1. This book depicts the heroic journey of a central character . Discuss your thoughts on
Sydney Carton's transformation throughout the text. How and why does he evolve?
The novel illustrates Sydney Carton’s evolution from pity to pride. Early in the novel, it is revealed that Sydney views himself as a worthless drunk. He believes he should not credit himself to anything, such as the cases he solves for Mr. Stryver, and this ideology came from a young age when Sydney would do his classmates’ homework before his own. The way Sydney views himself forces others around him to view him the same way. The other characters in the book find him ill company because he is always down; Mr. Stryver tells Sydney he is ashamed of bringing Sydney to the Manettes because all Sydney does is mope. Even when he professes his love for Lucie, all he can do is list reasons why she could never love him and she has no choice but to agree. It is this love that leads to his transformation and prompts his heroic action. Sydney sees that the only way to make something of his life is to end it for Lucie. When Sydney makes this decision to die at the guillotine, the other characters notice Sydney’s change in manner. Mr. Lorry “had never seen a better side to [Sydney]”(Dickens 304) and Miss Pross noticed “a braced purpose in the arm and a kind of inspiration in the eyes”(Dickens 294) in Sydney. Moments before Sydney swaps places with Darnay, Sydney tells Doctor Manette that life is misused when it has no worth. Sydney’s final act, in his perspective, finally gave his life value. He dies with pride, a contrast to the self-pity he experiences in the beginning of the novel.
I agree that the way he views himself forces others to view him the same way. When Carton came to Lucie and Darney after their honeymoon to apologize for his behavior at the trial and asks Darney for his friendship, Darney later says that Carton seems to be careless. Darney viewed Carton the way Carton portrayed himself to the world. Lucie is able to see past that and says that Carton has a good heart.
I agree with Rachel's input as well as Diana's post. I see that Carton wanted others to view him the same way as he saw himself, but I think that because he did not want to be fake with people. Carton did not care what others thought of him, I feel that he would rather have people see the true (or the way he sees himself) him than put on a front.
Sydney Carton is just an ordinary man in the beginning of the novel. He works like a dog, but does not expect any credit for the work he does. He solves all of Mr. Stryver's cases and allows him to get the glory and success for his work. He always is sad and has a pouty look on his face. Stryver describes Sydney's ways as lame and also as a man that has "no energy or purpose" (Dickens 93). Sydney feels that his life has no worth. He has already done so many things wrong that there is no way that he could even try and turn his life around. Then Sydney meets Lucie Manette. Sydney obviously takes a liking toward Lucie, but would not openly admit it to anybody. Lucie brings out the light in him and takes away the dark cloud above his head. Before Lucie, Sydney did not care about anything at all. She inspired him to change and try to become a better person, somebody with purpose. Lucie pities Sydney because she knows that there is still a genuine person deep down inside of him. This is very important to him. By sacrificing his life for Lucie's beloved husband, Charles Darnay, Sydney becomes the savior and proves that he has worth. He dies a happier and prouder man than he has been all of his life knowing he did something for Lucie and out of the goodness in his heart. Sydney Carton has finally found peace in his life when his head is in the guillotine knowing that this is what he will be remembered for. He no longer feels bad for himself, but acts for the good of others. He is portrayed as an angel who died with a purpose and nobody can take that away from him.
I agree... I think that all Carton wanted was to have some significance in others' lives but he did not know how to achieve that. Death did not scare him because, with it, he would be accomplishing his greatest obstacle in life: finding his purpose.
The two characters Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay are often compared to another throughout A Tale of Two Cities. While the two share similar appearances, they lead very different lives. Carton works as the brains behind Stryver’s success as a lawyer, while Darnay is an aristocrat from France that comes to England and works as a French tutor. Darnay and Carton are both very close to the Manette family, and while the two fall in love with Lucie Manette, Carton gets the short end of the deal. Darnay confesses his love to Lucie, while Sydney sulks and resigns himself to the misery of unrequited love. The reason for Sydney’s resentment of Darnay and his passive attitude throughout much of the novel is due to the fact that Sydney regards himself as a man of wasted potential; he sees Darnay as the successful and happy man he could have been but will never be. Sydney loathes himself and despises his life; however, he is content to stew in his misery life rather than try to change anything. Throughout the novel, Sydney drinks and bemoans his poor lot in life. Only rarely does he reveal his true self to his friends. One such instance was when he bore his heart to Lucie Manette, revealing that he cared for her deeply, even though he could never imagine a place in her life for him. He does not act on his inherent goodness until the end of the novel, when Darnay is sentenced to be executed as a part of the French Revolution. Sydney, the unexpected hero, decided to sacrifice his life to save Darnay. In this sacrifice, he not only saves the life of Lucie’s husband, but also, in his own eyes, redeems himself and fulfills his own potential to be heroic and good, which he thought he had wasted. In his repetition of of the line, “I am the resurrection and the life,” he embodies the Christ-like role of sacrificing himself so that others may live (308). He thus transforms from a man whose life, he believed, was inconsequential and meaningless, to a hero that saved not only Darnay’s soul, but his own, by switching places with him and dying in his place.
I like your comparison of Sydney and Darnay. Although they look alike they lead very different lives and I find it ironic that Sydney would be the one to save Darnay from his impending death.
Sydney Carton is a self-loathing man who finds no purpose for himself and sees himself as a waste. The first time he interacts with Charles Darnay, he becomes jealous of him because (as Emily said) Charles Darnay represents everything that Sydney Carton is not. Carton tries to avoid his depression with alcohol and work that he does for the attorney, Mr. Stryver. Stryver asks why Carton does not try to make more of himself and Carton would rather drink and mull around in his useless state. Carton is in love with Lucie Manette throughout the entire novel and he proclaims his love for her, but he tells her that they can never be together because Carton is not the man she deserves. Carton asks Lucie, “If it had been possible ... that you could have returned the love of the man you before you-- self-flung away, wasted drunken, poor creature of misuse as you know him to be -- he would have been conscious this day and hour, in spite of his happiness, that he would bring you to misery, bring you to sorrow and repentance, blight you, disgrace you, pull you down with him.” (Dickens 156) Carton knows that Lucie does not love him in the same way and that she knows that he is in a sour state. Nevertheless, Carton continues to stay close to Lucie and the family. Later in the novel, Carton finds himself finally useful and sets up Darnay’s escape plan from the Bastille. He overhears Madame Defarge’s plan to arrest Lucie and her family and he tells Mr. Lorry to get himself and the Manettes out of France the next day. Furthermore, Carton uses Barsad (English spy) in order to get Charles Darnay out of the Bastille. The of Darnay’s planned execution, Darnay wrote letters to his loved ones and forgot to write to Carton. Nevertheless, Carton entered his cell and and switched places with Darnay so Carton dies and not Darnay. Carton selflessly gave his life for a man who could have cared less for him because Carton knew that this act would save the Manette family and let Lucie live happily with her husband. On the line to the guillotine Carton comforts a girl who is afraid to die, they both come to the conclusion that they will meet again in heaven. Before Carton is killed he envisions Paris as a beautiful city after the Revolution, a happy Manette family with a new child named Sydney, and his remembered soul. The last line of the novel and of Sydney’s life is, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known,”; meaning that Sydney’s sacrifice will earn him a place in everyone’s heart and will always be honored as a great man (386). Carton’s “crucifixion” saves Darnay and his family, as well as, Carton’s reputation (as Emily said). Therefore, by the end of the novel Carton finally finds a purpose for his life and feels satisfied with it, being one of the most peaceful people to die at the guillotine.
The back cover of A Tale of Two Cities has a little synopsis of the story on it. The very end of the last sentence is, “the heroic Sydney Carton, who gives his life for the love of a woman who would never be his.” Since I read the back cover before actually finishing the book, I was predisposed to the fact that Sydney would be in love with a woman; I then assumed that that woman was Lucie Manette, since she is the main female character. With this in mind, it would make the most sense to attribute Sydney’s transformation to his love for Lucie; afterall, her presence coincides with his own personal development. However, the word “love” and the way it was used on the back of the book imply that there is some kind of romantic element to their relationship. Sydney Carton does not become a better person because he found a woman whose love elevated his personality; he does not become a better person because of Lucie. Lucie did not create this new and genuine person inside of Sydney that never existed before; Sydney always had the power within him to become the person he is at the end of the novel, and it is not love that brings this about. Of course, it is Lucie who inspires him to be a better person, but it is not Lucie who makes him a better person in the end. She is not forcing him to give his life for her. He chooses to do that on his own. Thus, Lucie’s presence does not make him an entirely new and better person; her presence merely brings to the surface a side of Sydney that he was able to suppress his whole life. Now, this change in attitude and behavior comes about for the same reason that Dr. Manette is able to recover from his imprisonment, that Mr. Lorry gives up on his “business separate from personal” ideology, that Miss Pross is so ferociously devoted to the Manettes; Lucie has that effect on people. It is simply her personality and beauty that inspires others to be better. It is her personality and beauty that pushes others to look kindly on her. It is her personality and beauty that has a particularly strong effect on Sydney Carton, and it is what brings him to his final fate. While Sydney’s evolution should not be completely owed to Lucie, for the power to be heroic was always in him, one should not overlook the role that Lucie plays in that evolution.
The back cover of A Tale of Two Cities has a little synopsis of the story on it. The very end of the last sentence is, “the heroic Sydney Carton, who gives his life for the love of a woman who would never be his.” Since I read the back cover before actually finishing the book, I was predisposed to the fact that Sydney would be in love with a woman; I then assumed that that woman was Lucie Manette, since she is the main female character. With this in mind, it would make the most sense to attribute Sydney’s transformation to his love for Lucie; afterall, her presence coincides with his own personal development. However, the word “love” and the way it was used on the back of the book imply that there is some kind of romantic element to their relationship. Sydney Carton does not become a better person because he found a woman whose love elevated his personality; he does not become a better person because of Lucie. Lucie did not create this new and genuine person inside of Sydney that never existed before; Sydney always had the power within him to become the person he is at the end of the novel, and it is not love that brings this about. Of course, it is Lucie who inspires him to be a better person, but it is not Lucie who makes him a better person in the end. She is not forcing him to give his life for her. He chooses to do that on his own. Thus, Lucie’s presence does not make him an entirely new and better person; her presence merely brings to the surface a side of Sydney that he was able to suppress his whole life. Now, this change in attitude and behavior comes about for the same reason that Dr. Manette is able to recover from his imprisonment, that Mr. Lorry gives up on his “business separate from personal” ideology, that Miss Pross is so ferociously devoted to the Manettes; Lucie has that effect on people. It is simply her personality and beauty that inspires others to be better. It is her personality and beauty that pushes others to look kindly on her. It is her personality and beauty that has a particularly strong effect on Sydney Carton, and it is what brings him to his final fate. While Sydney’s evolution should not be completely owed to Lucie, for the power to be heroic was always in him, one should not overlook the role that Lucie plays in that evolution.
At the beginning of the novel, Sydney Carton is the epitome of depression, drifting through life feeling insignificant and miserable. He does not even believe himself to be worth or capable of something more. Carton was something of an alcoholic as well, drinking his sorrows away as he wallowed in his own self-pity. Overall, he was unmotivated and unwilling. He worked for Stryver, a lawyer who did not give Carton nearly enough credit. Sydney’s constant comparison to and association with Charles Darnay, a wealthy, successful, and handsome young man, picked away at his already tattered ego. Not to mention, Darnay had the affections of Carton’s love, Lucie Manette, and Lucie and Charles would eventually marry and have children. As others have mentioned, Darnay is a representation of all that Carton can be but is not. As the novel progresses, Sydney at times shows his true colors. On one such occasion, he admits to Lucie that he loves her and calls her “the last dream of [his] soul” (Dickens 154). In this conversation with Lucie, he foreshadows his own fate: “…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!” (156). This is the first major progression in Carton’s character arch. Ultimately, his love for another inspired him to be better and give his life a purpose. When Lucie and her family were suffering because Darnay was set to be executed, Carton orchestrated a plot to bravely switch places with Darnay, so that Darnay can live on with his loved ones. Carton sacrificed his life, so that another can go on. He accepted death, so that a great love between family members could live, so that his sweet Lucie could keep her love. Sydney Carton died having a genuine purpose, and he felt great pride in knowing that. In his last moments, Carton was finally at peace, knowing that “it was a far, far better thing that [he did], that [he had] ever done” (367).
When first introduced, Sydney Carton was portrayed as a man with a messy, careless appearance and an indifferent attitude to all that came his way, even when his work yielded the acquittal of a prisoner promised to be executed: “even in this excitement… this one man sat leaning back, with his torn gown half off him, his untidy wig put on just as it had happened to light on his head after its removal, his hands in his pockets, and his eyes on the ceiling as they had been all day” (Dickens 83). While he has mastered the art of providing proof of a certain truth, as seen later in the novel in his interview with John Barsad, it did not provoke any passion within him. Until Lucie Manette came into view, it is fair to say that he harbored a passion for alcohol alone. In his view, he never did anything significant, and would never rise to do so. Because of this, he never pursues Lucy as a spouse; instead, he bows down to Charles Darnay and promises Lucie that he will make sacrifices for her sake, as he could never be a husband that she deserved. Sydney Carton finally found someone he is passionate about and resolves not to seek out a relationship but to watch from afar instead. He continues to observe from afar until he finds that the promise he made to Lucie needed to be acted upon; to him, Lucie could continue to be happy without himself, but would be miserable without Charles. He is finally able to find peace with himself by displaying his love for Lucie and her loved ones to see. Only towards the end of the novel does he show faith in himself and in his religion; as he comes closer towards the guillotine he constantly repeats a passage of the bible that indicates that if he believes in God, he will go to heaven. His act of sheer abnegation and love convinced him that he could be a compassionate person, as seen in his kindness towards the young seamstress, and that he could go to heaven. By the end of the story, Sydney finds that he has redeemed himself for all of his past indifference and wrongs.
I believe as Sydney reached the guillotine he becomes more and more satisfied with where he ended up. Although his life was cut short, he had finally done something important. He return to faith signifies his return to believing in himself.
In the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities Sydney Carton is displayed as a well to do lawyer with a drinking problem. He goes out for a drink with his client, Mr. Darnay, and confides in him his secret drinking problem and the fact that he has very low self-esteem. Carton continues to be seen as the man who does everything everyone else wants him to do and cannot think for himself. Darnay talks with his colleague about the court proceedings that had happened that night. He speaks to him about a woman in the courtroom, Lucie Manette, and Carton doesn’t seem to really care about Ms. Manette referring to her as a ‘golden haired doll’. Throughout the novel Carton continues to ride his emotional rollercoaster bringing everyone down around him. It wasn’t until the very end of the novel that Carton proved himself to be more than a drunk with low self-esteem. He replaced Darnay in line for the guillotine and saved Lucie and little Lucie from a loss neither of them could have survived. Carton became a compassionate man who held the hand of a woman to keep her calm on the way to the guillotine. He found his mission in life and died a happy man.
Sydney Carton is seen as a sad man in the beginning of the book. He does all the work and gets none of the credit and has no confidence. Carton is depressed and drinks away his problems. He begins to change his life in a positive way when he meets Lucie. Lucie makes him happy, he is no longer a depressed drunk now that he knows her. He wants to turn his life around so he could have Lucie love him but he knows that he will never be enough for her to marry. He also realizes that Lucie is very happy with Darnay, so instead of trying to marry Lucie he promises to make sacrifices for her. Carton ends up making the ultimate sacrifice when he replaces Darney and dies for Lucie and her daughter so they can continue life with their husband and father. His last noble deed shows how far he was come as a person and how he has finally proved himself to be deserving of love.
Sydney Carton's transformation is centered around his purpose in life. When the reader is introduced to him, he is an assistant and "jackal" to Mr. Stryver and has a horribly low self esteem. He turns to alcoholism to lessen the emptiness he feels as his life is wasting away. His physical similarity to Charles Darnay further lowers his drive to be successful in life because he sees a man who has a life that he wishes he had. He had no purpose in his life and had no direction for the future. However, throughout all of this, he had a love for Lucie Manette. At one point in the novel, Carton expresses his love for her and told her that he would sacrifice his life on her behalf. His only drive was to help Lucie have a better life. He could see how distraught she was with her husband sentenced to death and a light bulb went off in his head. He was going to save Darnay and, therefore, allow Lucie to be happy with her whole family. As Sydney is walking up to the guillotine, the reader can notice the serenity and contentedness in Carton's manner and thoughts. This final and selfless act fulfilled many of the characters' desires: Lucie and Darnay are together; Manette is able to live the rest of his life in peace; and Carton himself leaves behind a legacy of honor for generations to come. He recognizes that, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known" (404). All Sydney Carton wanted in life was a sense of resolve and significance. Through his love for Lucie, he found the motivation to act selflessly and, in turn, he found the greatest reward he could obtain: purpose.
When first introduced, Sydney Carton is a man to be pitied: he thinks so little of himself and does not receive any praise from others despite his hard work. His is more clever than Stryver, but Stryver takes all the credit for their wins. Carton presents himself as a hopeless drunk. However, he does save the day in Charles Darnay's (first) trial. He is then presented as a sad man again when he loves a woman (Lucie) who does not love him back. He is always sacrificing things for others. He gives Stryver his blessing to go after Lucie and he allows Stryver to be the star of their duo. He is constantly around to help, and it all crescendoes to the end when he makes the ultimate sacrifice: his life. He takes Darnay's place so that his love, Lucie, will live a happy life with her husband. His selflessness is often driven by his love for Lucie, and his wanting the best for her.
I agree that Sydney Carton lived his life in a selfless manner, and was never really recognized for it. Others shut him out or ignored him or found him to be irrelevent; he did not even give himself credit. However, maybe this is the point of sacrifice- sacrifice should not be done to make others approve of you but out of sheer altruism and love for other people. Carton presents this throughout the novel and never expects anyone to acknowledge him for it.
Over the course of the novel A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Sydney Carton evolves from a seemingly worthless drunk into a man who lived a purposeful, meaningful life. When his character was first introduced into the story, one might not have thought of him to be much more than an extra character with little importance to the central theme of the story. He did not seem very respectable, even from his own perspective. Had Carton died at this stage in his evolution, his life would have had little meaning. Carton even goes so far as to say of himself, "I am like one who died young. All my life might have been" (Dickens 147). There is nothing in his life he feels accomplished for, and he seems to feel as if there are many things he missed out on, making his life without meaning. Carton was able to see a glimmer of hope for living a purposeful life in the character of Charles Darnay. When Darnay was to die at La Guillotine, Carton saw an opportunity for himself. By taking Darnay's place at La Guillotine, he felt he was making a positive impact. He says of this, "I see a beautiful city and brilliant people rising from this abyss... I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy." (374). To Carton, it did not matter that he was to die, because at that point his life would have finally meant something. His sacrificial death served to better the lives of not only Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette's family, but all the people of France, through the promise of freedom that they all desperately sought. Sydney Carton had undergone a striking evolution that allowed his soul to be satisfied and his legacy to be one of honor and sacrifice.
When you look at Sydney's character, you can see that he is selfless throughout the novel (see Megan's post above), so therefore his sacrifice in the end does not surprise me at all. Nor do I think that his likeness to Darnay is detrimental at all- his last act, after all, is the only thing that gave him his confidence and gave him a reason to believe that he could be a kind and selfless person.
Throughout the book, Sydney spent his time in the shadows behind the success of others while at the same time feeling bad for himself. He would come up with great ideas for people, but would let them take credit for it because he felt that he was not worthy of such a thing. He really was not the most self appreciative and he did not think that he deserved happiness. However this mentality changes when he stands up for Charles and takes his place in being killed. He realized that this was the one way he could finally feel good about himself because he would be sacrificing his own life for someone else. The transformation was Sydney worrying mostly about himself to feeling at peace with himself and risking is own life forever.
The novel illustrates Sydney Carton’s evolution from pity to pride. Early in the novel, it is revealed that Sydney views himself as a worthless drunk. He believes he should not credit himself to anything, such as the cases he solves for Mr. Stryver, and this ideology came from a young age when Sydney would do his classmates’ homework before his own. The way Sydney views himself forces others around him to view him the same way. The other characters in the book find him ill company because he is always down; Mr. Stryver tells Sydney he is ashamed of bringing Sydney to the Manettes because all Sydney does is mope. Even when he professes his love for Lucie, all he can do is list reasons why she could never love him and she has no choice but to agree. It is this love that leads to his transformation and prompts his heroic action. Sydney sees that the only way to make something of his life is to end it for Lucie. When Sydney makes this decision to die at the guillotine, the other characters notice Sydney’s change in manner. Mr. Lorry “had never seen a better side to [Sydney]”(Dickens 304) and Miss Pross noticed “a braced purpose in the arm and a kind of inspiration in the eyes”(Dickens 294) in Sydney. Moments before Sydney swaps places with Darnay, Sydney tells Doctor Manette that life is misused when it has no worth. Sydney’s final act, in his perspective, finally gave his life value. He dies with pride, a contrast to the self-pity he experiences in the beginning of the novel.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the way he views himself forces others to view him the same way. When Carton came to Lucie and Darney after their honeymoon to apologize for his behavior at the trial and asks Darney for his friendship, Darney later says that Carton seems to be careless. Darney viewed Carton the way Carton portrayed himself to the world. Lucie is able to see past that and says that Carton has a good heart.
DeleteI agree with Rachel's input as well as Diana's post. I see that Carton wanted others to view him the same way as he saw himself, but I think that because he did not want to be fake with people. Carton did not care what others thought of him, I feel that he would rather have people see the true (or the way he sees himself) him than put on a front.
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ReplyDeleteSydney Carton is just an ordinary man in the beginning of the novel. He works like a dog, but does not expect any credit for the work he does. He solves all of Mr. Stryver's cases and allows him to get the glory and success for his work. He always is sad and has a pouty look on his face. Stryver describes Sydney's ways as lame and also as a man that has "no energy or purpose" (Dickens 93). Sydney feels that his life has no worth. He has already done so many things wrong that there is no way that he could even try and turn his life around. Then Sydney meets Lucie Manette. Sydney obviously takes a liking toward Lucie, but would not openly admit it to anybody. Lucie brings out the light in him and takes away the dark cloud above his head. Before Lucie, Sydney did not care about anything at all. She inspired him to change and try to become a better person, somebody with purpose. Lucie pities Sydney because she knows that there is still a genuine person deep down inside of him. This is very important to him. By sacrificing his life for Lucie's beloved husband, Charles Darnay, Sydney becomes the savior and proves that he has worth. He dies a happier and prouder man than he has been all of his life knowing he did something for Lucie and out of the goodness in his heart. Sydney Carton has finally found peace in his life when his head is in the guillotine knowing that this is what he will be remembered for. He no longer feels bad for himself, but acts for the good of others. He is portrayed as an angel who died with a purpose and nobody can take that away from him.
ReplyDeleteI agree... I think that all Carton wanted was to have some significance in others' lives but he did not know how to achieve that. Death did not scare him because, with it, he would be accomplishing his greatest obstacle in life: finding his purpose.
DeleteThe two characters Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay are often compared to another throughout A Tale of Two Cities. While the two share similar appearances, they lead very different lives. Carton works as the brains behind Stryver’s success as a lawyer, while Darnay is an aristocrat from France that comes to England and works as a French tutor. Darnay and Carton are both very close to the Manette family, and while the two fall in love with Lucie Manette, Carton gets the short end of the deal. Darnay confesses his love to Lucie, while Sydney sulks and resigns himself to the misery of unrequited love. The reason for Sydney’s resentment of Darnay and his passive attitude throughout much of the novel is due to the fact that Sydney regards himself as a man of wasted potential; he sees Darnay as the successful and happy man he could have been but will never be. Sydney loathes himself and despises his life; however, he is content to stew in his misery life rather than try to change anything. Throughout the novel, Sydney drinks and bemoans his poor lot in life. Only rarely does he reveal his true self to his friends. One such instance was when he bore his heart to Lucie Manette, revealing that he cared for her deeply, even though he could never imagine a place in her life for him. He does not act on his inherent goodness until the end of the novel, when Darnay is sentenced to be executed as a part of the French Revolution. Sydney, the unexpected hero, decided to sacrifice his life to save Darnay. In this sacrifice, he not only saves the life of Lucie’s husband, but also, in his own eyes, redeems himself and fulfills his own potential to be heroic and good, which he thought he had wasted. In his repetition of of the line, “I am the resurrection and the life,” he embodies the Christ-like role of sacrificing himself so that others may live (308). He thus transforms from a man whose life, he believed, was inconsequential and meaningless, to a hero that saved not only Darnay’s soul, but his own, by switching places with him and dying in his place.
ReplyDeleteI like your comparison of Sydney and Darnay. Although they look alike they lead very different lives and I find it ironic that Sydney would be the one to save Darnay from his impending death.
DeleteSydney Carton is a self-loathing man who finds no purpose for himself and sees himself as a waste. The first time he interacts with Charles Darnay, he becomes jealous of him because (as Emily said) Charles Darnay represents everything that Sydney Carton is not. Carton tries to avoid his depression with alcohol and work that he does for the attorney, Mr. Stryver. Stryver asks why Carton does not try to make more of himself and Carton would rather drink and mull around in his useless state. Carton is in love with Lucie Manette throughout the entire novel and he proclaims his love for her, but he tells her that they can never be together because Carton is not the man she deserves. Carton asks Lucie, “If it had been possible ... that you could have returned the love of the man you before you-- self-flung away, wasted drunken, poor creature of misuse as you know him to be -- he would have been conscious this day and hour, in spite of his happiness, that he would bring you to misery, bring you to sorrow and repentance, blight you, disgrace you, pull you down with him.” (Dickens 156) Carton knows that Lucie does not love him in the same way and that she knows that he is in a sour state. Nevertheless, Carton continues to stay close to Lucie and the family. Later in the novel, Carton finds himself finally useful and sets up Darnay’s escape plan from the Bastille. He overhears Madame Defarge’s plan to arrest Lucie and her family and he tells Mr. Lorry to get himself and the Manettes out of France the next day. Furthermore, Carton uses Barsad (English spy) in order to get Charles Darnay out of the Bastille. The of Darnay’s planned execution, Darnay wrote letters to his loved ones and forgot to write to Carton. Nevertheless, Carton entered his cell and and switched places with Darnay so Carton dies and not Darnay. Carton selflessly gave his life for a man who could have cared less for him because Carton knew that this act would save the Manette family and let Lucie live happily with her husband. On the line to the guillotine Carton comforts a girl who is afraid to die, they both come to the conclusion that they will meet again in heaven. Before Carton is killed he envisions Paris as a beautiful city after the Revolution, a happy Manette family with a new child named Sydney, and his remembered soul. The last line of the novel and of Sydney’s life is, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known,”; meaning that Sydney’s sacrifice will earn him a place in everyone’s heart and will always be honored as a great man (386). Carton’s “crucifixion” saves Darnay and his family, as well as, Carton’s reputation (as Emily said). Therefore, by the end of the novel Carton finally finds a purpose for his life and feels satisfied with it, being one of the most peaceful people to die at the guillotine.
ReplyDeleteThe back cover of A Tale of Two Cities has a little synopsis of the story on it. The very end of the last sentence is, “the heroic Sydney Carton, who gives his life for the love of a woman who would never be his.” Since I read the back cover before actually finishing the book, I was predisposed to the fact that Sydney would be in love with a woman; I then assumed that that woman was Lucie Manette, since she is the main female character. With this in mind, it would make the most sense to attribute Sydney’s transformation to his love for Lucie; afterall, her presence coincides with his own personal development. However, the word “love” and the way it was used on the back of the book imply that there is some kind of romantic element to their relationship. Sydney Carton does not become a better person because he found a woman whose love elevated his personality; he does not become a better person because of Lucie. Lucie did not create this new and genuine person inside of Sydney that never existed before; Sydney always had the power within him to become the person he is at the end of the novel, and it is not love that brings this about. Of course, it is Lucie who inspires him to be a better person, but it is not Lucie who makes him a better person in the end. She is not forcing him to give his life for her. He chooses to do that on his own. Thus, Lucie’s presence does not make him an entirely new and better person; her presence merely brings to the surface a side of Sydney that he was able to suppress his whole life. Now, this change in attitude and behavior comes about for the same reason that Dr. Manette is able to recover from his imprisonment, that Mr. Lorry gives up on his “business separate from personal” ideology, that Miss Pross is so ferociously devoted to the Manettes; Lucie has that effect on people. It is simply her personality and beauty that inspires others to be better. It is her personality and beauty that pushes others to look kindly on her. It is her personality and beauty that has a particularly strong effect on Sydney Carton, and it is what brings him to his final fate. While Sydney’s evolution should not be completely owed to Lucie, for the power to be heroic was always in him, one should not overlook the role that Lucie plays in that evolution.
ReplyDeleteThe back cover of A Tale of Two Cities has a little synopsis of the story on it. The very end of the last sentence is, “the heroic Sydney Carton, who gives his life for the love of a woman who would never be his.” Since I read the back cover before actually finishing the book, I was predisposed to the fact that Sydney would be in love with a woman; I then assumed that that woman was Lucie Manette, since she is the main female character. With this in mind, it would make the most sense to attribute Sydney’s transformation to his love for Lucie; afterall, her presence coincides with his own personal development. However, the word “love” and the way it was used on the back of the book imply that there is some kind of romantic element to their relationship. Sydney Carton does not become a better person because he found a woman whose love elevated his personality; he does not become a better person because of Lucie. Lucie did not create this new and genuine person inside of Sydney that never existed before; Sydney always had the power within him to become the person he is at the end of the novel, and it is not love that brings this about. Of course, it is Lucie who inspires him to be a better person, but it is not Lucie who makes him a better person in the end. She is not forcing him to give his life for her. He chooses to do that on his own. Thus, Lucie’s presence does not make him an entirely new and better person; her presence merely brings to the surface a side of Sydney that he was able to suppress his whole life. Now, this change in attitude and behavior comes about for the same reason that Dr. Manette is able to recover from his imprisonment, that Mr. Lorry gives up on his “business separate from personal” ideology, that Miss Pross is so ferociously devoted to the Manettes; Lucie has that effect on people. It is simply her personality and beauty that inspires others to be better. It is her personality and beauty that pushes others to look kindly on her. It is her personality and beauty that has a particularly strong effect on Sydney Carton, and it is what brings him to his final fate. While Sydney’s evolution should not be completely owed to Lucie, for the power to be heroic was always in him, one should not overlook the role that Lucie plays in that evolution.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the novel, Sydney Carton is the epitome of depression, drifting through life feeling insignificant and miserable. He does not even believe himself to be worth or capable of something more. Carton was something of an alcoholic as well, drinking his sorrows away as he wallowed in his own self-pity. Overall, he was unmotivated and unwilling. He worked for Stryver, a lawyer who did not give Carton nearly enough credit. Sydney’s constant comparison to and association with Charles Darnay, a wealthy, successful, and handsome young man, picked away at his already tattered ego. Not to mention, Darnay had the affections of Carton’s love, Lucie Manette, and Lucie and Charles would eventually marry and have children. As others have mentioned, Darnay is a representation of all that Carton can be but is not. As the novel progresses, Sydney at times shows his true colors. On one such occasion, he admits to Lucie that he loves her and calls her “the last dream of [his] soul” (Dickens 154). In this conversation with Lucie, he foreshadows his own fate: “…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!” (156). This is the first major progression in Carton’s character arch. Ultimately, his love for another inspired him to be better and give his life a purpose. When Lucie and her family were suffering because Darnay was set to be executed, Carton orchestrated a plot to bravely switch places with Darnay, so that Darnay can live on with his loved ones. Carton sacrificed his life, so that another can go on. He accepted death, so that a great love between family members could live, so that his sweet Lucie could keep her love. Sydney Carton died having a genuine purpose, and he felt great pride in knowing that. In his last moments, Carton was finally at peace, knowing that “it was a far, far better thing that [he did], that [he had] ever done” (367).
ReplyDeleteWhen first introduced, Sydney Carton was portrayed as a man with a messy, careless appearance and an indifferent attitude to all that came his way, even when his work yielded the acquittal of a prisoner promised to be executed: “even in this excitement… this one man sat leaning back, with his torn gown half off him, his untidy wig put on just as it had happened to light on his head after its removal, his hands in his pockets, and his eyes on the ceiling as they had been all day” (Dickens 83). While he has mastered the art of providing proof of a certain truth, as seen later in the novel in his interview with John Barsad, it did not provoke any passion within him. Until Lucie Manette came into view, it is fair to say that he harbored a passion for alcohol alone. In his view, he never did anything significant, and would never rise to do so. Because of this, he never pursues Lucy as a spouse; instead, he bows down to Charles Darnay and promises Lucie that he will make sacrifices for her sake, as he could never be a husband that she deserved. Sydney Carton finally found someone he is passionate about and resolves not to seek out a relationship but to watch from afar instead. He continues to observe from afar until he finds that the promise he made to Lucie needed to be acted upon; to him, Lucie could continue to be happy without himself, but would be miserable without Charles. He is finally able to find peace with himself by displaying his love for Lucie and her loved ones to see. Only towards the end of the novel does he show faith in himself and in his religion; as he comes closer towards the guillotine he constantly repeats a passage of the bible that indicates that if he believes in God, he will go to heaven. His act of sheer abnegation and love convinced him that he could be a compassionate person, as seen in his kindness towards the young seamstress, and that he could go to heaven. By the end of the story, Sydney finds that he has redeemed himself for all of his past indifference and wrongs.
ReplyDeleteI believe as Sydney reached the guillotine he becomes more and more satisfied with where he ended up. Although his life was cut short, he had finally done something important. He return to faith signifies his return to believing in himself.
DeleteIn the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities Sydney Carton is displayed as a well to do lawyer with a drinking problem. He goes out for a drink with his client, Mr. Darnay, and confides in him his secret drinking problem and the fact that he has very low self-esteem. Carton continues to be seen as the man who does everything everyone else wants him to do and cannot think for himself. Darnay talks with his colleague about the court proceedings that had happened that night. He speaks to him about a woman in the courtroom, Lucie Manette, and Carton doesn’t seem to really care about Ms. Manette referring to her as a ‘golden haired doll’. Throughout the novel Carton continues to ride his emotional rollercoaster bringing everyone down around him. It wasn’t until the very end of the novel that Carton proved himself to be more than a drunk with low self-esteem. He replaced Darnay in line for the guillotine and saved Lucie and little Lucie from a loss neither of them could have survived. Carton became a compassionate man who held the hand of a woman to keep her calm on the way to the guillotine. He found his mission in life and died a happy man.
ReplyDeleteSydney Carton is seen as a sad man in the beginning of the book. He does all the work and gets none of the credit and has no confidence. Carton is depressed and drinks away his problems. He begins to change his life in a positive way when he meets Lucie. Lucie makes him happy, he is no longer a depressed drunk now that he knows her. He wants to turn his life around so he could have Lucie love him but he knows that he will never be enough for her to marry. He also realizes that Lucie is very happy with Darnay, so instead of trying to marry Lucie he promises to make sacrifices for her. Carton ends up making the ultimate sacrifice when he replaces Darney and dies for Lucie and her daughter so they can continue life with their husband and father. His last noble deed shows how far he was come as a person and how he has finally proved himself to be deserving of love.
ReplyDeleteSydney Carton's transformation is centered around his purpose in life. When the reader is introduced to him, he is an assistant and "jackal" to Mr. Stryver and has a horribly low self esteem. He turns to alcoholism to lessen the emptiness he feels as his life is wasting away. His physical similarity to Charles Darnay further lowers his drive to be successful in life because he sees a man who has a life that he wishes he had. He had no purpose in his life and had no direction for the future. However, throughout all of this, he had a love for Lucie Manette. At one point in the novel, Carton expresses his love for her and told her that he would sacrifice his life on her behalf. His only drive was to help Lucie have a better life. He could see how distraught she was with her husband sentenced to death and a light bulb went off in his head. He was going to save Darnay and, therefore, allow Lucie to be happy with her whole family. As Sydney is walking up to the guillotine, the reader can notice the serenity and contentedness in Carton's manner and thoughts. This final and selfless act fulfilled many of the characters' desires: Lucie and Darnay are together; Manette is able to live the rest of his life in peace; and Carton himself leaves behind a legacy of honor for generations to come. He recognizes that, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known" (404). All Sydney Carton wanted in life was a sense of resolve and significance. Through his love for Lucie, he found the motivation to act selflessly and, in turn, he found the greatest reward he could obtain: purpose.
ReplyDeleteWhen first introduced, Sydney Carton is a man to be pitied: he thinks so little of himself and does not receive any praise from others despite his hard work. His is more clever than Stryver, but Stryver takes all the credit for their wins. Carton presents himself as a hopeless drunk. However, he does save the day in Charles Darnay's (first) trial. He is then presented as a sad man again when he loves a woman (Lucie) who does not love him back. He is always sacrificing things for others. He gives Stryver his blessing to go after Lucie and he allows Stryver to be the star of their duo. He is constantly around to help, and it all crescendoes to the end when he makes the ultimate sacrifice: his life. He takes Darnay's place so that his love, Lucie, will live a happy life with her husband. His selflessness is often driven by his love for Lucie, and his wanting the best for her.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Sydney Carton lived his life in a selfless manner, and was never really recognized for it. Others shut him out or ignored him or found him to be irrelevent; he did not even give himself credit. However, maybe this is the point of sacrifice- sacrifice should not be done to make others approve of you but out of sheer altruism and love for other people. Carton presents this throughout the novel and never expects anyone to acknowledge him for it.
DeleteOver the course of the novel A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Sydney Carton evolves from a seemingly worthless drunk into a man who lived a purposeful, meaningful life. When his character was first introduced into the story, one might not have thought of him to be much more than an extra character with little importance to the central theme of the story. He did not seem very respectable, even from his own perspective. Had Carton died at this stage in his evolution, his life would have had little meaning. Carton even goes so far as to say of himself, "I am like one who died young. All my life might have been" (Dickens 147). There is nothing in his life he feels accomplished for, and he seems to feel as if there are many things he missed out on, making his life without meaning. Carton was able to see a glimmer of hope for living a purposeful life in the character of Charles Darnay. When Darnay was to die at La Guillotine, Carton saw an opportunity for himself. By taking Darnay's place at La Guillotine, he felt he was making a positive impact. He says of this, "I see a beautiful city and brilliant people rising from this abyss... I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy." (374). To Carton, it did not matter that he was to die, because at that point his life would have finally meant something. His sacrificial death served to better the lives of not only Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette's family, but all the people of France, through the promise of freedom that they all desperately sought. Sydney Carton had undergone a striking evolution that allowed his soul to be satisfied and his legacy to be one of honor and sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteWere you surprised by Sydney's actions at the end of the novel? Did you think his likeness to Darnay would have proven to be so detrimental?
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at Sydney's character, you can see that he is selfless throughout the novel (see Megan's post above), so therefore his sacrifice in the end does not surprise me at all. Nor do I think that his likeness to Darnay is detrimental at all- his last act, after all, is the only thing that gave him his confidence and gave him a reason to believe that he could be a kind and selfless person.
DeleteThroughout the book, Sydney spent his time in the shadows behind the success of others while at the same time feeling bad for himself. He would come up with great ideas for people, but would let them take credit for it because he felt that he was not worthy of such a thing. He really was not the most self appreciative and he did not think that he deserved happiness. However this mentality changes when he stands up for Charles and takes his place in being killed. He realized that this was the one way he could finally feel good about himself because he would be sacrificing his own life for someone else. The transformation was Sydney worrying mostly about himself to feeling at peace with himself and risking is own life forever.
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