A Tale of Two Cities
When writing a book, most authors are writing about an issue they have.
However, other themes become apparent through the course of the piece,
either
consciously or subconsciously. One such theme is a reversal of
characters in A Tale of
Two Cities. Individuals and groups of people change dramatically from
the outset of the
book all the way up to its conclusion. Three of the most obvious changes
in character are
Sydney Carton, Madame DeFarge, and the French people as a whole.
Sydney Carton is first described at Darnay’s trial as not paying
attention to what’s
going on, sort of an oaf. He is portrayed as a drunk, and even admits
this to Darnay on
their “date.” However, love, they say, is strong; Carton’s love for Lucy
changed him
greatly though the course of the novel. He stopped drinking when he
visited, and even
pledged his life to her, and everyone she loved. Carton changed even
more dramatically
when death on the guillotine was approaching. He waxed philosophical
about the future,
and even quoted a few scriptures. This is most certainly not the man
first seen at the Old
Bailey with the sideways wig.
Another interesting change took place in the character of Madame Defarge.
She
is first portrayed as a woman of principle who is helping her husband
with the revolution.
However, Madame Defarge makes a startling metamorphosis from supporting
character
to antagonist when she is revealed to be the shadow. She is shown to be
cruel and petty,
not the compassionate woman one would assume of a leader of a revolution
against
tyranny. This part of the novel casts a shadow of doubt over the rest of
the characters,
and one begins to question the validity of all the characters.
Finally, the French people themselves start out as downtrodden and
miserable
victims of a corrupt system. But it is illustrated that they could be
just as heartless as
their rich counterparts, the aristocrats, when it came down to it. For
example, anyone
who was an aristocrat, or even associated with aristocrats, was
sentenced to death. As
the novel went on, the French people grew more heartless, for the
executions continued
without end. This last reversal in character is the most disturbing,
because it holds true
in the real world.
These examples are but a few of the many in A Tale of Two Cities, and
this
theme of character reversal one of a myriad of possible interpretations.
However, the
fact remains that these integral characters all changed drastically:
Carton for love,
Madame Defarge for revenge, and the French people for power. The cause
of these
reversals was honor; Carton had pledged his life to Lucy, and Madame
Defarge and the
French people wanted to honor France. Without these reversals in
character, Dickens
would have had a much more convoluted novel, and perhaps would have even
had to
introduce even more characters into the plot. As it is, the changes wrap
up the book with
one decisive stroke, leaving the reader with a sense of closure rather
than apprehension.
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DIRECTORY: CHARLES DICKENS