Charles Darnay Recalled To Life Analysis

“‘Are you dying for him?’ she whispered. ‘And his wife and child. Hush! Yes.’” (Dickens, p.276) It was a symbol of a freedom, a symbol of captivity, a sign of hope, a sign of despair, a representation of a revolution, a representation of demoralization, a shift towards the light, a plunge towards the utter darkness. It was the Guillotine, brought to the spotlight by thousands of starving, desperate, hopeless people. Openly, it claimed to be the avenue for absolute freedom for France, but in honesty this machine touted the fall of morality. The French peasants took the power over the upper classes in order to break free from their starvation and mistreatment. Through the workings of Madame Guillotine, the peasants eliminated their offenders:

Once born into the Evermonde family, he disowned his aristocratic family and sought freedom in London. To his strong disadvantage, some of his relatives acted in violence and abuse towards a young woman. Years later, her relatives found Charles and attempted to punish him by the Guillotine for his family’s actions. As forcefully proclaimed by the victim’s sister, “that peasant family so injured by the two Evermonde brothers… is my family…those dead are my dead, and that summons to answer for those things descends to me!.. Then tell Wind and Fire where to stop,.. but don’t tell me.”(Dickens, p. 264) Even though Sydney Carton secretly died in his place, everyone believed that Charles Darnay was the one at the Guillotine. Therefore, the death of Sydney Carton freed Darnay from any further relation with his family’s past sin. This freedom allowed him to be completely “Recalled to Life” from his former bondage to the misconduct of his

Once he married his wife, Lucie, and joined the Mannette family, he quickly found a joyful, fulfilling life in London. He soon became the father to a little girl who brought light into the quiet home. “Ever busily the winding golden thread that bound them all together, weaving the service of her happy influence through the tissue of all their lives…Lucie heard in the echoes of years none but friendly and soothing sounds. Her husband’s step was strong and prosperous among them; her father’s firm and equal.” (Dickens, p.162) Disturbingly, about the same time in France, the Revolution was mounting like a tight capsule about to burst. Even the peace inside their sweet home became invaded by the French turmoil. In no time, Darnay found himself awaiting the fate of the Guillotine in a miserable jail cell. Sydney Carton’s heroic rescue allowed Darnay to flee once again into the safety of London and be recalled back to the serene life he once beheld.
Some people claim that Charles Darnay was not “Recalled to Life” through the sacrifice of Sydney Carton. They support this by stating that Charles Darnay never began to live as though he had a new life and his character and actions remained the same. They also explain that he did not have an instance in which he suddenly found a new meaning to life. In contrast,