Ambiguous Character Development In A Tale Of Two Cities
Ambiguous Character Development in A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens uses enigmatic depictions of character development to create a multifaceted story that encompasses innumerable themes within the plot of A Tale of Two Cities. The ambiguity surrounding characters Sydney Carton, Charles Darnay, and Madame Defarge effectively portrays author Charles Dickens’s personal perspective on the potential for human qualities to develop in either a positive or negative way when enduring personal tribulations.
Sydney Carton is a prime example of the character fallacies in the novel. Originally, Carton was introduced to the reader as an intelligent yet dejected Englishman who devoted his time to drinking alcohol and working under the successful attorney Mr. Stryver. He lived a lackluster life with no real meaning: “I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me” (Dickens, 85). Sydney Carton’s dismal outlook on life is clearly his flaw; nevertheless, this …show more content…
By portraying Sydney Carton as a character who sacrifices his life for the greater good of others despite recent heartbreak, Charles Darnay as a character who allows his morals to dictate his decisions at the cost of his own family’s well-being, and Madame Defarge as a character who is full of hatred and vengeance due to her traumatic past, Charles Dickens conveys the developmental differences between characters who endure hardship: some find strength through adversity, whereas others let their suffering shape them into savages. The ambivalence of Sydney Carton, Charles Darnay, and Madame Defarge portrays Charles Dickens’s belief that during times of suffering, people undergo critical changes that determine who they become as a human being.
Works Cited
Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. New York, New York: Bantam Dell, 2003.
Charles Dickens uses enigmatic depictions of character development to create a multifaceted story that encompasses innumerable themes within the plot of A Tale of Two Cities. The ambiguity surrounding characters Sydney Carton, Charles Darnay, and Madame Defarge effectively portrays author Charles Dickens’s personal perspective on the potential for human qualities to develop in either a positive or negative way when enduring personal tribulations.
Sydney Carton is a prime example of the character fallacies in the novel. Originally, Carton was introduced to the reader as an intelligent yet dejected Englishman who devoted his time to drinking alcohol and working under the successful attorney Mr. Stryver. He lived a lackluster life with no real meaning: “I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me” (Dickens, 85). Sydney Carton’s dismal outlook on life is clearly his flaw; nevertheless, this …show more content…
By portraying Sydney Carton as a character who sacrifices his life for the greater good of others despite recent heartbreak, Charles Darnay as a character who allows his morals to dictate his decisions at the cost of his own family’s well-being, and Madame Defarge as a character who is full of hatred and vengeance due to her traumatic past, Charles Dickens conveys the developmental differences between characters who endure hardship: some find strength through adversity, whereas others let their suffering shape them into savages. The ambivalence of Sydney Carton, Charles Darnay, and Madame Defarge portrays Charles Dickens’s belief that during times of suffering, people undergo critical changes that determine who they become as a human being.
Works Cited
Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. New York, New York: Bantam Dell, 2003.