There is the cultural stigma that nice guys finish last. Yet, two underdogs disprove this ideal by swiftly rising to the top. In City of Thieves by David Benioff, an inexperienced seventeen year old boy named Lev Beniov, rises to the top when put in a life or death situation. He bypasses the difficulties he faces and accomplishes his quest. With similar regards to Lev, Sydney Carton of Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, also advances above all with little notice. After facing heartbreak, Sydney continues to service the one he loves to extreme measures. Both works of literature illustrate the prosperity of unanticipated heroes while ensuring morals are kept. Lev and Sydney both unexpectedly overcome their fears and obstacles in order to
…show more content…
Fears of individuals also typically arise creating and or worsening issues. Lev is thrown into a position that requires him to be strong, healthy, and fit, the complete opposite of what he is. Being malnourished and incredibly weak certainly did not aid in his favor. The Natzis ruthless sieze of his city Leningrad left food supplies incredibly scarce. “No one but the best connected could still feed a pet, so the pets fed us” (Benioff 7). Lev elaborates on the drastic measures his surrounding men and women will go in order to have some substance in them. The frigid temperature is another hardship for Lev. “We walked alongside the frozen Fontanka Canal, the ice littered with abandoned corpses… others stripped down for their warm clothes, their white faces…” (Benioff 56). Together, these factored in and affected his mission. Sydney Carton dealt with his own personal destitution. “I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me” (Dickens 113). Lucie not loving Sydney back did affect him and his confidence tremendously. “I see him winning it so well, that my name is made illustrious there by the light of his” (Dickens 500). Sydney is a very loyal man to just about everyone, except himself. This theme of his insecurity remains relevant throughout almost the entire book. Eventually, it is overcome and he surprises all with his
Fears of individuals also typically arise creating and or worsening issues. Lev is thrown into a position that requires him to be strong, healthy, and fit, the complete opposite of what he is. Being malnourished and incredibly weak certainly did not aid in his favor. The Natzis ruthless sieze of his city Leningrad left food supplies incredibly scarce. “No one but the best connected could still feed a pet, so the pets fed us” (Benioff 7). Lev elaborates on the drastic measures his surrounding men and women will go in order to have some substance in them. The frigid temperature is another hardship for Lev. “We walked alongside the frozen Fontanka Canal, the ice littered with abandoned corpses… others stripped down for their warm clothes, their white faces…” (Benioff 56). Together, these factored in and affected his mission. Sydney Carton dealt with his own personal destitution. “I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me” (Dickens 113). Lucie not loving Sydney back did affect him and his confidence tremendously. “I see him winning it so well, that my name is made illustrious there by the light of his” (Dickens 500). Sydney is a very loyal man to just about everyone, except himself. This theme of his insecurity remains relevant throughout almost the entire book. Eventually, it is overcome and he surprises all with his