Looking Closer “I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me”: a thoughtful and poetic outlook on life as we know it (89). Taking place in Paris and England, A Tale of Two Cities, a novel, written by Charles Dickens, displays an opposition of personalities between the two main characters in the novel. Sydney Carton is a miserable lawyer’s assistant who has no reason to live, while Charles Darnay is an optimistic former Aristocrat of France who makes rash decisions. These two characters are the opposite of each other, but they both have one common denominator that ties them together, Lucie Manette. Carton is pessimistic and aware, Darnay is optimistic and oblivious, but they are written to show the truths of each characters genuine character.
Both men seem to display different levels of emotional well being, Carton is more pessimistic and Darnay is more on the optimistic side. Sydney says himself, he is a “self flung away, wasted, drunken, poor creature”, he embraces his self loathing and has no reason to be (156). He points these flaws out to Lucie, but he redeems this quality, when he sacrifices his life for Darnay’s. However, Darnay’s outlook on life and himself is unethically optimistic. “[Darnay] knew of no rock; he saw hardly any danger. The intention with which he had done where he had done, even though he had incomplete, presented it …show more content…
Sydney Carton is associated with a feeling of negativity, but overall helps for the greater good, while Charles Darnay is known to have a positive state of being but it comes with negative effects. The opposing forces of pessimism and optimism, also with awareness and being oblivious is like this to show that the situation is not as black and white as it may seem. That a seeming to be negative foil could be the savior and the positive counterpart can be the
Both men seem to display different levels of emotional well being, Carton is more pessimistic and Darnay is more on the optimistic side. Sydney says himself, he is a “self flung away, wasted, drunken, poor creature”, he embraces his self loathing and has no reason to be (156). He points these flaws out to Lucie, but he redeems this quality, when he sacrifices his life for Darnay’s. However, Darnay’s outlook on life and himself is unethically optimistic. “[Darnay] knew of no rock; he saw hardly any danger. The intention with which he had done where he had done, even though he had incomplete, presented it …show more content…
Sydney Carton is associated with a feeling of negativity, but overall helps for the greater good, while Charles Darnay is known to have a positive state of being but it comes with negative effects. The opposing forces of pessimism and optimism, also with awareness and being oblivious is like this to show that the situation is not as black and white as it may seem. That a seeming to be negative foil could be the savior and the positive counterpart can be the