Can Fate Be Changed In A Tale Of Two Cities

Can Fate be Changed? The French Revolution changed many people’s fates as they went to away and were killed in fighting in the streets. Charles Dickens emphasizes the theme of fate many times in the novel A Tale of Two Cities. Many people believe that fate is predetermined and cannot be altered, as do many of the characters, but some of them have certain experiences that change their fates. Charles Dickens is truly able to illustrate how people are capable of changing their fates, or at least other people in their lives are able to, through his characters Mr. Lorry, Madame Defarge, and Sydney Carton. From the beginning of the novel, Mr. Lorry has been changing the fates of Lucie Manette and Charles Darnay through his dedicated work at Tellson

Carton changes Charles Darnay’s fate twice in this novel. The first time is when he saves Charles from his death sentence in Charles’ very first trial of the book. The second time is when he takes Charles’ place at the Guillotine. Carton is able to prove to both the jury and the witness at Darnay’s first trial that the man they believed to be Charles Darnay could have easily been a man that simply looked like Charles, much like Carton does: “’Look upon that gentleman, my learned friend over there,’ pointing to him who had tossed the paper over, ‘and then look well upon the prisoner. How say you? Are they very like each other?’ Allowing for my learned friend’s appearance being careless and slovenly debauched, they were sufficiently like each other…” (Dickens 55). Later on, Carton takes Darnay’s place at the Guillotine, giving him the ability to return to his life and be happy with his family. After Carton switches places with Charles, and as he stands in line to go to the Guillotine, he sees a small seamstress. She recognizes him, at first, as Charles from their time at La Force, but she soon realizes it is not Charles and asks, “’Are you dying for him?’ she whispered. ‘And his wife and child. Hush! Yes,’” (Dickens 276). Carton does this great deed because he knows that Charles’ life was greatly valued by his family and Sydney felt that was more important than his own life. Darnay’s life almost ended but that was changed at the last moment by Carton who came in and changed both Charles’ and his own