For someone
who was not well versed in Charles Dickens, I have quickly caught up during the
past three months. Normally, I wouldn’t think Dickens is the best author to
binge read (actually, I’m not sure it's a good idea to binge read any author
because then you will get tired of them), but I am glad I am catching up on
reading these classics. Especially A Tale
of Two Cities!
A Tale of Two Cities was different from
the two previous Dickens novels I’ve read in that it had a clear plot
trajectory rather than just a character study. David Copperfield and Great
Expectations both focused on a coming of age story of a young boy and the
different people that helped him grow up. However, A Tale of Two Cities is criticized because the characters were flat
and lacked the depth seen in Dickens’ other works. I could see that as I read,
especially with Lucie. Honestly, she was kind of boring and it seemed like the
only reason so many men wanted to marry her was for her golden hair and her
purity. Pffffffff. Golden hair doesn’t get you anywhere. Lemme tell you. But,
Lucie is at the heart of the novel and a lot of the action is centered around
her so I can’t bash her too much.
The two
male leads, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, are also criticized for their
lack of depth. However, I must argue that they are written this way because it
is their actions that speak the
loudest. This novel is not meant to be like David
Copperfield or Great Expectations.
It is meant to capture a specific period in history and these two men epitomize
the terror during this time. Of course, there is also a conspiracy theory that
Darnay and Carton are Charles Dickens combined; that he put some of himself
into both of these characters. I’m not so sure of that, but I do know that
authors insert themselves into their characters whether consciously or not. The
characters in this novel are not as dynamic as some of Dickens’ others, but
they control the plot which is the heart of the story.
Every good
love story has a love triangle. That’s why Twilight,
The Hunger Games, and Bridget Joneses’ Diary are such popular
books and movies (I know that last one doesn’t really connect with the first
two, but, trust me, it has the perfect love triangle). But, is it really a love
triangle when one man does not make his intentions known? It seems that from
very early on that Lucie and Charles Darnay were meant to be and the central
couple of the text. However, Sydney Carton is slowly revealed to harbor a
secret love for Lucie. He never takes the chance to tell Lucie how he feels
because (1) he doesn’t feel like he is good enough, (2) he hasn’t found his own
purpose in life, and (3) Lucie and Charles Darnay are already madly in love.
But did Lucie ever have the chance to love Sydney? He never put himself out
there or revealed his feelings to her. Maybe he thought he was doing her a
favor because he didn’t think he was good enough. But he never gave himself the
chance to see if she could return those feelings.
It is
pretty clear that I fall on the Sydney Carton team for the love triangle. I
tend to side with the underdog in these situations. I really did like Charles
Darnay and would easily claim him as my literature crush for this novel, but
Sydney was just more interesting. Sydney had flaws that made him more real to
me and unrequited love always makes me feel some sort of way. What really made
love him was his action at the end of the novel. SPOILER ALERT. Sydney made the
ultimate sacrifice him and gave up his life so Lucie could be happy with someone
that wasn’t him. Ultimately, her happiness and safety was more important to him
than his own life. And, with that, my heart was broken just like my friend
said. Lucie would never know how much Sydney loved him, but his sacrifice saved
many lives. I am just going to sob for a minute over this.
Other Thoughts:
- One of my favorite lines was about Sydney Carton: “When he
cared to talk, he talked well.” Such a simple line, but with a lot said. I
always listen carefully to those who are quiet because when they talk, it is
usually very insightful. I wish I was one of those people. Sometimes I am. Other
times, I just have a tendency to babble.
- I find it funny that Charles Darnay tells Lucie’s father
that he loves her and intends to marry her before he even mentions to Lucie
that he loves her. I would find it very strange if a guy told my dad that he
was in love with me and intended to marry me before I even had any inkling myself.
- So far, my ranking of Dickens’ works are 1. A Tale of Two Cities, 2. Great Expectations, 3. David Copperfield
Next Time:
Rory’s
teacher mentioned Dickens and these novels because their topic of discussion is
the impact English culture had on Russian culture and thenceforth English
literature on Russian literature. This will lead into our next book, War and Peace (that one is going to be a
long ride), because Charles Dickens was Leo Tolstoy’s favorite author. Wish me
luck as I make my way through this 1215 beast of a Russian novel! And now because everyone deserves to look at a puppy...
Images
- Book cover: http://conversationsabouther.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/A_Tale_of_Two_Cities__91605_zoom.jpg
- Comic cover: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/CC_No_06_A_Tale_of_Two_Cities.jpg/220px-CC_No_06_A_Tale_of_Two_Cities.jpg
-Wishbone: http://images.paperbackswap.com/l/59/3059/9780836823059.jpg
