In a Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, two characters are presented to be almost parts of the same person. These two characters are Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay, two men, one from England and one from France. These two characters introduce the theme of duality that will become more prominent as the story goes on. Duality is the idea that two people or things share conflicting personalities or appearances throughout as story or book. The book takes place during the French revolution and shows the hardships and frequent deaths that * civilians endured. Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay are complementary sides of one person in A Tale of Two Cities because they look so similar, they share a love for Lucie Manette, and they are alike enough
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The guillotine is where Charles Darnay is destined to go after his third and final trial of the book, the outcome of the prosecution determines that he will pay for the sins of his aristocratic blood. By bribing Barsad, Carton finds his way into Darnay’s solitary confinement cell, and he says to him, “draw on these boots of mine... change that cravat for this of mine, that coat for this of mine. While you do it, let me take this ribbon from your hair, and shake out your hair like this of mine”(215). Since they mirror each other in looks, and not personality, the plan works because all they had to do was switch presentation. However, this was task was vastly simplified, for Darnay had been drugged with a substance bought at the chemist’s shop by Sydney. A while later, Carton is executed by the guillotine, and he goes away knowing he finished his life with a purpose. Darnay does not know Carton sacrificed himself for Lucie, himself, and their children, but he knows that he is no longer in his cell thanks to Sydney Carton.
Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton are two sides of one terribly conflicted person during the French Revolution, for throughout the book it is often mentioned just how alike in appearance they are. Although their personalities are differing, their uncanny ability to switch places makes way for 2 of the main plot points of the book. There is a continuation of duality between other characters throughout the book, which can lead to the reader believing that maybe people are more alike than they seem at first
The guillotine is where Charles Darnay is destined to go after his third and final trial of the book, the outcome of the prosecution determines that he will pay for the sins of his aristocratic blood. By bribing Barsad, Carton finds his way into Darnay’s solitary confinement cell, and he says to him, “draw on these boots of mine... change that cravat for this of mine, that coat for this of mine. While you do it, let me take this ribbon from your hair, and shake out your hair like this of mine”(215). Since they mirror each other in looks, and not personality, the plan works because all they had to do was switch presentation. However, this was task was vastly simplified, for Darnay had been drugged with a substance bought at the chemist’s shop by Sydney. A while later, Carton is executed by the guillotine, and he goes away knowing he finished his life with a purpose. Darnay does not know Carton sacrificed himself for Lucie, himself, and their children, but he knows that he is no longer in his cell thanks to Sydney Carton.
Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton are two sides of one terribly conflicted person during the French Revolution, for throughout the book it is often mentioned just how alike in appearance they are. Although their personalities are differing, their uncanny ability to switch places makes way for 2 of the main plot points of the book. There is a continuation of duality between other characters throughout the book, which can lead to the reader believing that maybe people are more alike than they seem at first