The Role of Fate in A Tale of Two Cities Tale Two Cities Essays

980 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Tale of two cities compare and contrast characters

The Role of Fate in A Tale of Two Cities Often in literature, authors use other characters to dramatically change one's fate instantaneously and beneficially. Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities presents such situations through the characters Lucie Manette, Dr. Manette and Charles Darnay. Lucie, unaware of the existence of her supposedly dead father, Dr. Manette, suddenly discovers through Jarvis Lorry that her father still lives. Lucie learns of the optimistic plans to return her beloved father back to a healthy condition and her future involvement in her father's life. Dr. Manette, after 18 years of imprisonment and harsh treatment, experiences detrimental harm to his mental state and loses his ability to lead a normal life. However, Lorry reunites Dr. Manette with his daughter and travels with them to England in hopes of brightening Dr. Manette's future and improving his deteriorated condition. Later, Charles Darnay, a prisoner in England on trial for treason, receives an acquittal, barely escaping death. Darnay avoids a highly expected guilty verdict with the assistance of his defense lawyers, Mr. Stryver and Mr. Carton. By examining Lucie Manette, Dr. Manette and Charles Darnay, the reader comes to see that through the assistance and intervention of others, one's fate suddenly changes to benefit him. Lucie Manette experiences a positive change of fate with the sudden intervention and assistance of Mr. Lorry. Lorry unexpectedly notifies Lucie of the existence of her father, as he describes his plans and her role in reviving Dr. Manette to a healthy state. "But he has been found. He is alive...Your father has been taken to the house of an old servant in Paris, and we are going there: I, to identify him if I can: you, to restore him to life, love, duty, rest, comfort"(57). Lucie's future takes an optimistic turn, as Lorry informs her of his plans to return her father to healthiness and her obligations in attempting to achieve such a task. Lucie, once unaware of the mere existence of her father, suddenly learns of her ability to meet and live with him, while loving and comforting him to healthiness. Lorry abruptly interjects into Lucie's life, offering her a chance to bond with her father, a once unimaginable opportunity. Lucie, with the intervention of Mr. Lorry, experiences a dramatic and beneficial change of fate, as she can finally develop a relationship with her previously unknown father. Much like Mr. Lorry assists in enhancing Lucie's future, he improves the future of Dr. Manette by facilitating his mental recovery. Lorry travels to France to reunite Dr. Manette with his daughter, Lucie, with the intention of returning to England and improving Dr. Manette's condition. "The prisoner had got into a coach, and his daughter had followed him...Mr. Jarvis Lorry, sitting opposite the buried man who had been dug out, and wondering what subtle powers were forever lost to him, and what were capable of restoration - the old inquiry: `I hope you care to be recalled to life?' "(80-81). Dr. Manette, previously confined in a room and practically buried away from society, suddenly receives a promising opportunity to return to a normal lifestyle. Lorry reunites the lost and confused Dr. Manette with his daughter, hoping that a comforting bond will develop and eventually restore Dr. Manette's mental health. Lorry removes Dr. Manette from his monotonous and miserable existence, as Dr. Manette's once pessimistic future brightens. With Lorry's assistance, Dr. Manette experiences a sudden and beneficial change of fate, as he finally begins to escape the torture of his past and recover to normality. Just as Dr. Manette experiences a beneficial and instantaneous change of fate with the assistance of others, so too does Charles Darnay. Darnay, on trial for treason, barely receives an acquittal, as his defense congratulates him on such a relief. ."..Dr. Manette, Lucie Manette his daughter, Mr. Lorry, the solicitor for the defense, and its counsel Mr. Stryver, stood gathered round Mr. Charles Darnay - just released - congratulating him on his escape from death" (109). Darnay, expected to receive capital punishment, cheats death as his lawyers, Mr. Stryver and Mr. Carton, help allay the heavy accusations against him. Stryver and Carton succeed in accomplishing the unimaginable, freeing such a loathed and wanted convict, as Darnay suddenly transforms from pessimistically sad to victoriously jovial. Darnay, once expecting to die, experiences a sudden and beneficial change of fate as his lawyers, Stryver and Carton, assist him in escaping death. Lucie Manette, Dr. Manette and Charles Darnay all experience a sudden and beneficial change of fate with the assistance of other characters. Mr. Lorry reunites Lucie with her father, Dr. Manette, brightening the future of both of them. Lucie, deprived of a father during childhood, suddenly discovers the existence of her father and her golden opportunity to bond with him. Dr. Manette, troubled by years of harsh treatment, begins his once unimaginable path to recovery. Later, Charles Darnay, a prisoner suspected of treason, avoids a highly expected guilty verdict with assistance of his lawyers, Stryver and Carton. Dickens masterfully depicts that one's fate can change at any instant to benefit him. Hopefully, such a sudden and beneficial change of fate will occur to people worldwide, especially to those living in a constant state of fear and violence.

Show More
Related

  • The Negative Effects Of Steroids In Sports

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    Athletes are often pressured from an early age to be better than the rest. In sports such as football, baseball, basketball, and soccer, the need to be “great” is becoming a dominant factor in the world of sports. Regardless of which sport is chosen, the stigma to be great is slowly surpassing the main goal of sportsmanship among team players. With the notion that being great is the key; many athletes, both amateur and professional, are relying on steroids to help bring them to the top of their game. Steroid use can cause damaging effects to the body and preventing this may save the lives and careers of current and future students. This essay is written to explain the problems of steroids in sports and the solutions in which to help deter or stop this problem.

    Read More

  • Steroids Use in Sports: Morally Wrong and Deadly

    1634 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the history of athletics, athletes have searched for ways to make themselves better, faster, and stronger. Steroid use is one of the most popular choices among these athletes. Steroids are synthetic hormones that produce specific physiological effects on one's body and have been used since the 1930s (Center for Substance Abuse Research). Although the German Scientists who discovered steroids did not intend to use it for body building or to create better athletes, steroid use has developed into a controversial subject concerning the health of users and other moral issues. The use of steroids in athletics is physically and morally wrong because it essentially promotes the deterioration of the health of athletes and unfair competition among these athletes.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of The French Revolution In A Tale Of Two Cities?

    2090 Words  | 5 Pages

    A Doctor Alexandre Manette was captured for 18 years in France and was being freed at the beginning of the book. While imprisoned he became a shoemaker and became quite good at it. His daughter Lucie, along with Jarvis Lorry, a banker and friend to Lucie, rescued him. They went back to live in England and Lucie would come to marry Charles Darnay, also known as Charles Evrémonde, and they would have a daughter. Darnay was brought up with money in France and an old servant sent him a letter asking for his help; because he was stuck in jail and sentenced to death. Darnay ended up going to France to help him, but was put jail himself for entering France without papers. Lucie and her family met with Mr. Lorry, who was already in France on business,

    Read More

  • A Tale of Two Cities: Minor Characters

    650 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lucie Manette Darnay played an important and symbolic role in the novel. Dickens described her as “the golden thread” of the novel, weaving its good throughout the plot. Along with her good nature, she was also young and attractive. Dickens described her as having:

    Read More

  • The Powerful Women of A Tale of Two Cities

    1138 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lucie Manette is a beautiful young woman with golden hair and blue eyes.  She is very kind, compassionate, and sensitive to others.  Lucie has many qualities that reveal her strength.  When she sees her father for the first time, she is frightened, but eager to love him.  She finally is near him and is not afraid, though Mr. Lorry and Mr. Defarge are worried that her father might hurt her.  Lucie commands the two men to not come near her and her father.  She brings her father back to life, and only she can bring him back when he reverts to being the prisoner that he used to be for eighteen years.  When Sydney Carton went to see Lucie one day, he confided with her his deepest feelings.  She listened with a warm heart and showed nothing but compassion.  When Lucie and Charles Darnay were to be married, Lucie told her father that she would not marry Charles if it would separate her from her father.  Lucie had a daughter and then a son.  When her son died, Lucie had to be very strong to deal with his death.  Because she is strong, she was able to continue life after his death, and lived very happily with her husband and daughter.  She was unselfish and was always trying to please others before herself.  Miss Pross was similar to Lucie in th...

    Read More

  • Human Nature In Charles Dicken's A Tale Of Two Cities

    1814 Words  | 4 Pages

    However, her hatred for them is justifiable at first. The nobles treat the peasants horribly and show no remorse for doing so. But since Madame Defarge’s animosity towards the aristocrats continues to grow as the revolution progresses, her intense nature of hatred, once useful and respected, is now too vicious to justify. It mars her virtue and takes away any pity that she ever has. For this reason, her hatred is her character’s flaw. In the beginning of the book, Ernest Defarge and Madame Defarge are given the knowledge that their friend Dr. Manette’s daughter, Lucie Manette, has married a nobleman, Charles Darnay. Though Defarge asks his wife keep Darnay off of her register of people who are to be punished, she refuses. He is not too perturbed by this, as he does not believe the couple will be in France while the revolution goes on, and says of his wife: “ ‘A great woman,’ said he, ‘a strong woman, a grand woman, a frightfully grand woman!’ ”(II.16.188). Though Madame Defarge will not show mercy to Dr. Manette and his family, Defarge respects and admires her. But as the revolution rages on, Madame Defarge’s hatred grows and corrupts her. After the epoch of the revolution, she succeeds in placing Darnay in jail and sentencing him to death. She is still not satisfied. Now her dearest wish is to execute Lucie and her child as well, due to their relation to Darnay. Her husband argues with her: “ ‘And you have observed, my wife,’ said Defarge, in a deprecatory manner, ‘the anguish of his daughter, which must be a dreadful anguish to him!”(III.12.345). He disapproves of her extreme bloodlust and implores her to show pity to Doctor Manette and his family. Repeatedly he asks her to change her mind, to look past her prejudice towards the nobility. It is clear he is in favor of the revolution, as he is one of its leaders, but he

    Read More

  • Free Essays on A Tale of Two Cities: Sentimentality

    451 Words  | 1 Pages

    Lastly and most importantly would be Lucie’s elaborate expression of sentimentality in her constant fainting at the least sign of distress. However unbearable it might have seemed, the reader could not fully appreciate the significance of her character and why she was loved by so many equally sentimental; characters in the novel. When Lucie early on testifies at Darnay’s trial in the English court, she says, “He was kind, and good, and useful to my father. I hope,” and here she bursts into tears, “ I may not repay him by doing him harm here today.” Her deep sensitivity and generous nature shines through. And remember, when Lucie stands forlornly and devotedly at a place near the Paris prison in order for her husband, Darnay, to glimpse her and their child, it is clear that Dickens wanted to portray her as a loving, faithful, and sympathetic person.

    Read More

  • Lucie's Loving Ways in Charles Dickens´A Tale of Two Cities

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the beginning of the novel, Lucie is willing to make sacrifices to take care of her family and keep the bond between them strong. Lucie’s first life-altering sacrifice begins when she realizes that her father, thought to be dead, is alive. While discussing Lucie’s father, Mr. Lorry says to Lucie, “Your father has been taken to the house of an old servant in Paris, and we are going there: I, to identify him if I can: you, to restore him to life, love, duty, rest, comfort” (Dickens 29). Given this information from Mr. Lorry, Lucie recognizes that her jaded father needs her help in order to return to a normal life. This requires great sacrifice, but, later in the novel, Lucie also takes on the task of caring for the rest of her family. While quietly sitting in her house, listening to footsteps, Lucie is “Ever busily winding the golden thread that bound them all together, weaving the service of her happy influence through the tissue of all their lives, and making it predominate nowhere” (Dickens 216). Lucie’s “golden thread” is the single thing holding the family together, keeping peace and eliciting happiness through her sacrifices. She is able to bring her father out of madness an...

    Read More

  • Examples of Animal Cruelty

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Animal Abuse and Neglect : The Humane Society of the United States." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

    Read More

  • Tale Of Two Cities Passage Analysis

    1825 Words  | 4 Pages

    While traveling he was pulled over by some revolutionaries that had stop and wanted to know some answers. As soon as Darnay pulled up in Paris they had took him to prison. While he was in prison, he had argued and reminded the jailers about his rights that he have. The jailers had disagreed with him because by him being from another country he doesn’t have no rights there. Darnay now feels like as if everyone has gone against him. Manette and Lucie rushed over to Paris to tell Jarvis that Charles is still in jail, and if he don’t get out soon enough that he was going be one of the people getting killed. Manette convinced the judge that he doesn’t need to kill Darnay, and that he should be alive. So therefore, the judge granted Manette wish but Darnay will be in prison in a safe place for a whole year and three months. Lucie has gotten told that Darnay can see her in the streets in the window; only in the visible area. Lucie notice a wood-sawyer was headed her way and she seen the saw in his hand; which is the saw that is used to cut a prisoners head off. The day of the trial; it was announced that Manette is Darnay father in law, a big happy crowd applauded and he told the judge to let him free. Therefore the crowd had took Darnay home, in a big chair, which was carried on their shoulders. The day after that Lucie still remains afraid of Darnay. Later that night, she heard a knock at the door and she had went to go answer it. It was

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Lucie Manette And Madame Defarge

    608 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lucie Manette, daughter of Dr. Manette and the perfect wife of Charles Darnay. Her strength could be derived from her early life and upbringing by Miss Pross. To Charles Darnay, she is the ideal wife. She even fights Madame Defarge when she exclaims ' “As a wife and mother…I implore you to have pity on me and not to exercise power that you possess against my innocent husband, but use it in his behalf. O sister-woman, think of me. As a wife and mother!"(278) This strong yet very compassionate woman is able to confront Madame Defarge who she clearly fears, especiall...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Dr. Manette-18

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the end of chapter 18, we see that Dr. Manette goes back to making shoes for nine days. Chapter 19 starts off with the morning of the tenth day of Dr. Manette but instead of making shoes, he regained his senses and goes back to normal. Mr. Lorry decides not to confront Dr. Manette about him making shoes for the past nine days but instead tells him about “a curious case in which I am deeply interested.”. Dr. Manette has no recall of the past nine days and nights of him making shoes. Dr. Manette tells Mr. Lorry “the relapse was not unforeseen by its subject.” While they are talking Dr. Manette tells Mr. Lorry that the “subject” is very important but they cannot speak of the subject. Dr. Manette assures Mr. Lorry that the worst is over and everything will be fine, but Mr. Lorry convinces Dr. Manette that his shoe making bench should be destroyed. Dr. Manette tells Mr. Lorry that the shoe making bench should be destroyed in the name of his daughter, Lucie. Two weeks later when Dr. Manette goes out to meet Lucie and her husband (Charles Darnay), Mr Lorry and Miss Pross sneak into Dr. Manette’s room with a chopper, a saw, a chisel, and a hammer while Miss Pross carried the candle. They closed the doors and with a very guilty look on both of their faces, Mr Lorry hacked the shoe making bench to pieces with the ax, while Miss Pross held the candle as if she were assisting a murder. They used the wood of the show making bench ads fire wood and buried all of the shoe making tools, the shoes, and all of the leather in the garden. After doing this, both Miss Pross and Mr. Lorry felt like they had just committed a horrible crime.

    Read More

  • Tale Of Two Cities Comparison Analysis

    2097 Words  | 5 Pages

    Dickens used his novel to show that love can transform into a positive or negative emotion. The love between Lucie Manette and Dr. Manette, as well as that of Charles Darnay and Lucie and indeed many other characters are the examples of love that turns into a positive emotion. The strongest example of love in the book is that of Lucie and her father. Dr. Manette had been kept in the Bastille for eighteen years. Lucie used her love and patience to take care of Dr. Manette, and brought his soul back to his body. Also, the people who put Dr. Manette in the prison were the father and uncle of Charles Darnay, the person Lucie loved. It was hard for Dr. Manette to accept the fact that the person his daughter loved had the most horrible family. However, because of his love for Lucie, Dr. Manette decided to abate his hate, and tried to bless Lucie and Charles. In the first part of book three, Dr. Manette even helped to protect Charles Darnay after he was captured by the French commoners (Dicken 263). He didn’t have to forgive and accept the man from the family of sins, however, he did that for Lucie’s own good, and showed her the true love of a father. Lucie and her father shared a brilliant love. Their love for each other did not diminish through time and all the tragic events, because of the sheer power of emotion. The

    Read More

  • Tale Of Two Cities

    1788 Words  | 4 Pages

    Five years later in the year 1780 Charles Darnay is being accused for treason but is saved from execution when his lawyer, Sydney Carton, makes the point that he and Darnay look very similar so how could the prosecutor be sure that Darany was indeed the spy. Carton, his boss Stryver and Darany at this point are all in love with Lucie and she chooses Darnay and they are wed. Darnay reveals his identity to Lucie's father Alexander Manette. Darnay is actually Charles St. Evremonde, who is the nephew of the Marquis St. Evremonde. Marquis St. Evremonde was the man who was responsible for Dr. Alexander Manette's imprisonment. Upon hearing this Manette returns to his old habit from prison, and makes shoes for nine days before regaining himself and joining the couple on their honeymoon. When he returns Carton visits him and requests friendship which Darnay agrees too.

    Read More

  • Theme of Resurrection in A Tale of Two Cities

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...r. Manette are fully resurrected. Dr. Manette, who went to the Bastille for 18 years, now has the courage to return to prison to help Lucie’s husband, Charles Darnay. Dr. Manette knows that as the Bastille prisoner, he is something of a celebrity in Paris. He says, “I have a charmed life in this city [Paris]. I have been a Bastille prisoner” (XX) Dr. Manette speaks of his degradation as something preeminent. He is proud to have suffered at the hands of the upper class, and lived to tell the tale. This is wildly different from earlier in the novel when Dr. Manette didn’t ever even speak of his imprisonment. The incident that proves Dr. Manette is fully resurrected is when he goes back into the prison to rescue Darnay. Dr. Manette finds a job as “the inspection physician of three prisons” (XX) Dr. Manette does this to save Darnay, whom he knows is close to Lucie.

    Read More

More about The Role of Fate in A Tale of Two Cities Tale Two Cities Essays

Open Document