Tale Of Two Cities Duality

Mindsets determine the outcomes. When two people are given similar starting points, their endpoints are determined by their mindset, which influences the choices they make. This is evident in Charles Dickens's Historical Fiction Novel A Tale of Two Cities when Dickens utilizes the theme of Duality to illustrate how forgiveness offers redemption vs. revenge that leads to destruction. To begin, with Sydney Carton being forgiven and redeemed, Dickens utilizes the idea of destruction to describe Carton's mindset and viewpoint of his life. At the beginning of the novel, Charton is described as a lazy drunkard who places no value on his own life. His intelligence speaks for itself when he analyzes cases for his Boss Stryver, but quickly moves himself

This unwillingness to acknowledge and act upon his potential stems from what Carton thinks his life has become. This is captivated when Carton comes to his emotional breaking point and shows up at the Mannete family home to tell Lucie he loves her but can not bring her joy and thus cannot sustain a relationship. Carton iterates “I am like one who died young”. All my life might have been” (150). Carton views his life as a waste and nothing can prevent it from failing. This mindset puts him in the position of someone who needs redemption and to find a purpose for his potential. In addition, Dickens utilizes the Forgiveness that the Mannette Family offers Carton to lead to his redemption. During Carton's state of self-doubt, he meets a man that he and his Boss Stryver are representing in the trial. This man is named Charles Darnay and is accused of passing messages to the French while he is British. While the trial is going on, Jerry Cruncher observes a “resemblance he undoubtedly bore” (77) with the man. Even though they have many physical similarities there, everything else about them is

Seeing a person such as Darnay angers Carton because it brings to light the disappointing life he has lived. This causes Carton to act rudely to Darnay and become unwelcome in the Mannet Family since Darney has married Lucie Manette. In saying this, when Carton expresses his love for Lucie, he undergoes a heart change. Carton realizes that love is worth living for, even if that love cannot be physically or emotionally expressed. After Lucie and Darnay return from their honeymoon, Carton goes to the Manette household and pulls Darney aside to express his remorse for the altercation on the night of his trial. Instead of humbling himself down in a self-loathing way, he humbles himself to Darnay in search of a better life and to be a part of something bigger than his wasted potential. Carton wishes to be part of a family and have Darnay’s friendship. While Carton asks for Darney’s Friendship, he states, “I should ask that I might be permitted to come and go as a privileged person