Tale Of Two Cities Redemption

Over the centuries there have been stories of two people who meet and find out they have similar physical features. At that point of time they find they have both received polar opposite lifestyles than the other. Sometimes they decide to even switch their lives for the other, but in other cases one person is instead redeemed. Such a case as this is found in Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens uses three main characters to showcase his theme of redemption, even redemption from a Christian standpoint, throughout the book. He uses Sydney Carton to redeem himself and Charles Darnay, Madame Defarge tries to redeem her family through the killing of the Marquis family, and Lucie is the glue who drives the theme of redemption with trying

How say you? Are they very like each other?’” (Dickens, Book 2, Ch. 3) During this time though, Carton thinks nothing of himself. Over time he wants to be or have almost everything Darnay is and has obtained. “Carton wishes he were Darnay because he wants to be loved by Lucie and to be as honorable, courageous, and respected as Darnay is. Instead, Carton is a social outsider.” (Ramjattan) Carton first redeemed Darnay in the first trial because of his looks. The second redemption was more important than the first could ever

Christ Himself, was similar to man because He was man, but He was different due to the fact He never sinned. Christ still sacrificed Himself willingly even after all that man had done. Meanwhile Carton is given the saviour role and is very similar to Christ in this aspect. Not only does he quote scripture right before he sacrifices himself for Darnay, he is very similar to Darnay in apparence, wants Lucie, and has his own differences in character that set him apart from Darnay. In this instance not only does he end up redeeming Charles again and gives him another chance at life, he redeems himself. He voids the fact he was selfish and lazy, because in this moment he is only concerned for Charles, Lucie, and their family. Carton knew that even if Darnay died, he could never take his place, nor could Lucie’s family survive because she would never be happy again. The men swap places by the end of the book with Carton being the strong one and Darnay being week. This shows even more that France is free because of where these men hail from and what they gained. “England lost soldier in the revolution and France got its freedom.”