Sydney Carton In A Tale Of Two Cities

Sydney Carton is one of the most well-developed characters in A Tale of Two Cities. Through him, Dickens tells a compelling tale of redemption and devotion and the effects that they have on the people around Carton. Carton is originally introduced in the court scene where Darnay is on trial. Here he is characterized as an indolent lawyer who seems to have no interest in his profession or the outcome of Darnay’s case. He is shown “leaning back” in the courtroom with his “untidy wig and… eyes on the ceiling” (Dickens 81). From the moment the reader is introduced to Carton, he or she will immediately be able to sense his nonchalance and carefreeness. Dickens reinforces these character traits later when Carton is drunk and discussing legal cases with Mr. Stryver. Carton goes to the office “unsteadily” after a night at Old Bailey, a local pub. His going to work drunk shows that he has little care or devotion to his profession: law (Dickens 91). Though drunk, Carton is still able to show his intellect by advising Stryver on the cases he is handling. By this example, Dickens shows his readers that Carton is not an uneducated …show more content…
Dickens shows his own background in the novel with humorous scenes based in law offices and criticisms aimed at social institutions. The novel is most acclaimed for its portrayal of Sydney Carton, one of the most complex characters in all of Dickens’ novels. Through Carton, Dickens is able to show the power of love and its effect on one’s whole behavior. Though not one of Dickens’ most popular novel, A Tale of Two Cities helps show Dickens’ versatility as an author and his opinions on popular historic events. Dickens advances his writing skills through practice, making A Tale of Two Cities one of his best written works and through this shows the reader that with dedication and practice anything can be made