Jackals And Lions In A Tale Of Two Cities

In A Tale of Two Cities, Sydney Carton found himself an alcoholic man, void of meaning, seemingly unable to find meaning in his life. Carton’s subjugation Stryver left him in a hole, rendering him under his control, unable to escape the order that ensued. However, through Lucie, and the power of his own will, Carton made an authentic choice to do anything for her or her family. In Book the Second, Carton holds a position of “the Jackal”, whereas his legal partner, Stryver, holds the title of “the Lion”; the titles show the relationship of jackals and lions in the real world, where lions are the top of the food chain, while jackals are scavengers. This is best seen between Carton and Stryver when “the jackal had got together a compact repast for the lion, and proceeded to offer it to him. The lion took it with care and caution, made his selections from it, and his remarks upon it, and the jackal assisted both. When the repast was fully discussed, the lion put his hands in his waistband again, and lay down to mediate” (Dickens 91). Sydney does all of the thinking, while Stryver takes all of the credit for the brilliance, which exemplifies the seemingly unchangeable hierarchy.

Here, Carton was symbolically resurrected, such as how a phoenix is born from ashes. Carton uses this newfound vigor to express his authenticity through switching places with Charles Darnay before his execution. Before this though, Carton explained that he was “not old, but my young way was never the way to age” (Dickens 331). His explanation essentially meant that his actions through his will would have proven to be sufficient in other time periods, but not this one. However, this only exemplified the power of his free will, as his choice to sacrifice himself was