A Tale Of Two Cities: Reversal Of Characters :: essays research papers

A Tale of Two Cities Reversal of Characters     When writing a book, most authors are writing about an issue they have.However, other themes become patent through the course of the piece, eitherconsciously or subconsciously. One such theme is a reversal of characters in ATale of Two Cities. Individuals and groups of populate change dramatically fromthe outset of the book all the way up to its conclusion. Three of the mostobvious changes in character are Sydney Carton, Madame DeFarge, and the French volume as a whole.Sydney Carton is premiere described at Darnays trial as not paying attentionto whats going on, sort of an oaf. He is visualized as a drunk, and even admitsthis to Darnay on their "date." However, love, they say, is strong Cartonslove for Lucy changed him greatly though the course of the novel. He stoppeddrinking when he visited, and even sworn his life to her, and everyone sheloved. Carton changed even more dramatically when death on the g uillotine wasapproaching. He waxed philosophical about the future, and even quoted a fewscriptures. This is most certainly not the man first seen at the Old Baileywith the sideways wig.     Another interesting change took place in the character of Madame Defarge.She is first portrayed as a woman of principle who is helping her husband withthe revolution. However, Madame Defarge makes a startling metamorphosis fromsupporting character to antagonist when she is revealed to be the shadow. Sheis shown to be cruel and petty, not the compassionate woman one would assume ofa leader of a revolution against tyranny. This part of the novel casts ashadow of mistrust over the rest of the characters, and one begins to question thevalidity of all the characters.     Finally, the French people themselves start out as downtrodden andmiserable victims of a corrupt system. tho it is illustrated that they could bejust as heartless as their rich counterparts, t he aristocrats, when it came downto it. For example, anyone who was an aristocrat, or even associated witharistocrats, was sentenced to death. As the novel went on, the French peoplegrew more heartless, for the executions move without end. This lastreversal in character is the most disturbing, because it holds true in the realworld.     These examples are but a few of the many in A Tale of Two Cities, andthis theme of character reversal one of a myriad of possible interpretations.