Throughout A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens tells the story of several characters, all of who are developed continuously throughout the chapters

Authors Avatar by lfernandez (student)

The Power of Love

        Throughout A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens tells the story of several characters, all of who are developed continuously throughout the chapters. Several of the characters are greatly developed, some showing unpredictable sides to their personalities. Sydney Carton is a prime example of such a character, his delicate personality revealed when he declares his love for Lucie. He is not the only character in love with Lucie, however. Throughout Book Two, it is revealed that Stryver and Charles Darnay are also coveting Lucie. Darnay and Carton both announce their love for her, however Carton is the only one who goes directly to Lucie to tell her. In this passage, Carton is asking Lucie to not forget him and to remember that even when she is married and with kids, he will always be there for her to keep her happy. Carton’s declaration of his love for Lucie not only reveals his love and foreshadows his selfless, noble act in the later chapters, but in addition, Dickens’ use of language reveals that Sydney is no longer the “jackal,” but that he is in fact much more than that – a sensitive man with deep emotions.

        Dickens’ use of language in this passage brings to light the sincerity in Sydney Carton, changing the mood of the reader towards him, and the words that Dickens uses to make Carton express himself allows Carton to truly show his desire for Lucie.  When Carton says, “for you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything,” Dickens is emphasizing the fact that Carton is dedicated to her. Throughout the passage, he continuously repeats phrases including the word you, such as when he states “I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you.” As a result of emphasizing Carton’s love for Lucie, Dickens creates an immense feeling of sympathy for the reader, as the dedication for Lucie is expressed so eloquently. The fact that Carton accepts this unrequited love by saying “I will relieve you of a visitor with whom I well know you have nothing in unison, and between whom and you there is an impassable space” creates even more compassion for Carton because even though it is known that Lucie does not reciprocate his feelings, it is even more painful to watch as he simply walks away from the woman he loves.

Join now!

        In addition to uncovering Carton’s true love for Lucie, Dickens uses irony to show the eloquent Carton that contrasts with the drunken Carton of the previous chapters. The chapter to which this passage belongs to is titled “The Fellow of No Delicacy,” which is ironic because although perhaps Carton was not delicate in the preceding chapters, in this passage he is nothing but eloquent and delicate. He remarks “try to hold me in your mind, at some quiet times, as ardent and sincere in this one thing,” a great example of his eloquence, which once again causes the reader to ...

This is a preview of the whole essay