In A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens uses characters that greatly represent shared knowledge, experiences, and images that people from all cultures are able to recognize. Based on the theory of archetypes by Carl Jung, Dickens uses the character Sydney Carton to represent man’s best and worst. Met in the second section of the book, Sydney Carton is an employee of the famed and wealthy Mr. Stryver. Used by his boss, Carton is continuously robbed of the satisfaction by his peers, and feels that his actions are not being properly rewarded. This growing sense of discontent towards Stryver causes Carton to develop and take on the Shadow, an archetype theorized by Carl Jung.
Carl Jung, a famed psychologist was a protege under the ever controversial Sigmund Freud. After many years of working with Freud, Jung departed due to disagreements regarding the theory of the unconscious[1]. While on his own, Jung characterised actions and traits that all societies are able to recognize, in his Theory of Archetypes. One key archetype is the Shadow, a source of man’s best and worst. Illustrated as characters who demonstrate more animalistic and instinctual sides, than rationality and intellect; the actions of the Shadow illustrates the dark side of our personality, of which we are unaware. Sydney Carton represents these struggles throughout out the novel, as he copes with the many challenges that he faces. …show more content…
Stryver. Mr. Stryver is a rich old man who desires to climb the social ladder; unlike his associate Sydney Carton, Mr.Stryver is a pompous, proud, and foolish gentleman. Nicknamed “the lion” for his dominating personality, Stryver uses Carton to advance his own agenda, going so far as to calling Carton the “Jackal”, which has been defined by Merriam Webster as “a person who performs routine or menial tasks for
Carl Jung, a famed psychologist was a protege under the ever controversial Sigmund Freud. After many years of working with Freud, Jung departed due to disagreements regarding the theory of the unconscious[1]. While on his own, Jung characterised actions and traits that all societies are able to recognize, in his Theory of Archetypes. One key archetype is the Shadow, a source of man’s best and worst. Illustrated as characters who demonstrate more animalistic and instinctual sides, than rationality and intellect; the actions of the Shadow illustrates the dark side of our personality, of which we are unaware. Sydney Carton represents these struggles throughout out the novel, as he copes with the many challenges that he faces. …show more content…
Stryver. Mr. Stryver is a rich old man who desires to climb the social ladder; unlike his associate Sydney Carton, Mr.Stryver is a pompous, proud, and foolish gentleman. Nicknamed “the lion” for his dominating personality, Stryver uses Carton to advance his own agenda, going so far as to calling Carton the “Jackal”, which has been defined by Merriam Webster as “a person who performs routine or menial tasks for