In A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, the character Charles Darnay is a man in his twenties, with long, dark hair. He is a man full of honor and virtues, and seems like the "upstanding gentleman" in the story. His rejection of his uncle, the Marquis Évremonde, because of his arrogance and snobby attitude, shows how good-hearted he is. He has no real enemies or hatred towards anyone, but manages to maintain a strong retinue of friends, and his honesty, respect and heroism help with the reader's perception of him greatly. Darnay represents everything good about that time period. Darnay's attempt to save Gabelle, rejection of the Marquis, and honesty towards Dr. Manette (who indirectly leads to him being nearly put to death), show what a good soul he has. The author describes Darnay as " a young gentleman his hair, which was long and dark the paleness which his situation endangered came through the brown upon his cheek, showing the soul to be stronger than the sun" (54). Darnay has a seductive charm, yet not seemingly suspicious to the reader, who is drawn to him almost instantly. His allure seems to be shown in the way he is described at first, as well as seeming to be a bad guy at first, then turning out to be one the best in the story.
Darnay's story is full of shock, such as finding out that he is a member of the Évremonde family, reading his "escape" from prison, and seeing his attempt to rescue Gabelle. All of these actions add to the reader's perception of Darnay as the hero in the book. All of these actions save him and also condemn him. During his first trial in France the court, upon hearing that Dr. Manette is his father-in-law and that he rejected the injustice of the French social system, then returned at great personal risk to rescue Gabelle, lead to his trials acquittal. "Lucie Manette, only daughter of Dr. Manette, the good physician who sits there. [referring to who Darnay married]" (259). " he had no means of living in France, save those he had resigned; whereas, in England, he lived by giving instruction in the French language and literature. He had returned when he did, on the pressing and written entreaty of a French citizen, who represented that his life was endangered by [Darnay's] absence. He had come back, to save a citizen's life, and to bear his testimony, at whatever personal hazard, to tell the truth" (260). The acquittal of the trial breaths a great sigh of relief into the reader, who was expecting Darnay to be executed
Upon being re-arrested, the reader is rather calm, thinking Darnay will get off for the same reasons. Though a sinister story is revealed, and Darnay is condemned. This might be the most distressing part for the reader, who now believes Darnay will be executed. The letter that Dr. Manette wrote in prison, describing the cruel treatment of the peasants by the Marquises, and Darnay's relation to that family, leads to him being condemned, and taken to jail. Now the reader feels stressed that this innocent man should pay for the sins of his family. This only makes the reader like Darnay more, praying that somehow he won't be executed. That is exactly what happens, with Carton taking his place.
Carton's sacrifice allowed Darnay and Lucie to "live happily ever after," and this is one of the biggest moments for the reader, feeling an immense amount of joyfulness towards Darnay, whose friends helped him to avoid death multiple times. His family's actions do nothing to the perception of Darnay as a great character, and imbue the reader with a strong sympathy for him. Darnay is the character that easily went through some of the worst times in the book, and he still managed to come out unscathed, and with the reader feeling pride for what he managed to accomplish.
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