The French Revolution in the late eighteenth century was a time of uprisings and attacks as oppressed peasants tried to provide a better life for future generations. In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens follows the lives of characters living during this period of time. Many French citizens sacrificed their lives during the revolution out of love for their children and grandchildren to provide them with a better future. In this novel, love is also the reason that several characters give up an important possession for something of even greater value. Sacrifice in the name of love is shown by Charles Darnay, Doctor Manette, and Sydney Carton. Out of love for his mother, Charles Darnay sacrifices his power and wealth, respecting her dying
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An hour after Charles Darnay informs Doctor Manette about his love for Lucie and that Darnay is not his real name, Lucie comes home to hear a “low hammering sound in his bedroom” (105). When she calls to him, “the noise ceased at the sound of her voice, and he presently came out to her, and they walked up and down together for a long time” (105). The low hammering sound is Manette working with his shoemaking tools, which is something he did when he was in a bad mental state to calm himself while he was imprisoned for eighteen years. Darnay’s words affect Manette so negatively that he reverts to his old habits, foreshadowing what will happen when Lucie and Darnay get married. Lucie is able to coax him into his normal state of mind by walking with him. When Manette lets Lucie marry Darnay, he sacrifices his mental state because he knows that he might relapse again since he is aware of how much Darnay affects him. The night before Lucie’s wedding, Manette explains why he is letting Lucie marry Darnay: “how could my happiness be perfect, while yours was incomplete?” (144). Manette’s not allowing Lucie to marry Darnay would cause him to never be fully happy because she is the source of his happiness. If Lucie isn’t fully happy because she isn’t married to Darnay, Manette won’t be happy either because his love for her makes her happiness most important to him. On the day of Lucie’s wedding, Manette’s sacrifice for Lucie is displayed. Right after Lucie and Darnay turn the corner to go on their honeymoon, the Doctor’s expression changes from enthusiastic as he parts with Lucie to scared and lost, showing that he has relapsed and will most likely resume making shoes as shown by, “A great change had come over the Doctor; as if the golden arm
An hour after Charles Darnay informs Doctor Manette about his love for Lucie and that Darnay is not his real name, Lucie comes home to hear a “low hammering sound in his bedroom” (105). When she calls to him, “the noise ceased at the sound of her voice, and he presently came out to her, and they walked up and down together for a long time” (105). The low hammering sound is Manette working with his shoemaking tools, which is something he did when he was in a bad mental state to calm himself while he was imprisoned for eighteen years. Darnay’s words affect Manette so negatively that he reverts to his old habits, foreshadowing what will happen when Lucie and Darnay get married. Lucie is able to coax him into his normal state of mind by walking with him. When Manette lets Lucie marry Darnay, he sacrifices his mental state because he knows that he might relapse again since he is aware of how much Darnay affects him. The night before Lucie’s wedding, Manette explains why he is letting Lucie marry Darnay: “how could my happiness be perfect, while yours was incomplete?” (144). Manette’s not allowing Lucie to marry Darnay would cause him to never be fully happy because she is the source of his happiness. If Lucie isn’t fully happy because she isn’t married to Darnay, Manette won’t be happy either because his love for her makes her happiness most important to him. On the day of Lucie’s wedding, Manette’s sacrifice for Lucie is displayed. Right after Lucie and Darnay turn the corner to go on their honeymoon, the Doctor’s expression changes from enthusiastic as he parts with Lucie to scared and lost, showing that he has relapsed and will most likely resume making shoes as shown by, “A great change had come over the Doctor; as if the golden arm