What Is Sydney Carton's Transformation In A Tale Of Two Cities

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Critically acclaimed and advanced stories use character transformation both as a way of advancing the plot of the story and as a way of revealing universal truths about the human condition. Death, disarray, and a disenfranchised middle class roam the streets of Paris, hungrily searching for anyone who resembles an aristocrat to guillotine. In Charles Dickens’ magnum opus, Tale of Two Cities, the spirit of late 1800s Paris is embodied through the intriguing roster of characters, exciting cliffhangers, and unexpected plot twists. Sydney Carton, just another orphan forgotten by the neglectful Bourbon Regime, inhabits these desolate streets without a purpose. In Tale of Two Cities, Sydney Carton, a depressed alcoholic lawyer, gains purpose and …show more content…
After receiving Lucie’s kind words, “For you…I would do anything,” Sydney Carton Swears (Dickens 173). Undoubtedly, Sydney gains newfound determination after Lucie’s words empower him. If Sydney Carton truly resembles one who died young, then Lucie’s empowering words revive him in an instant. He gains purpose and, despite not knowing how much it will cost him, Sydney promises that he will do anything. Carton prepares himself to make major sacrifices for the greater good. Similarly, many members of the Third Estate prepare to possibly lose their remaining rights when revolting against the government. After being empowered, they gain the courage and determination to give anything in the name of the revolution. Carton rests assured that “it is a far better thing he does than he has ever done,” as he sacrifices his life to ensure the safety of Lucie, Charles Darnay, their child, and generations to come (Dickens 446). Despite the fact that he gains practically nothing from his heroic action, Sydney Carton happily takes Charles Darnay’s place at the guillotine and sacrifices his life, not for Charles Darnay, but for future generations of Lucie’s children. Unfortunately, Sydney Carton does not get to immediately see the positive effects of his actions. He commits this heroic act to plant the seeds of a better future. This seed he has planted takes embodies itself in Lucie’s new child, Sydney. Likewise, the French Revolutionaries do not immediately gain anything from their brave and heroic actions. Instead, they risk and, for many of them, give their lives to help plant the seeds for a better future for generations to come. Many revolutionaries, similarly to how Sydney Carton never gets to see Lucie’s second child, never get to see France improve. These seeds take hold
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