Sacrifice In A Tale Of Two Cities

To each person, sacrifice may have a different meaning. It is not the same nor does it have the same cost, but it does share one critical component: it is an act of selflessness. A sacrifice is a theme throughout the book, A Tale of Two Cities. Written by Charles Dickens, this book is set a few years before and during the French revolution. During this time period many sacrifices are given. Dickens knows this and provides extraordinary and heart wrenching examples. The characters in the book know they will loose something in the end when they give their sacrifice; they might not know how big, but they know deep down they won’t get out of the situation without something horrid happening. Charles Darnay, Dr. Manette, and Miss Pross sacrifice

Manette sacrifices the safety of himself and his family in addition to sacrificing many years of his life in prison all in the name of justice. Furthermore, Dr. Manette, temporarily sacrifices his sanity and his happiness, so Lucie would be free to marry Charles Darnay. Dr. Manette’s first sacrifice occurs while trying to help a young woman’s family seek justice. By helping them get justice, Dr. Manette sacrifices being with his own family as well as watching his daughter, Lucie grow up. Dr. Manette writes a letter to an authority figure explaining what he has seen at the Marquis de Evermonde’s estate. He returns home from the Marquis de Evermonde’s estate, and soon there is a knock on the door. Dr. Manette’s wife “laid her head upon my shoulder, that night when I was summoned out- she had a fear of my going, though I had none” (258). Unfortunately for Dr. Manette, the Marquis and his brother intercept the letter he writes. “The Marquis took from his pocket the letter I had written, showed it me, burnt it in the light of lantern that was held, and extinguished the ashes with his foot… I was brought here, I was brought to my living grave” “and when I was brought to the north tower they found these upon my sleeve. ‘You will leave me then? They can never help me escape in the body, though they may in spirit” (258) (33). Dr. Manette writes the letter in the name of justice and sacrifices many years with his family as well as their safety. He continues to make

She sacrifices her future by taking care of Lucie since Lucie was ten. Miss Pross and Lucie must live off of Lucie’s inheritance because of Miss Pross’ brother, Solomon, “a heartless scoundrel that who has stripped her of everything she possessed…and abandoned her in poverty for ever more”(72-73). Raising Lucie is a hardship: “I have lived with the darling- or the darling has lived with me and paid me for it: which she certainly should never have done, you may take your affidavit, if I could have afforded to keep either myself or her for nothing- since she was ten years old. And it was really very hard”(72). Everything Miss Pross does is out of love for Lucie. Lucie does not have a family and Miss Pross is alone as well. Miss Pross has no money since the “heartless scoundrel” took all of it from her (72). She knows she has to care for Lucie and sacrifices getting married and starting a family of her own. Miss Pross also sacrifices something bigger for Lucie: Madame Defarge comes to the house where Lucie and her family are staying in Paris, intending to denounce Lucie, little Lucie, and Dr. Manette. Staying back, Miss Pross struggles to defend the secret as to where the family has gone. In the end, Madame Defarge’s gun is fired: “Miss Pross looked up and saw what it was, struck at it, struck out a flash and a crash, and stood alone- blinded with smoke” (287). Miss Pross runs out and Finds Jerry