Tale of Two Cities

An Analysis of Duty and Sacrifice in Dickens' a Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens' 1859 A Tale of Two Cities deals with the dichotomous nature of man: the good and the bad, the selfish and the selfless. These two natures are observed in the two (ironically look-alike) characters, the dutiful Charles Darnay and the derelict Sydney Carton. Yet, just as the novel embodies a dichotomy, shown in its opening statement that "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times," (3) Sydney Carton also embodies a dichotomy: selfish and destructive throughout the tale, he performs one heroic deed in the novel's climax by sacrificing his life for Darnay's. Dickens, here, appears to be sending the message that one good action (such as Carton's) can make up for a lifetime of bad ones. He also appears to be following the Christian ethic that...
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