Sydney Carton Ambiguity

Lucie Manette is a compassionate and benevolent character that aids in the resurrection of Sydney Carton and Dr. Manette. At the beginning of the book Lucie is only

Nevertheless, both Lucie and Carton are very selfless, they love each other deeply and would carry out anything to help one another, even if it means giving up their own feelings to keep the other one

After Darnay is convicted, Lucie falls into a faint, and, Carton is there to assist her, coming to her aid from “the obscure corner from which he had never moved” (Dickens 260). Though Carton never received recompense, he is always prepared to assist the Manettes. When Carton returns Lucie safely to her room, her child cries out to him, “I think you will do something to help mamma, something to save papa … can you, of all the people who love her, bear to see her so?” As Carton leaves, he murmurs a few significant words under his breath: “A life you love” (Dickens 260). Finally, Carton sacrifices his own self to the Guillotine and ultimately the revolution in place of Darnay, again, out of his love and compassion for Lucie.

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.

Carton unselfishly decides that he is going to take Darnay’s spot in prison and die for him. The narrator depicts, “Quickly, but with sure hands and a sure heart, Carton dressed himself in the clothes Darnay had laid aside. He combed back his hair and tied it with the ribbon Darnay had been wearing”(page). Carton’s fearless act displays his kindness and loyalty to Lucie and her family. Carton could have easily gone on living his life and let Darnay die and then pursued his love for Lucie, but he realizes that all the people he loves would be miserable without Darnay.

Carton saves Darnay by giving Stryver the materials he needs to succeed. Stryver has been in a poor state, and with the help of Carton, he can be known for something other than a waste. Sydney Carton knew it was best, even though he loved Lucie, to leave her with Darnay, though he did leave her with a promise to do everything and anything he could to save her. Dickens affirms, “It was remembered afterwards that when he bent down and touched her face with his lips he murmured some words. The child, who was nearest to him, told them afterwards, and told her grandchildren when she was a

Similar to Jarvis Lorry, Sydney Carton undergoes a transformation of character. When Carton is first introduced in book one he is a pitiful lawyer, an “idlest and most unpromising man,”(Dickens 78). In chapter five he is displayed as an “amazingly good jackal,”(Dickens 79), meaning that he is “content and apathetic towards the fact that he will never be accredited with the performance and outcomes of his actions,”(Trojan, Kara). However, Lucie Manette inspires redemption in Carton through love, for he knows that if he can save her in any way then he can absolve his misery and find a purpose for his years on Earth. When Lucie Manette’s husband is punished to death row, Carton is determined to keep his promise. Carton takes the place of the spouse

He is the slovenly dressed, inebriated lawyer. He is the earnest young man confessing a hopeless love to a beautiful girl out of his league. He is the prisoner of his apathy, voluntarily approaching Madame la Guillotine; his head held high. Sydney Carton is one of the most dynamic and poignant characters in Charles Dickens’ ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ (ATOTC). Some see him as the most heroic of heroes. Others see him as a miserable drunk, welcoming death as a way to escape from a woeful existence. As the novel progresses we watch him develop into a complex character, and one we can all relate to.

Regardless of the fact that Carton would be happier than he had been in his entire life if she were with him, he would never be truly content because she would be unhappy. When one loves another, their happiness matters more than one’s own. Carton sacrifices his own happiness so that Lucie could be with Darnay and live a happy life. Next, Carton sacrifices his safety to get information from the Defarges when he decides to go out the night before he saves Darnay as he “traced the thought in his mind to its worst possible consequences. His first impression was confirmed . . .

Sydney Carton provides the novel with the essential theme of “personal sacrifice is required to improve the lives of others.” Sydney had always been a man full of regrets, and never wanted to change. His life was falling apart and he refused to confront it, until he fell head over heels with a young girl. His improvement eventually led to self-discovery, increased self-esteem, and allowed many of the character's lives to prosper. In A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Sydney Carton sacrifices ultimately improve the lives of Lucie Manette, Charles Darnay, and himself.

Carton was not very social with everyone, but he certainly did show his love for them. He was always discouraged with the thought of having no life purpose, being unwanted, and being unnoticed. Dickens uses wonderful imagery and metaphors to build and describe Sydney Carton’s character. One of his metaphors uses the relationship between two animals and is very fitting to illustrate the relationship between them; Dickens uses the jackal and lion to portray the relationship between Sydney Carton and Mr. Stryver. Dickens discusses, “Carton, idlest and most unpromising of men, was Stryver’s great ally…Stryver never had a case in hand, anywhere, but Carton was there, with his hands in his pockets, staring at the ceiling of the court… although Sydney Carton would never be a lion, he was an amazingly good jackal, and that he rendered suit and service to Stryver in that humble capacity” (65). Carton prepares Stryver’s meals, in this case cases, as a jackal does for a lion and Stryver, as the lion, eats the meals or argues the cases, taking the credit for the research and persuading speech. In other words, Carton listens very closely to every detail in the cases and makes connections between pieces of information to eventually solve the case while acting like he was bored and staring at the ceiling. Stryver takes Cartons ideas and conclusions to solve the case, being praised and rewarded with various benefactions. Dickens also uses the properties of an eddy to describe Sydney Carton’s feelings: “He lingered [by the stream] yet a little longer, watching an eddy that turned and turned purposeless, until the stream absorbed it, and carried it on to the sea- ‘Like me!’” (244). Dickens uses his wondrous imagery to point out the similarity between an eddy and Sydney Carton in their use and purpose. An eddy has no purpose except to spin the water surrounding it.

In the book A Tale Of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, there is love, murder, betrayal, and sacrifices are made. Sydney Carton sacrifices in this novel are at an extreme measure. He never leaves her side, even though she loves someone else. Carton sacrifices his life for Lucie Manette. Sydney is a man full of sacrifices, he has empty values that are never filled; his one and only value is Lucie.

Charles Darney and Sydney Carlton, both lookalikes were willing to risk their own lives so that Lucie Mannette could live in the presence of her father and husband. Carton, a true friend of the family by book two always had a “rough on the edges” sort of appearance. At the beginning of the book we are introduced to a drunken court room Carton who hates his job, hates his life, and has a difficult time finding true happiness. The first-time Carton see Lucie, he is immediately draw to her. Their friendship was rocky at the beginging in after Lucie announces her marriage to Darney but the two continue to be friends. Caront, still have strong feelings for lucie says devoted his life to Lucie saying that “’If I were dead, that could not be surer than it is henceforth. In the hour of my death, I shall hold sacred remembrance and shall than and bless you for it – that my last avowal of myself was made to you and that my name, and faults, and miseries were gently carried in your heart. May it otherwise be light and happy!’” (Dickens 117). This promise made my Sydney Carton to Lucie proves that good things can come from bad. Death was the unfortunate answer to much of the issues or crime committed by the people of France where this book is set. The ultimate

In "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, Sydney Carton was the most Unique and strong character from the rest.He was an alcoholic,furious,lazy and also offensive person all because of the wasted life that he was living.Although,Sydney had this bad side of him,he was also sharp minded and what made his personality even more greater was from Lucie someone who he had made promises to do anything to make her feel at great heart.He had this great side of him that was Kind,Caring and also loving.He is a character who chose to die and to save the husband of Lucie who he truly loves and cares for just to make her and her Manette family happy.

Sydney Carton showed Lucie that he fulfilled his promise to her. Sydney is seconds away from his death, where he sits with a poor seamstress who is accused of something she didn’t do. After her head is chopped off by the guillotine, it is Sydney’s turn and he thinks to himself, “It is 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” (Dickens 367). Dicken’s clearly says that Sydney feels proud for giving up his life