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摘 要

西德尼·卡顿是英国作家查尔斯·狄更斯《双城记》中的一个次要人物。本文从三个方面分析了西德尼·卡顿的性格，以及这种性格缺陷对卡顿本人命运的影响。因为懦弱，在面对爱情时一直压抑着自己的情感而不敢表达自己对露西的爱意；虽然是一个有为青年，却因为自卑而没有勇气去展示自己的才华；孤独，导致他遇到问题时也没有朋友来帮自己出谋划策，只得自己独自承担，最后落得个为了露西的幸福而失去自己生命的悲剧命运。

关键词: 《双城记》；西德尼·卡顿；懦弱；自卑；

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 2

3. The Analysis of Sydney Carton’s Personality 3

3.1 Sydney Carton’s Cowardice 4

3.2 Sydney Carton’s Inferiority Complex 5

3.3 Sydney Carton’s Loneliness 7

4. Conclusion 9

Works Cited 11

1. Introduction

Charles Dickens paid special attention to describing life experience of the “minor people” at the bottom of British society and gave a profound reflection of the complicated social reality in Britain. He made outstanding contributions to the development of critical realism in English literature. A Tale of Two Cities, with the French Revolution and the English society at the eve of the 18th century as its background, is one of the most famous works of Charles Dickens. The “two cities” in A Tale of Two Cities refer to Paris and London.

A Tale of Two Cities is different from other historical novels and its main personalitys and the plots are fictional. Three mutually independent and interrelated stories are intertwined together and Doctor Manette’s experience is the main line with the miscarriage of justice, love, revenge, and intricate plots.  

The most classic paragraph in A Tale of Two Cities is that It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way-in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only .( Charles Dickens,2006:3)

Sydney Carton is a minor character in A Tale of Two Cities, perhaps a lot of people think that he is not as important as a key figure, but he is really indispensable. At the end of the story Sydney Carton sacrifices his life in exchange for Lucie’s well-being and for her happy life. This thesis mainly analyses the personalities of Sydney Carton. His personalities are expressed in many aspects. Sydney Carton is a talented young man, but he is not a brave man. In face of Lucie, he doesn’t dare to express his full love for her because he is so cowardly. Sydney Carton has a strong sense of inferiority and dare not express his own talents and he has been hiding behind others. Sydney Carton’s loneliness causes him no friends to depend on all his life. No one can understand him. No one communicates with him and no one loves him. Sydney Carton is actually very sad and his lonely life has never been memorized by anyone after his sacrificing his life for love. 

2. Literature Review

Recent years have witnessed a steady increase in the popularity of personality. A Tale of Two Cities is a best seller and many people explore the book. Up to now, a great number of scholars at home and abroad have done a lot of researches and comments on the key issues of A Tale of Two Cities. From their studies, we can find different scholars see the issue from various view.

Wang Zimo expresses his opinions on A Tale of Two Cities attitude of the revolution. Dickens’ attitude to the revolution is complex, on the one hand he was sympathetic to people, recognizing the coming of revolution; on the other hand, he was on the scene to make revolutionary horrors description, and then showed his reflections on the revolution and negation. (Wang Zimo, 2010:77)

The people’s discontent very triggered at any time. But form bourgeois humanitarian standpoint, the author against, all the oppressed class, not favored the people of violent revolution and worried that the outbreak of the revolution under the reflection of France Revolution, the situation, Sydney Carton and Doctor Manette has changed a lot. And these changes express the good expectation for the future. (Li Nan, 2012:189)

Lin Lin analyzed A Tale of Two Cities form its writing skills. She had written that A Tale of Two Cities uses a large number of symbols, metaphor, especially the projectile author emotion and idea--space, more to be abstracted to a desired text. Through reading interpretation is novel in space and its metaphorical meaning, and rough to the reason, Dickens attached great importance to the “body” and “desire” of the meaning of negation. (Lin Lin, 2011:104)

Vividly described characters and various writing devices enabled the author, Dickens to fully express bourgeois humanitarianism in his own way. The bourgeois humanitarianism he held in ideology led to reluctance for vehement rebellion and support for moderate reformism in politics. Throughout the book he tried to remind the ruling class not to oppress the common people too harsh, and the public not to resort to violence. As a representative of bourgeois humanitarianism, Charles’ humanitarianism also plays a role in the modern bourgeois societies and provides a living example for us to understand the nature of bourgeoisie. (Yu HAO and Ren CHI, 2013)
In Liu Yin’s view, the theme of the novel including revenge, hatred, violence, love, life, and dedication, is a famous English novelist Dickens’ classic. (Liu Yin, 2008:73)

In the light of few relevant researches, recently people come to realize there is something significant behind the big work so that more and more people are addressing themselves to study it from many perspectives. As the proverb goes, there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes. Different people have different views on this novel.

I will analyze Carton’s personalities from three aspects in this thesis. In face of Lucie, Carton suppresses his emotions and doesn’t dare to express his love for her because of his cowardice. Although Carton is a promising youth, he has no courage to show his talent for his sense of inferiority. Sidney Carton’s loneliness leads to no friends to help him out when in trouble and he has to take all that he had suffered even meets with his tragic fate by losing his life for saving Lucie’s husband’s life. I will show it for you.

3. The Analysis of Sydney Carton’s Personality

3.1 Sydney Carton’s Cowardice

Facing love, the choice of the Sydney Carton is disappointing us. He is an outstanding talented aristocrat, but he does not show the aristocrat’s bravery to pursue his love for Lucie. Lucie has been the last dream of Sydney Carton’s soul. Sydney Carton will do what he can do for Lucie and Sydney Carton can make any sacrifice for Lucie. A man who would give his life for you loves you truly. He makes up his mind that he is willing to make any sacrifice for her when Sydney Carton sees Lucie at the first sight.

 Sydney Carton once criticizes that Lucie is just a decadent, cold blonde doll, but he falls in love with her when he sees her for the first time. His love for her begins to become a steady stream. Carton"s heart is so tangled when he sees Lucie for first time that night. He is not able to own a good dream but cries tears and wets his pillow. His heart has been struggling and finally he decides to give himself the right to love Lucy. He falls in love with that golden doll incurably, but he did not have courage to express and pursue his love to Lucie. He is worried that his love for Lucie would make her feel painful and more depressed.

 Later, there is a communication between Sydney Carton and Darnay about their common lover Lucie. Readers can feel their inner hearts from their different behaviors. Carton tries to use alcohol to numb himself by keeping drinking and locks himself in a small corner in his heart. He does not have any courage to express his deep love for Lucie and has no ability to compete with Darnay for Lucie’s love. He can only bury his love deep in heart and hide his feelings jealousy.

There is a relatively long dialogue between Sydney Carton and Lucie. Only in this dialogue does he feel that Lucie’s heart is closest to his. He can not lift up his head shyly in front of a goddess, just like a hurt child. His sadness is completely shown in front of us and this makes us sorry for him. The most important thing is that Carton needs to prove himself in front of Lucie that he is a loyal and steadfast lover. However, the fact is that he flinches. Sydney Carton says to Lucie: “Be comforted! I am not worth such feeling, Miss Manette. An hour or two hence, and the low companions and low habits that I scorn but yield to, will render me less worth such tear as those, than any wretch who creeps along the streets. Be comforted! But, within myself I shall always be, towards, what I am now, though outwardly I shall be what you have heretofore seen me. The last supplication but one I make to you, is, that you will believe this of me.” (Charles Dickens, 2006: 220-221)

 Carton never regrets what he does for Lucie even though Lucie’s behaviors hurt him greatly and he is still willing to give up his own life to save Lucie’s husband’s life just for Lucie. What is satisfying Carton is that Lucie can feel his sincerest love for her and what he does for Lucie is no longer in vain but meaningful.

 The lawyer’s assistant Sydney Carton likes Lucie for a long time and does many things for Lucie secretly. He even gives up his life in order to save Lucie’s husband. On the gallows he is so calm and even does not show the slightest fear of death, but even at this time he still does not have enough courage to directly express his fanatical love to Lucie. He has no courage to pursue his love and has to sacrifice quietly. His cowardice makes readers feel very sad and show their deep sympathy for his tragic fate. His cowardice makes us feel so terrible that many people might have ignored his existence. Even so, his spirit of making sacrifice for love is worthy of our praise.

To the contrary , He Run-dong had stated that Philanthropy is the key theme of A Tale of Two Cities，and also the spiritual aspiration of Dickens himself．Sydney Carton，an outcast from society，was not only to save Lucie and the Manette family，but to strive against the torrent of massacre and to awaken people’s conscience.(He Run-dong, 2011: 25)

3.2 Sydney Carton’s Inferiority Complex

As a young nobleman, Carton can shine himself and demonstrate his talent to others enthusiastically to prove his ability and to show his nobleness as a promising man. But in fact what we know about Carton is so far from what we imagine about him. Carton often goes to help Stryver to collect data on the cases and finally helps Stryver to win these cases. He makes lots of preparations for his work just quietly behind the scenes. I don’t think it is worthy because what he does could have brought him more honor and make his career come to a higher level. However, his personality of inferiority decides his behavior and seems to be immutable.

 Carton’s first appearance is so low-key that during the whole process of the trial he just stares blankly at the court’s ceilings. He seems to care about nothing and does not care about the process of the case at all. But this is just an illusion and actually he knows everything that is happening. When Stryver’s witness does not work the trial is on panel discussion, at this critical moment it’s Carton who finds a breakthrough for Stryver with his keen observation and insight to help Darnry avoid the jail time. Finally Mr. Stryver wins this case. To Carton this is a big stage where he can show his talent as a lawyer, but he hides himself. Everyone is busy celebrating happily after winning the case successfully, but no one seems to realize the important role Carton plays in the trial process. Everyone ignores his work and even his existence. Of course part of the reasons is from Carton himself, unlike others he doesn’t want to show his talent publicly, he just wants to do his own business quietly.

 What impresses us most is that Carton just focuses on the ceilings from beginning to end during the trial. Carton once says he is not a success and he does not care about others’ world and of course others also do not understand his world. Perhaps it is his family background that makes him become so inferior and decadent. He doesn’t dare to show his talent and just shut himself in his own world, but he can help his partner by using his talents without considering any fame and wealth.

 He is conquered by his own living environment but the temperament embodied on him is at odds with all this. As a lawyer’s assistant his talent is undeniable, but he is just willing to hide behind to be a stepping stone for others’ success. He seems to be isolated and does not want any fame or social status, he is just enjoying his inner serenity quietly. He says: “I am desperately cool, I do not care about anyone in this world and of course no one cares about me.” At school, he does homework for other students; as to his occupation as a paralegal, he is still unknown to the public even he is a genius. He should have a better career and become more successful, but he did not just because of his inferiority complex. He is an inferior man and no one can understand his inner world. Whether in school or in reality he is always a minor personality, he is filled of inferiority and he has no courage to express himself.

‘That’s a fair young lady to be pitied by and wept for by! How does it feel? Is it worth being tried for one’s life, to be the object of such sympathy and compassion, Mr. Darnay?’ Again Darnay answered not a word. (Charles Dickens , 2006:120-121）

 Carton expresses his dislike on Darnay before Darnay falls in love with Lucie. His words are filled with a deep sense of jealousy because Carton has deeply felt Lucie’s love for Daley. If Carton wasn’t so inferior, he does not need to express his jealousy but should pursue Lucie courageously.

 Carton’s inferiority makes his life so bad and so terrible even after he becomes a capable lawyer. The reason why he does not want to display his talent is his inferiority and his low self-esteem, which makes him not dare to show himself, to express himself and to allow others to understand him.

3.3 Sydney Carton’s Loneliness

Throughout A Tale of Two Cities there is no any description about Carton’s friends. It is not because the author has inclination against description but because Carton really has no close, intimate friends. Life without a friend is hard to imagine. No one can understand him deeply, no one can love him from their inner hearts and no one can read his ideas from his bottom heart by soul communication with him. After sacrificing his life for love Carton is still lonely. No one can remember him, no friends miss him and no family members or relatives cherish him.

Sydney Carton paused in the street, not quite decided where to go. ( Charles Dickens , 2006:488）

 After he makes the decision to die for Charles Darnay, no friends or relatives care about his ideas and his mental activities, let alone some constructive opinions proposed. Wandering alone on the empty path he does not know where to go and in fact he has no place to go. He also has no friends to confide to.

 “It is the best that these people should know there is such a man as I here.” His first impression was confirmed. ‘It is best,’ he said, ‘finally resolved, that these people should know there is such a man as I here.’”（Charles Dickens, 2006:488）

Twice, Sydney Carton says that ‘It is the best that these people should know there is such a man as I here.’ On such a critical moment, he seems to be strengthening his sense of existence. This in fact means he is really lonely and here we can also see how minor a man he is.

 Actually the Darnays drive away and go to start a new life after Charles Darnay is exchanged out from prison by Carton. I do believe that everyone feel sad about Carton’s fate of facing the upcoming death. With the new life given by Carton Darnay leads a happy life with Lucie. In their future life, the sense of Carton’s existence is hardly to be felt. Yes, the existence of Carton is completely forgotten and everything associated with him disappears. Maybe the only thing readers can do is to pray for Darnay and Lucie to live a happy life not against Carton’s kind wishes.

 Carton, Lucie and Darnay sit on the floor and are pleasantly talking about their own feelings to each other. But I do not think Carton can feel his happiness at this moment because he has been hesitating whether to express his love for Lucie or not. At last he does not, why is that? Is it Carton who is really not good at expressing his feelings? If readers were more observant they may find that during the whole communication it’s Lucie and Darnay who are pleasantly conversing with each other. Lucie ignores Carton, she doesn’t mean to talk to him and in fact she hardly talks to Carton. Lucie ignores the existence of Carton and she never treats Carton seriously. This is also the important reason why Carton chooses like that --- the woman whom he loves deeply even ignores him. So one can imagine how much sense of inner loneliness this will take to Carton, which is so strong that it can almost make all people feel more depressed.

  Carton really doesn’t like to communicate or talk with other people passionately. He gets used to staying alone because it’s the truth of his living environment. He is alone because no one can understand him and he also has no friends to talk to about his troubles, his career or his family. Of course he is particularly looking forward to getting some responses for his glowing heart, but things go contrary to one"s wishes, he does not get any response. He is afraid to express his feelings or his love. Gradually he seals himself and becomes more and more lonely.

 Charles misses many people in the Paris prison such as Lucie, Lucie’s father and Mr. Lorry. Of course he even does not think of Sydney Carton. “That done, with many added sentences of grateful friendship and warm attachment all was done. He never thought of Carton. His mind was so full of the others that he never once thought of him.” (Charles Dickens, 2006:503)

 At that moment Sydney Carton feels unprecedentedly reborn. He tries to imagine Lucie’s family life and is looking forward to staying in Lucie’s good memories. Carton even hopes Lucie’s baby could be named after Sidney Carton and expects him to be remembered for ever to show their family gratitude on him. However, this is just one of Carton’s wonderful illusions, in this world no one tries to remember him and he is destined to be lonely.

 “O Miss Manette, when the little picture of a happy father’s face looks up in yours, when you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you !” (Charles Dickens, 2006:221)  

4. Conclusion

A man’s fate is different in different eras. As a noble youth, Carton makes a striking act. He decides to adhere to his inner pursuit by giving up his family and his social status even if the journey is full of hardships and sufferings. Perhaps it’s his personality that urges him to make such a choice and we know that a different option will bring a different wonderful life.

Everyone"s fate is grasped in his own hands, Carton is no exception. Carton is a talented young man and his life should have been colorful. But the fact is that Carton is a cowardly, decadent and lonely man. His tragic fate makes us feel worried. He hides his talent and does not dare to show, just paying for others quietly.

We can know Lucie has no love for Carton at all even as he finally makes a great sacrifice for her. She does not know how to deal with Carton’s crazy love and she is just enjoying Carton’s unconditional love for her. She even does not consider calmly that how much impact this will bring to Carton. But Lucie is ignorant and innocent, she never thinks Carton is so crazy about her. In fact to Carton Lucie is even not the best but his favorite woman. Carton has been looking for reasons to get close to her, to love her. Carton’s love for Lucie is no less than anyone else. But Carton’s love is humble and he can give anything to Lucie without any regret as long as Lucie is willing.    

Almost all the time Carton is wandering in loneliness because his inner heart seems isolated from the outside. How could you expect a man like Carton to talk heartily or to communicate by touching the soul? He just seals himself and enjoys his own small world.

That a man’s personality decides his fate just makes sense. Carton’s personality of cowardice makes him retreat in competing for Lucie with Darnay. He does not dare to express his inner intense love for Lucie and just tries to hide their feelings, to suppress his love. Only at the last moment of his life Carton expresses his love to Lucie. It’s too late because nothing can start over. There’s not any wonderful place in Carton’s life because his inferiority makes him not dare to show his talent and he has to work and live prosaically. His loneliness makes him just wander alone in the depths of his heart. Carton has no friends or companions. If he disappeared, no one can realize he ever existed in the world. Carton’s life is very bland before he makes a touching act for love -- paying the price of his life. Such a spirit of sacrificing life for love influences readers greatly and wins much admiration, from which we can learn something more critically.

Works Cited

[1]Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities. Foreign language teaching and Research Press,2006(02)：

[2]Li Nan. “An Analysis on Changes in A Tale of Two Cities”. Overseas English, 2012(10):189-193

[3]Wang Dan. “The Combination of Realism and Romanticism——On A Tale of Two Cities”. Technical Information. 2013(25): 246

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