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Grace Hug

Mr. O’Leary

English 9

7 March 2018

Artifact One: Sydney Carton’s Fatal Path of Redemption

How can one redeem themselves from their lowest point in life? Fear? Love? Hope? In A

Tale of Two Cities, Sydney Carton brutally redeemed himself through the fate of the guillotine.

Carton chose this path of redemption not only for the sake of Lucie Manette and her family, but

also to find peace within himself and be redeemed in light of all every bad deed he had

committed. Carton’s path of redemption was both quick and secretive throughout the book and

movie.

In the beginning of the movie, Sydney Carton’s careless character is revealed in court

during Charles Darnay’s trial, where he was part of the jury. Carton showed blatant disrespect as

through falling asleep, putting his feet on the table, and not doing the courtesy of showing up

sober. He attempts to straighten his posture upon spotting Lucie Manette in court, but only in

front of her. After the trial, Carton and Darnay visit a bar where Carton tells Darnay, “I care for

no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me” (Dickens 146). This line is present in both

the book and movie. The quote embodies a largely significant aspect of Carton’s personality and

is revealed to carry deeper meaning further on in the text.

Although Carton’s personality changed quickly, he fell periodically into old habits. The

path of redemption he followed was rocky and rough. In the movie, when Lucie asks Carton if he

can change the way he lives his life he replies, “Too late, I’m afraid. I shall never be better than I

am” (Dickens 1:10:43) and follows up with, “I am like one who died young. All my life might
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have been” (Dickens 1:11). This proves that he believes he hasn’t fully redeemed himself for the

time being. He hasn’t yet pulled himself fully from his old lifestyle, the lifestyle Carton seems to

regret.

As Lucie and Carton’s conversation continues to unfold, Carton admits his everlasting

love for her. When he does this, he doesn’t pressure her into loving him back. Lucie simply says,

“Is there no way that I can turn your affection for me to some good account?” (Dickens, 1:12:04)

Carton rejects her reply, telling her she had done everything she could have possibly done for

him. Shortly after, Carton mentions, “You must believe me when I say I would embrace any

sacrifice for you in this world” (Dickens, 1:12:30). This is extremely important to remember

when Carton takes a stand for Darnay.

Once the second trial begins, Darnay is imprisoned and an execution is arranged. Carton

arranges a plan to finally redeem himself and trades spots with Darnay moments before the

execution. After trading clothes with Darnay and rendering him unconscious with a drug, Carton

is ready for the execution. While riding in the carriage out to the guillotine, he strikes up a

conversation with a seamstress who is being executed for an unknown reason. During their ride

she asks him, “Would you hold my hand?” (Dickens 2:28:05) The old Carton would have

rejected her and treated her with disrespect, but he behaves different now. Carton holds her hand

and comforts her the whole way to the guillotine. As they are about to be executed, they share a

quick and blissful moment of romance in the book, “She kisses his lips; he kisses hers; they

solemnly bless each other. The spare hand does not tremble as he releases it; nothing worse than

a sweet, bright constancy is in the patient face” (Dickens 666). In doing this, he is following

through with what Lucie told Carton when she asked that he share his affections for her with
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someone else. Not only was it an act of comfort, his last way of letting go of his passion for

Lucie.

As Carton’s fate laid before him, he gave a speech. In the movie, this speech consists of a

mere two sentences: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done. It is a far, far

better risk that I go too, and I have ever know.” Carton is telling himself that he was doing the

right thing. Being executed for the happiness of the woman you love isn’t exactly an easy

decision to make. This was simply a final moment of closure for Carton.

In the book, Carton goes into detail about his fate and how it will all end as if he were

Charles Darnay; but he explained everything he felt. He didn’t just give himself closure, he

predicted the future lives of the Darnay’s without him and reminded himself he was doing the

right thing, albeit terrifying. The speech was intense, but every word carried great meaning.

“I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy, in

that England which I shall see no more” (Dickens 669). In this specific portion of Carton’s

speech, he is at ease. Carton is at peace with his impending execution, because he knows how

happy Lucie and Darnay will be with their child. Carton told Lucie he would do anything for her

and he fulfills this promise to the fullest extent.

“I see Her with a child upon her bosom, who bears my name. I see her father, aged and

bent, but otherwise restored, and faithful to all men in his healing office, and at peace. I see the

good old man, so long their friend, in ten years’ time enriching them with all he has, and passing

tranquilly to his reward” (669 Dickens). In this section of his speech, Carton is talking about

Darnay’s family and Dr. Manette. He speaks on how he wants the family to remember him.

Carton didn’t want to be honored by them necessarily, just remembered. “I see her and her

husband, their course done, lying side by side in their last earthly bed, and I know that each was
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not more honoured and held sacred in the other’s soul, than I was in the souls of both” (669

Dickens). Carton is talking specifically about how he felt honored to be a part of their family and

watch Lucie and Darnay’s romance bloom into something beautiful, something Carton wanted,

but could never have. However, he still does not want the Darnay’s to honor him per se. Carton

was happy to see Lucie with her husband and Carton could see how much love and affection

they shared for one another. Carton simply wanted to be remembered. He didn’t want to

remembered for being the reason for their happiness;he wanted them to remembered the pleasant

memories they all shared.

“...a man winning his way up in that path of life which once was mine. I see him winning

it so well, that my name is made illustrious there by the light of his. I see the blots I threw

upon it, faded away. I see him, fore-most of just judges and honoured men, bringing a

boy of my name, with a forehead that I know and golden hair, to this place— then fair to

look upon, with not a trace of this day’s disfigurement —and I hear him tell the child my

story, with a tender and a faltering voice” (Dickens 669-670).

This quote continues to trace the theme of remembrance. Carton predicts that there will be stories

told about him, and he knows the guilt Darnay will feel. Carton doesn’t want Darnay’s life to be

full of guilt, he only wishes for Darnay’s family to be happy. Carton told Lucie he would do

anything for her happiness, and he stayed true to his word. Carton seemed to believe Lucie

deserved happiness more than he did, because he would have easily disregarded Charles’ trial

and come in to help Lucie, yet he gave up his life for a man he used to hate to keep her happy.

Carton’s character dramatically course-corrected within A Tale of Two Cities. He was a

tragic mess, half-asleep in court with his feet on the table; he was drunk and his wig wasn’t on

properly. However, he decided to turn the mess around upon meeting Lucie Manette and
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redeemed his life to the fullest extent for her sake. Carton chose this path of redemption not only

for Lucie Manette and her family, but also to find peace within himself and redeem all of the bad

deeds he had committed.

Understanding the ways of Charles Dickens and the way in which he portrays Sydney

Carton as a character is helpful to any reader or writer.Dickens laid the basic foundation of

character development and set a great example for writers to come. A Tale of Two Cities is a

beautifully crafted piece of literature that not only imparts knowledge to the audience about what

truly happened during the French Revolution, but also utilizes and exemplifies crucial structures

of writing.

Bibliography

“A Tale of Two Cities.” Planet Publish, www.planetpublish.com/wp-

content/uploads/2011/11/A_Tale_of_Two_Cities_T.pdf.
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“A Tale Of Two Cities 1980.” YouTube, 9 Oct. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?

v=gXSXTqlCasU .