Tale Of Two Cities: Recalled To Life

Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities, takes place in England and France during the French Revolution; which follows the life of the Manette family and early revolutionaries opposing the French aristocracy. Because of the themes “Recalled to Life” and resurrection, the book encourages emotional change among its characters because of the treatment one receives from another. Through the book, complex characters begin to evolve because of the actions static characters display. For instance, the warm treatment Lucie Manette gives to her father and Sydney Carton encourages their personalities to become more enthusiastic for life. Because of a character’s abilities to bring one back to life through benevolence, one becomes more optimistic

For years, Lucie Manette had been convinced her father was dead because of his absence in her life. However, Doctor Manette had been in fact alive; he was secretly “buried alive for eighteen years” in a French prison cell for knowing shocking information about an aristocratic family (13). Once rescued by his banker, Mr. Lorry, Lucie is taken to her father. At first, Lucie is bewildered and believes she is "going to see his Ghost! It will be his Ghost—not him!" (22) Nevertheless, the daughter’s wonder draws her to meet the doctor and she learns of his loss of humanity. Firstly, the doctor did not know of his name, he accepted his title as “One hundred and Five, North Tower”; the location of his prison cell (37). Secondly, “[t]he faintness of the voice was pitiable and dreadful. It was not the faintness of physical weakness,” indicating that the years of having no one to talk to, weakened the doctor’s physical and structural sense of communication (35). Due to his

Sydney Carton, a lawyer’s assistant, described himself as: “a disappointed drudge… I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me” (76). By calling himself an undesirable man, he encourages a self-fulfilling-prophecy and lives his life as though he is unwanted, for he was the “idlest and most unpromising of men” (78). It is not until he meets Lucie Manette in the Old Bailey, when Carton begins to show compassion for others. When Carton meets the Manettes, he begins to become acquainted with their household, "[he] had been [to their house] often, during a whole year, and had always been the same moody and morose lounger there. When he cared to talk, he talked well; but, the cloud of caring for nothing, which overshadowed him with such a fatal darkness, was very rarely pierced by the light within him." (136) Even through he lacked participation while visiting, he began to grow a fondness for Lucie and her opinions; by being around her positive energy. Eventually, Carton proclaims to Lucie “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.” () Although Lucie “had never been quite at her ease with him”, she showed Carton the thing he desired most: gentleness and humility (137). As the plot unfolds, Lucie’s husband, Charles Darnay, is convicted and