Comparing Caron's Sacrifice In A Tale Of Two Cities

Carton makes the ultimate sacrifice in giving his life in place of Darnay’s; he not only gives his life, but furthermore finds what he was seeking throughout the entire novel. After Darnay is arrested for the second time while in France he is condemned to death. Carton sees this as his only opportunity to display to Lucie how he truly feels about her. He drugs Darnay while he is in prison and due to them looking almost identical, he is able to switch clothing and places with him in his cell. Knowing he will not return from this; Carton displays that lucie's happiness and well being is more important to him than his own life. Moments before he is executed Carton states: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is

This is furthered by the fact that carton is inherently not fond of Darnay himself, however it is his utter devotion to lucie that causes his sacrifice to be so redeeming for him. Cartons struggle in which Lucie loves Darnay in lieu of himself, he is “suffering but not jealous” (Li 3) which leads him to come to the realization that his only path to redemption must involve displaying to Lucie his undying compassion for her. Carton finds solace in his own sacrifice which is what he has been searching for throughout the entirety of the novel. He transcends traditional tropes of sacrificing himself simply to make others lives better, in favor of improving his own moral hardships as well. Put simply; Carton finds redemption in this moment, which he could only find in the most complete and utter loss. While Carton’s loss and Dr. Manette’s loss are very different in terms of their implications, it is a similar redemption that they

Carton's sacrifice is not only literal, but symbolic in the way he transforms from a degenerate to a self sacrificing hero archetype by the end of the novel; his transition mirrors that of the French Revolution. However; Dickens does not favor the methods of the revolutionaries, as they do not reflect the values of sacrifice in order to bring about change. In the final chapter of the novel dickens makes the sentiment “Sow the same seed of rapacious licence and oppression over again, and it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind” (Dickens 355). This, contrasted with Carton's sacrifice later in the chapter concisely displays Dickens’ view that to create some sort or change or find redemption one must be willing to sacrifice something for the greater good. Dickens’ description of people France during the revolution encompasses the same contrast found throughout a tale of two cities; in this specific example however it is the contrast of the angry and chaotic mob of the common folk of France in direct contract with the redeeming qualities of the protagonists of the novel. Dickens embraces contrast in every aspect of the novel which ultimately culminates into the repeating motif of redemption. Furthermore although France’s redemption is not described in the novel, it is the characters like Dr. Manette and Carton who’s paths mirror that