Matthew Rosenthal

A Tale of Two Cities

Oscar Wilde once said, The good end happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what
Fiction means. In other terms, this quote means that people who have kind hearts have a
happy life and those who do evil thing have an unhappy life (as well as ends that fit those lives).
Virtuous actions reward those who embrace them, while those who are cruel face the adverse
fate. This quote stands true for A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, as both the good and
bad characters meet ends justified by their actions. Those two characters are Sydney Carton
and Madame Defarge, both are people who are willing to die for a cause, but the lives they
have lead constituted their completely different deaths.
The character, Sydney Carton, leads an honorable life and dies honorably as well. In the
first part of the book, Carton was somewhat of a drag: excessive alcohol drinking, rude
behavior, and a generally depressed appearance were all key characteristics that defined him.
However, Carton changed for the better after confronting Lucie about his love for her. What
was created: a new Carton who was ready to lead a much more noble lifestyle. His first change
was when he stops being an alcoholic, which shows his great determination to be a better man,
and is supported by this statement, Sydney Carton filled another glass with brandy, poured it
slowly out upon the hearth, and watched it as it dropped (315). Cartons personality had
changed as well. Rather than the old- rude Sydney Carton, he had changed into a much
gentler man; he even walked Mr. Lorry out when he was done speaking to him about his plans
one night. Cartons most noble deed was the sacrifice of his own life to save Darnay, Lucie, and
her daughter from the evil revolutionaries. What makes Carton so special is the fact that he
died for a noble cause that he strongly believed in, the book even goes to show how unafraid
he was of death in these lines, Sounds he was not afraid of, for he divined their meaning, then
began to be audible (364). Although Carton was beheaded, his peaceful ending was justified
because he had changed his own personality to become a better person and to act selflessly to
save others. He did meet a happy end, as he fulfilled his main wish, which was to protect Lucie.
The novel makes a specific point about his own peacefulness after he was beheaded: They said
of him, about the city that night, that it was the peacefullest mans face ever beheld there
(385).
Contrary to Sydney Carton, Madame Defarge led a dishonorable life and for that reason,
received an unhappy ending. Even from previous parts of the book, Madame Defarge always
seemed to be scheming; with her ever-watchful eye and her evil knitting. In fact, we found out
that Madame Defarge was knitting a registry of names of those who she wanted dead before
the Guillotine! One action that was really cold hearted was when Madame Defarge pointed her
knitting needle at little Lucie. Stopping in her work for the first time, and pointing her knitting
needle at little Lucie as if it were the finger of Fate (276). Madame Defarge had no sympathy,
even for sweet Lucie and her innocent daughter. Madame even coldly rejected Lucies plea to
spare Darnay. Madame Defarges most evil intention was to watch Darnay die by the Guillotine.
However, she doe not get to see is as she meets her end in a fight with Miss Pross. As a result of
Madame Defarges mean spirit and cruel intentions, she dies unhappily, and her wishes remain
unfulfilled to her.
The characterization of Madame Defarge and Sydney Carton has a direct effect on a
major theme of the novel: sacrifice. Both characters, Madame Defarge and Sydney Carton lost
their lives in the end, but it is what we have learned about these characters that allow us to see
this in conjunction with the quote, The good end happily, the bad unhappily. As we have seen
with Carton, many sacrifices were made in order for him to have his fulfilling end. The main
sacrifices were alcohol and his own life. However, he sacrifices these things in order for himself
to be happy as well as to allow Lucie to continue living happily. In the end, Carton is compared
to Jesus, sacrificing himself for others, when he says, I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith
the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die (385). His reasons for dying were of a noble cause,
contradictory to those that drove Madame Defarge. She died in the name of murder, which is
not such a great thing. She came to Miss Pross with a gun and a knife with all intentions of
killing Lucie and her little daughter. The theme of sacrifice is important because it shows the
selflessness of certain characters. Carton selflessly sacrificed his life for Lucie, which is why he
died happily. Madame Defarge made no sacrifices and even so, her intentions were pure evil,
which is why she had an unfulfilling death.