Sydney Carton

Critically acclaimed and advanced stories use character transformation both as a way of advancing the plot of the story and as a way of revealing universal truths about the human condition. Death, disarray, and a disenfranchised middle class roam the streets of Paris, hungrily searching for anyone who resembles an aristocrat to guillotine. In Charles Dickens’ magnum opus, Tale of Two Cities, an intriguing roster of characters and an engrossing plot embody late 1700’s Paris. Sydney Carton, just another orphan forgotten by the neglectful Bourbon Regime, inhabits these desolate streets without a purpose. In Tale of Two Cities, Sydney Carton, a depressed alcoholic lawyer, gains purpose and a new perspective on his life after experiencing the empowerment
Sydney begins the story as a depressed, apathetic excuse of a man who “cares for no man on Earth,” because “no man cares for him” (Dickens 81). Years of solitude and neglect inspire feelings of depression in poor Sydney. Before experiencing an act of kindness, Sydney, perhaps rightfully, assumes that no one cares for him, and, because of this, he cares for no one in return. Sydney’s feelings reflect that of many a Frenchman during this era. After having their needs neglected for years by the Bourbon Regime, the San-Soulettes of France lose their compassion and respect for the Aristocrats who run France. In an age of previously unseen wealth, the French people, who work tirelessly, never receive the recognition or respect that they deserve. This lack of recognition mirrors that of Sydney Carton as he works nonstop on court cases for other people. Furthermore, Sydney Carton, stunted in his growth, lives “like one that died young,” because he never meets his full potential due to his parents death (Dickens 170). Dickens uses extreme imagery to describe Carton’s feeling of mediocrity and lost potential. Sydney Carton, despite winning a genetic
These ideas do not only add knowledge to the human mind and soul, they unlock hidden knowledge already there. Dickens utilizes the character transformation of Sydney Carton, a man beaten down his whole life by the system, to reflect that. This universal truth applies to all, as demonstrated by the French Revolution which occurred around the same time. Dickens recognizes that every person, including those belonging to the marginalized groups or classes, holds the key to success within themselves, they just need the power to access