as i mentioned before i am a book worm . i can't forget the beautiful * A tale of two cities *
by charles dickens and the incredible Sydney Carton my dream knight
Who is Sydney Carton ? why he should be loved this much ?
Sydney Carton proves the most dynamic character in A Tale of Two Cities. He first appears as a lazy, alcoholic attorney who cannot muster even the smallest amount of interest in his own life. He describes his existence as a supreme waste of life and takes every opportunity to declare that he cares for nothing and no one. In his conversation with the recently acquitted Charles Darnay, Carton’s comments about Lucie Manette, while bitter and sardonic, betray his interest in, and budding feelings for, the gentle girl. Eventually, Carton reaches a point where he can admit his feelings to Lucie herself. Before Lucie weds Darnay, Carton professes his love to her, though he still persists in seeing himself as essentially worthless. This scene marks a vital transition for Carton and lays the foundation for the supreme sacrifice that he makes at the novel’s end.
Carton’s death has provided much
material for scholars and critics of Dickens’s novel. Some readers
consider it the inevitable conclusion to a work obsessed with the themes
of redemption and resurrection. According to this interpretation,
Carton becomes a Christ-like figure, a selfless martyr whose death
enables the happiness of his beloved and ensures his own immortality As
Carton goes to the guillotine, the narrator tells us that he envisions a
beautiful, idyllic Paris“rising from the abyss” and sees “the evil of
this time and of the previous time of which this is the natural birth,
gradually making expiation for itself and wearing out.” Just as the
apocalyptic violence of the revolution precedes a new society’s birth,
perhaps it is only in the sacrifice of his life that Carton can
establish his life’s great worth.
I copied this summary about his charachter from the internet ... a bit interesting but it makes me fall for him more and more
by charles dickens and the incredible Sydney Carton my dream knight
Who is Sydney Carton ? why he should be loved this much ?
Sydney Carton proves the most dynamic character in A Tale of Two Cities. He first appears as a lazy, alcoholic attorney who cannot muster even the smallest amount of interest in his own life. He describes his existence as a supreme waste of life and takes every opportunity to declare that he cares for nothing and no one. In his conversation with the recently acquitted Charles Darnay, Carton’s comments about Lucie Manette, while bitter and sardonic, betray his interest in, and budding feelings for, the gentle girl. Eventually, Carton reaches a point where he can admit his feelings to Lucie herself. Before Lucie weds Darnay, Carton professes his love to her, though he still persists in seeing himself as essentially worthless. This scene marks a vital transition for Carton and lays the foundation for the supreme sacrifice that he makes at the novel’s end.
I copied this summary about his charachter from the internet ... a bit interesting but it makes me fall for him more and more
Sydney Carton Timeline and Summary
- Sydney Carton is orphaned as a young boy.
- He spends his schooldays writing other people’s papers.
- He spends his adult life doing all of Stryver’s legal work.
- We first meet him at Charles’ trial, where he convinces the jury that he looks exactly like Charles.
- The jury acquits Charles based upon this.
- In the courtroom, Sydney Carton points out that Lucie is fainting.
- How does he notice before anyone else?
- By this point, the case is pretty much over.
- Carton’s appearance has introduced too much doubt into the trial.
- Carton, who still seems pretty cynical about the justice system, wants to get out of the general area of the court.
- He asks Darnay to come out to dinner with him.
- Darnay can’t seem to break through Carton’s cynicism. And Carton’s already seen how Darnay looks at Lucie.
- In fact, just because Carton seems to like rubbing salt in his own wounds, he gets Darnay to propose a toast to "Miss Manette!"
- After sharing a drink or two together, Carton’s pretty sure he doesn’t like Darnay.
- Darnay sure doesn’t like Carton.
- Perhaps they might even get into blows over a girl…until, of course, Darnay realizes that Carton has just saved his life.
- Before they part, however, Darnay wants to know why Carton seems so angry and depressed.
- Muttering that he’s a "disappointed drudge," Carton says that he’s been worth nothing all this life.
- As Darnay leaves, Carton engages in a little bit of existential self-questioning.
- Why hasn’t he been able to change his own circumstances in life? Why isn’t he ever able to change his ways or become a better human being?
- Tough questions. And Carton’s got no answers.
- Next, we see Sydney working for Stryver.
- Sydney can’t stand the fact that Stryver’s a big jerk.
- Nonetheless, he spends most of his nights solving Stryver’s cases for him.
- Stryver, in the meanwhile, gets very, very drunk and mumbles to himself.
- As Stryver pours himself another drink, he wants Carton to drink to the "pretty witness" who came to court today.
- Carton gulps for a second, and then he mutters some unpleasant things about Lucie.
- Stryver’s taken aback. He was sure he caught Carton staring at Lucie for most of the day.
- Carton insists that Lucie means nothing to him. Nothing. Seriously.
- In the months that follow, Sydney visits the Manette house often.
- One night, Stryver has a confession: he has decided to marry.
- Sydney knows Stryver pretty well. He asks if the woman has money.
- Stryver takes Sydney to task for being such a cynic. He’s actually fallen in love this time.
- In fact, Stryver’s a bit worried that Sydney won’t like his choice of a bride.
- Once upon a time, Sydney spoke slightingly of the woman whom Stryver has decided to make the happiest woman on earth.
- Sydney starts a little bit. Could Stryver mean…
- Yes. Stryver means to marry Lucie.
- Luckily, that doesn’t work out too well.
- One day, Sydney finds Lucie alone.
- She asks Sydney what the matter is.
- He responds that his life is miserable and hopeless.
- She asks why he can’t change.
- Sydney doesn’t answer directly.
- See, Sydney knows that Lucie couldn’t love a man like him.
- In fact, that’s exactly what he tells her.
- Dismayed, Lucie doesn’t know what to say.
- Sure, she feels badly for Carton. She evens cares about him. But the saddest thing in this whole deal is that he’s right – and they both know it.
- True to her good-natured self, though, Lucie asks if there’s anything that she can do to help him without promising to love him.
- Carton says that if anyone could have reformed him, she could have.
- Apparently, Sydney just dropped by to unburden himself…sort of like a very, very painful self-help session.
- Distraught, Lucie asks again if there’s no way that she could be a force for good in his life.
- Sydney seems to have moved past this, however.
- He begs her to keep this conversation confidential; it’s the last time he’ll ever confide in anyone, and he’d like to remember that it ended well.
- Seeing that Lucie seems upset, he entreats her not to be troubled by his sorrows.
- More than anything, he wants her to be happy.
- In fact, he’s so committed to her happiness that he begs her to remember (once she gets married) that he would give his own life to keep those that she loves safe.
- Bidding Lucie farewell, Sydney rushes out the door.
- The first person to visit Lucie and Charles after they get married is Sydney Carton.
- Sydney makes a rather strange request: he wants to be Charles’ friend.
- More specifically, he wants to be able to pop over to their house without any warning, just like an old family friend would.
- Charles doesn’t seem especially inclined to agree, but Sydney reminds him of how Sydney saved Charles’ life in court.
- Charles agrees to be friends.
- In the years that follow, Sydney becomes an uncle to the Darnay’s children.
- When Charles is jailed in France, Sydney comes over to help.
- He meets with John Barsad, a spy, and convinces him to allow Sydney to enter the prison.
- He also buys a potion from a chemist.
- He visits the Defarges, where he overhears Madame Defarge’s plan to kill the entire family.
- Telling Mr. Lorry of the Defarge’s plan, he persuades Mr. Lorry to get the Manettes to leave town.
- He’s got a pressing request for Charles: he doesn’t have time to explain why he’s asking for the things he needs.
- Startled, Charles does what Sydney asks. They change boots, hair-ties and shirts.
- Charles begins to understand Sydney’s plan, but he’s certain that it won’t work.
- Speaking rapidly, Sydney asks Charles to sit down and write a letter that he’ll dictate.
- Charles complies.
- Sydney tells him to write an unaddressed letter saying that the time has come for him to make good on the promise he once gave.
- He knows that the reader won’t forget the promise. He wants her to be assured that he’s glad that his time has come.
- Puzzled, Charles stops writing. He thinks he smells a strange vapor.
- He starts up to rip the bottle out of Sydney’s hand, but Sydney’s too quick for him.
- Charles slumps to the ground, drugged.
- Sydney calls Barsad, who drags Charles out of the jail.
- They place Charles on a stretcher, and Barsad carries him away.
- At two, a jailer comes into the room and calls for Evrémonde. Sydney follows him.
- He gets into a line with fifty-one other prisoners, all of whom are scheduled to die.
- As the Guillotine begins to crash, the audience counts the number of heads which roll to the ground.
- Scared, the little seamstress clings to Sydney.
- She thinks that he’s an angel sent to be with her in her time of trouble.
- He comforts her, telling her that she’s going to a place with no suffering. She’ll be able to be with her family there.
- They kiss, and she steps up onto the guillotine before Sydney.
- The audience counts to twenty-two.
- Sydney murmurs the words of Christ, "I am the Resurrection and the Life…" as he steps onto the platform.
- The audience counts to twenty-three.
- Afterwards, the narrator tells us what Sydney was thinking as he walked to the guillotine:
- He foresees a time when vengeance in France will end.
- He sees a nation rising out of the blood and ashes of this time, a nation stronger and better for the struggles it has had to endure.
- He sees the Manettes in the future, with a child that bears his name.
- He imagines the stories that they’ll tell of a man who gave his life for their happiness.
- He sees his own name, cleared of all the stains he’s placed on it, living again through Lucie’s son.
- Sydney reflects that this action is perhaps the best one that he’s ever taken.
