Lucie Manette he doesn't believe that his life is worth anything and feels as if it is pointless to even live anymore. When you first meet him during the court scene it looks as if he just rolled out of bed and was dragged to the courtroom. This one man sat leaning back, with his torn gown half off him, his untidy wig put on just sat it had happened to light on his head after it's removal, his hands in his pockets, and his eyes on the ceiling as they had been all day. Something especially reckless in his demeanor not only gave him a disreputable look, but so diminished the strong resemblance he undoubtedly bore to the prisoner. However after he meets Lucie he falls madly in love for her. This marks a period of change for Sydney Carton. But he then knows that Charles Darnay is going to be married to her. He sill believes that his life is worthless but it seems as if he's a bit more willing to work and to do things for other people.
Some men in A Tale of Two Cities contrast greatly. Sydney Carton is a drunk who works for an unappreciative lawyer. He has no family; he is "a disappointed drudge who cares for no man on earth, and no man cares for him" (75). He is referred to as "the Jackal" who is necessary in society, but not welcomed or wanted (77). Sydney loves Lucie Manette, but he is not ...
the personality can be intense. Dickens introduces Sydney Carton to us immediately after a trial, speaking to his client. It is at this point that we get a glimpse of the character of Carton, "…who smelled of port wine, and did not appear to be quite sober…" (Dickens, 100). Carton is so disillusioned with his own life, that he can’t even like his client [who looks like him],
Sydney Carton is a character in the novel, A Tale of Two Cities, written by Charles Dickens. In Book the First, Chapter 5, “The Wine-Shop”, Sydney Carton says, “I am a disappointing drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me.” The childhood life of Sydney Carton has not been mentioned in the book and his childhood life is left up to the imagination. Sydney Carton’s childhood can be assumed to have been bad based on his drinking habits, the way he treats others, and his need to be a part of a family.
The passage, “Carton’s depression”, takes place at the end of Book Two, Chapter 5 in the book A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. While they were talking about their day, Stryver mentions in front of Carton how he is up one minute and down the other minute showing how he has very easy mood changes. This is taking place 5 years after Darnay was on his trial. He was saved by Sydney Carton. This explains Carton’s feelings after the trial. Carton is basically contemplating his life. The main function of the passage is to enhance the depth of Carton’s character as well as how he relates to Darnay. This basically explains his mindset. In the passage “Carton’s Depression”, Charles Dickens is foreshadowing Carton’s actions at the end. However,
He yearns for a life he was never able to experience, a life like the one led by Charles Darnay. Carton reflects on his life, “Waste forces within him, and a desert all around, this man stood still on his way across a silent terrace, and saw for a moment, lying in the wilderness before him, a mirage of honorable ambition, self-denial, and perseverance” (Dickens 88). Carton has lived a long life and he has nothing to show for it. With no wife
He lets Dr. Manette know his true identity and that he is the nephew to the Marquis St. Evremonde. In Book The Third, Sydney Carton makes an astonishing sacrifice for the sake of principle when he fulfills his promise to Lucie Manette, his true love, that he will one day sacrifice himself for the person whom Lucie loves. All of the above sacrifices were made with the intention of keeping morals and principles high in human life. Whether it is your life or your feelings towards someone, we have learned that it is always better to give for the greater cause. Works Cited Dickens, Charles.
...he will do anything for her, even die for someone she loves. Lucie recalls Sydney by opening him up to doing something with his life. He later uses this new mindset to save Charles’s life. After Sydney is inspired to make something of his life he vows to do something good. To do this, he dies for Charles Darnay to show his love for Lucie. This is how Sydney Carton is recalled to life.
Dickens responded to this "dog-eat-dog" social climate by writing A Tale of Two Cities as a vehicle to reform society. He intends to fortify Christian values within English culture, such as self-sacrifice and kindness, in a time when he feels these values are threatened and sometimes completely overlooked. In this essay, I will show how Dickens interweaves his moral agenda of Christian values into the novel by using contrasts, symbols, and the motif of doubles as well as the evolution of Sydney Carton into a Christ-like figure with the goal of inspiring the reader to the point of evolving into an ethically "good" human being.
The theme of sacrifice is portrayed in A Tale of Two Cities in several ways through the actions of Dr. Manette, Mr. Defarge, and Sydney Carton, but all acts of sacrifice display audacity and show how much love and compassion there must be for that person. Giving up something or risking your life for another person or name is one of the hardest and bravest acts a person can do. Dr. Manette, Mr. Defarge, and Sydney Carton’s actions showed just how much they love Lucie Manette and their acts of sacrifice showed how they would do anything to please her. Sacrificing yourself or your name for someone not only lets you achieve inner happiness, but shows how courageous a person must be to do so.
Sydney Carton is introduced as a pessimistic introvert who struggles with his id and superego. Although Carton’s past is never revealed in the novel, a traumatic event clearly haunts Carton and prevents him from leading a pleasant life. According to Sigmund Freud, “the memories and emotions associated with trauma” are stored in the subconscious mind because an individual cannot bear to look at these memories (Dever 202). One part of the subconscious mind is the id, or “basic desires”, of a human being (Baker 4). Carton desires to drink as a way to detach from his past, and because of his lack of emotional strength, he allows his id to take over and Carton becomes an alcoholic. Based on Carl Jung’s ideas, Carton is considered an introvert because he is described as the “idlest” of all men and is viewed by society as a worthless drunk (Dickens 91). This displays Carton’s struggle with another element of the subcon...
The most dynamic character in Charles Dickens, 'A Tale of Two Cities,' appears as Sydney Carton. First, Carton presents himself as a drunk, lazy attorney, who feels as though his life has no meaning. However, Carton as well as others know deep down that his life does have true meaning. Carton professes his love to Lucie Manette. Inexplicably, Carton becomes a changed man; this important turning point molds the remainder of the novel. After he exits the den, he finds his independence. When Sydney Carton becomes enlightened, he transforms into a Christ-like figure. He begins to shoulder his way through life.
In society today, all people determine their lifestyle, personality and overall character by both positive and negative traits that they hold. Sydney Carton in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities was a drunken lawyer who had an extremely low self-esteem. He possessed many negative characteristics which he used in a positive way. Carton drastically changed his life and became a new man. Sydney is not the man he first appeared to be.
One example of a dynamic character is Sydney Carton. He is one of the “idlest and most unpromising of men” (83). Dickens also describes Carton as “a problem or carelessness and recklessness” (200). Carton is unpromising and reckless because the other characters in the book see him as a man who drinks too much and can’t take care of himself. While sitting in Mr. Lorry’s office with John Barsad and Jerry Cruncher “Sydney Carton fill[s] another glass with brandy, pour[s] it slowly upon the hearth, and watche[s] it as it drop[s]” (296). Sydney Carton spills the brandy to signify that he won’t be a drunken man any more. Carton also changes in the aspect that he feels love towards Lucie. After Darnay’s first trial in England Carton treats Darnay to dinner at a local tavern. During their conversation Darnay’s love, Lucie, is mentioned. Carton feels no love towards Lucie at that time. He says, “I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me” (82). Soon after Sydney Carton finds himself falling in love with Lucie Manette. Carton says, “[F]or you and any dear to you I would do anything . . . . I would embrace any sacrifice for you and those dear to you . . . . think now and then that there is a man who would give his life to keep a life you love beside you!” (147 – 148). Sydney Carton obviously changes his opinion on loving and caring. Sydney Carton is an example of a main character that is dynamic in A Tale of Two Cities.