I've always willing to read Charles Dickens and I finally took the chance to read through A Tale of Two Cities-which my friend recommended to me. Even though Dickens is using so many metaphors, which I mostly did not understand, and even his English was really old and hard, that cannot be any obstacles for understanding this book. By reading this book helps me reflect on my life and it taught me one main lesson, LOVE.
Ultimately, "A Tale of Two Cities" is about SACRIFICE, and that is the reason why I love the character of Sydney Carton. Anyway, I admire Carton because of his udying love for Lucie Manette, even though he will never be with her because she chose Charles Darnay, who happens to look like Sydney Carton. Both people are completely different from each other, almost opposites. On one hand, you have Charles, who seems young and perfect and happy. On the other hand, you have Sydney Carton, the depressed drunck who has a negative outlook on life from being neglected.
Despite his negativity, Carton still loves Lucie and will do anything for her, just to make her happy. The man switches places with her imprisoned husband who is going to be executed. Carton knows that Lucie would be miserable if Darnay was beheaded by Guillotine, so he takes his place and makes the ultimate sacrifice. Without his love towards Lucie, he could never make that kind of decision. Because he loves her, he sacrifices himself.
All in all, I suggest reading "A Tale of Two Cities." Even though I was forced, I would read it again. The only disclaimer I have is to read it carefully and pay attention to all the metaphors. And I better read it more than once so I can find all the foreshadowing.
Good thing I have my own copy of the book besides the the one I borrow from school library. Then I can read it as many times as I want.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
A Tale of Two Cities: Main Characters
Describing the goals, dreams, and motives behind a main characters:
Charles Darnay is a French aristocrat by birth, and he chooses to live in England because he cannot bear to be associated with the cruel injustices of the French social system. Darnay displays great virtue in his rejection of the snobbish and cruel values of his uncle, the Marquis Evremonde. He exhibits a admirable honesty in his decision to reveal to Dr. Manette his true identity as a member of the infamous Evremonde family. So, to prove his courage in his decision to return to Paris at great personal risk to save the imprisoned Gabelle.
Sydney Carton was a alcoholic lawyer who works with Stryver. Carton has no real prospects in life and doesn't seem to be in interested to any. However, fall in love with Lucie, and his feelings for her eventually transform him into a prospective man. At first, you will think that Carton has opposite situations and personality, but in the end Carton morally overcome the man to whom he bears a striking physical resemblance.
Lucie Manette is a young French woman who grew up in England, she was raised as a helper of Tellson's Bank because her parents were known as to be dead. Her love has the power to hind her family together, in the book often called her as the "golden thread." Futhermore, her love has the power to transform those around her. It enables her father to be "recalled to life," and it sparks Carton's development from a "jackal" into a hero.
Dr. Manette is Lucie's father, he was imprisoned for 19-years as a prisoner in the Bastille. In the beginning of the book, he does nothing but make shoes, a hobby that he adopted to distract himself form the tortures of prison. As he overcomes his past, he proves to be a loving father who prizes his daughter's happiness above all things.
Charles Darnay is a French aristocrat by birth, and he chooses to live in England because he cannot bear to be associated with the cruel injustices of the French social system. Darnay displays great virtue in his rejection of the snobbish and cruel values of his uncle, the Marquis Evremonde. He exhibits a admirable honesty in his decision to reveal to Dr. Manette his true identity as a member of the infamous Evremonde family. So, to prove his courage in his decision to return to Paris at great personal risk to save the imprisoned Gabelle.
Sydney Carton was a alcoholic lawyer who works with Stryver. Carton has no real prospects in life and doesn't seem to be in interested to any. However, fall in love with Lucie, and his feelings for her eventually transform him into a prospective man. At first, you will think that Carton has opposite situations and personality, but in the end Carton morally overcome the man to whom he bears a striking physical resemblance.
Lucie Manette is a young French woman who grew up in England, she was raised as a helper of Tellson's Bank because her parents were known as to be dead. Her love has the power to hind her family together, in the book often called her as the "golden thread." Futhermore, her love has the power to transform those around her. It enables her father to be "recalled to life," and it sparks Carton's development from a "jackal" into a hero.
Dr. Manette is Lucie's father, he was imprisoned for 19-years as a prisoner in the Bastille. In the beginning of the book, he does nothing but make shoes, a hobby that he adopted to distract himself form the tortures of prison. As he overcomes his past, he proves to be a loving father who prizes his daughter's happiness above all things.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)