Tale Of Two Cities Character Comparison Essay

Characters from different books can be compared and related to each other, just like Jean Valjean, from “Les Miserables” and Sydney Carton, from “A Tale of Two Cities.” These two characters relate in many ways, such as, they are both strong characters who acquire qualities like devotion, love, sacrificial behaviors, kindness, are both revolutionists, both seek forgiveness and self discovery and are both overall good people trying to do themselves and others right. In “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo, and “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens, Jean Valjean and Sydney Carton are characters that can relate to each other. I chose them to compare because they both are considered heroic characters and have many similar qualities.

Sydney Carton
He is also a good person, even though he weeps and sulks in his sadness, he has done nothing but good in his life. He has done everything to benefit the one’s he loves, and even though that might be selfless and unfair to himself, he is still viewed as an overall good person. He would do anything for Lucie and her happiness, even sacrifice himself for her, despite the fact she loves someone else. He is at a point in his life where he is going through some self discovery problems, just wanting to be someone. He is the perfect example of a round character, and it is good because you really get to feel for him, and relate to his struggles in trying to find himself. When he states that he will just walk the streets until morning waiting for and protecting Lucie. As the book states, “Now, that the streets were quiet, and the night wore on, the words were in the echoes of his feet, and were in the air.” (Book 2, Chapter 9, Page 7, Dickens) Here he has nothing else to do but walk the streets of London on his last night as a free man, just waiting until morning, once again protecting
All’s he wants in life is to just be forgiven for his “sins” and move on. Jean is done, he’s tired of running, tired of being locked up and tormented, tired of being chased all his life just for stealing bread. The sad thing is, is that he stole the bread to keep his family from starving, but the police didn’t care, he still got thrown in jail, and it’s ridiculous, he’s not a bad person. “God” isn’t going to punish him for trying to save his family’s lives, and I think he realizes that in a way, but he still feels guilty for it even though he shouldn't. As said in an article by Karen L. Taylor, “Jean Valjean, a victim of society sentenced to the galleys for having stolen bread to feed his starving family,” and I think that is a good way to sum up his situation because he really is a victim of