Tale Of Two Cities Character Analysis Essay

Many people oftentimes think they are useless. While that is truly not the case, some do believe their situation is hopeless and real. Sydney Carton in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities truly does think his life up until now has been eventless and sees no place for himself to continue on without an act of heroism. In this excerpt from the novel, Dickens uses the literary techniques of diction, symbolism, and allusion to show how Carton thinks of himself as second-rate, but with a higher purpose. Since Sydney thinks of himself lowly from the beginning of the novel, it is not surprising he’s out walking about at night with no one else around. While on his walk, he stops at a river and contemplates his decisions. The scenery around Sydney is very disheartening. “...Shone bright in the light of the moon, the day came coldly, looking like a dead face out of the sky. Then, the night, with the moon and the stars, turned pale and died,” (Dickens). The author

Sydney learned this verse as a child and it has stuck with him his whole life. “I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.” (Dickens). This verse comes from John 11:25-26, where Jesus is bringing Lazarus back to life after he has died. The biblical allusion demonstrates to the reader that Carton is a man of faith. Whether he follows his faith religiously is to be determined, but nevertheless he believes this quote to the end. The excerpt states his “blindness” and “errors” ended due to these words. The allusion of Lazarus signifies to the audience what is about to happen to Carton. Even though Carton will die physically, he will still live with his Lord. This provides some reassurance to him that his actions will not be done with him being damned to Hell, but rather cherished in Heaven and alive in