The Comparability and Dissimilarities of Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay.
Prompt: Compare and contrast the characters of Darnay and Carton. What do they represent? How are they morally and ethically different from each other? How are they similar? What motivates their actions? .
Response.
In the 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, in which the impact of the brutality of the French Revolution is examined by placing a spotlight on a few individuals who are dramatically impacted by the revolution. Despite their similar physical characteristics, they initially appear to be morally different. Dickens also uses these characters to display one of the key themes in the novel, light and dark. Charles Darnay represents morality and the upstanding citizen, the ideal citizen. Sydney Carton represents, at least outwardly, immorality. In the novel A Tale of Two Cities, the characters of Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton look almost identical, yet they outwardly display having a very different sense of morality; yet upon closer examination, it can be seen that they are morally similar as well. .
Charles Darnay is initially introduced when Lucie, Dr. Manette, and Mr. Lorry attend his trial for the accusation that he was a spy. He has been accused of being hired by the French government to pass off information about British troop movements, which lead to the assumption that he was helping the Americans. While Mr. Lorry, Lucie, and Dr. Manette testified in his favor, John Basard and Roger Cly testify against him, asserting that he was a spy. From first being introduced to Charles it is easy to tell that he is a caring man, Lucie saying at his trial, "He expressed great gentleness for my fathers estate, and I am sure he felt" (Dickens, A Disappointment) Twelve months after his acquittal, Darnay had begun is working as a French tutor and translator because that was his native language.
