Tale of two cities sydney cart
Tale of two cities sydney cartMany people want to be remembered as martyrs or heroes; to have proven their devotion to a person or cause, and many people have and do die for this. Some of their deaths may have been in vain; foolish, impetuous sacrifices of themselves that had no true effect, or some of the deaths may have furthered just causes and strengthened beliefs or saved the day. A deeper, case-specific look must be used to judge the true heroes from suicide martyrs caught in a fit of passion. An example of self-sacrifice arises in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens when Sydney Carton, an alcoholic leading a generally miserable life, sacrifices himself so the husband of the woman he adores (Lucie Manette) can live. He does this by switching places with Charles Darnay, Lucie’s husband, just before Darnay’s execution. Whether the switch was a heroic deed or a foolish one can be debated, or perhaps Carton can be both a hero and a fool.
Carton can easily be seen by the Darnay and Manette families as a hero, he made them all happy, not to mention Carton kept his earlier promise to Lucie that he would die to save someone dear to her. “For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything. If my career were of that better kind that there was any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you,” he had earlier promised to Lucie. Also, it could be considered honorable of Carton to take a death when he could have been devious and gotten closer to Lucie in her mourning by comforting her. Perhaps Carton also valued the lives of others more than his own. Quite a commendable trait, if true.
Just as well, Carton is a bit of a fool. Saving Darnay’s life did not alter history or anything momentous. Carton killed himself for no...
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