Sydney Carton
Encyclopedia
Sydney Carton is the central character in the novel A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens
. He is a shrewd young Englishman
and sometime junior to his fellow barrister
C.J. Stryver
. In the novel, he is seen to be a drunkard, self-indulgent and self-pitying because of his wasted life. He has a strong, unrequited love
for Lucie Manette
.
as a young, very sloppy but brilliant lawyer who bears an uncanny likeness to Charles Darnay
, the prisoner he is defending. He uses his great skill to save Darnay from death, passing his case to his colleague Stryver, who takes all the glory for saving Darnay. It is then revealed that Carton has a deep hatred for Darnay, as he sees him as everything he should be but is not. Carton is called a "jackal
" because it appears that, while Mr. Stryver very deftly presents each case, it is Carton's legal acumen that helps win them, though Stryver gets all the credit—a reference to how the jackals help the lions with the kill, while the lions take all the glory. It is also seen that Carton is an alcoholic who faces a great lack of self-confidence. He develops an unrequited love for Lucie Manette, which he tells her about. He says that he would do anything for her or for anybody that she loves. He was a true friend and he sacrificed his life for Charles Darnay.
Darnay returns to France, and is arrested for being an aristocrat (his original name is Charles Evrémonde). Before his execution by guillotine, Carton steps in and tricks Darnay into trading places with him, and is killed in place of Darnay for Lucie and for the sake of their friendship. This is done with the help of John Barsad
, an English spy working at one of the French prisons, after a conversation described as a "hand of cards". He experiences a conversion to Christianity
afterwards, quoting John 11:25-26 to a young woman who is executed before him.
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With well over 200 million copies sold, it ranks among the most famous works in the history of fictional literature....
by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
. He is a shrewd young Englishman
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and sometime junior to his fellow barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
C.J. Stryver
C.J. Stryver
C. J. Stryver is a character in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens as well as in the ten television and film versions of the story. He is a barrister in London, with the character Sydney Carton working under him.-Name:"C.J." is not Mr...
. In the novel, he is seen to be a drunkard, self-indulgent and self-pitying because of his wasted life. He has a strong, unrequited love
Unrequited love
Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...
for Lucie Manette
Lucie Manette
Lucie Manette is a character in Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities.-Overview:She is the daughter of Dr. Alexander Manette. She is wise beyond her years; unfailingly kind and forgiving of people's faults. Her compassion for her father is what first attracts Charles Darnay to her. She...
.
About Sydney Carton
Sydney Carton is introduced into the novel A Tale of Two CitiesA Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With well over 200 million copies sold, it ranks among the most famous works in the history of fictional literature....
as a young, very sloppy but brilliant lawyer who bears an uncanny likeness to Charles Darnay
Charles Darnay
Charles Darnay, or Charles St. Evrémonde, is a fictional character in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.-Overview:A French aristocrat by birth, Darnay chooses to live in England because he cannot bear to be associated with the cruel injustices of the French social system...
, the prisoner he is defending. He uses his great skill to save Darnay from death, passing his case to his colleague Stryver, who takes all the glory for saving Darnay. It is then revealed that Carton has a deep hatred for Darnay, as he sees him as everything he should be but is not. Carton is called a "jackal
Jackal
Although the word jackal has been historically used to refer to many small- to medium-sized species of the wolf genus of mammals, Canis, today it most properly and commonly refers to three species: the black-backed jackal and the side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal of...
" because it appears that, while Mr. Stryver very deftly presents each case, it is Carton's legal acumen that helps win them, though Stryver gets all the credit—a reference to how the jackals help the lions with the kill, while the lions take all the glory. It is also seen that Carton is an alcoholic who faces a great lack of self-confidence. He develops an unrequited love for Lucie Manette, which he tells her about. He says that he would do anything for her or for anybody that she loves. He was a true friend and he sacrificed his life for Charles Darnay.
Darnay returns to France, and is arrested for being an aristocrat (his original name is Charles Evrémonde). Before his execution by guillotine, Carton steps in and tricks Darnay into trading places with him, and is killed in place of Darnay for Lucie and for the sake of their friendship. This is done with the help of John Barsad
John Barsad
-Overview:Barsad is a turncoat English con-man and spy. In the pay of the Marquis St. Evremonde he initially frames the Marquis' nephew, Charles Darnay by planting evidence on him on a voyage across the English Channel to England. He unwittingly shows his hand to the lawyer Sydney Carton drinking...
, an English spy working at one of the French prisons, after a conversation described as a "hand of cards". He experiences a conversion to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
afterwards, quoting John 11:25-26 to a young woman who is executed before him.
Interpretations
- The historical novel A Far Better Rest (2000) by American author Susanne Alleyn is a re-telling of A Tale of Two Cities from Carton's perspective.
- The historical novel The Carton Chronicles : The Curious Tale of Flashman's true father (2010) by Keith Laidler imagines that Sydney Carton had a last minute change of heart, escaped the guillotine and went on to work as a spy for Robespierre whilst attempting to win Lucie Manette / Darnay's heart. In his narrative Carton also confesses to being the real father of Harry Flashman the rougueish hero of the series of books created by George MacDonald FraserGeorge MacDonald FraserGeorge MacDonald Fraser, OBE was an English-born author of Scottish descent, who wrote both historical novels and non-fiction books, as well as several screenplays.-Early life and military career:...
who in turn borrowed him from Tom Brown's SchooldaysTom Brown's SchooldaysTom Brown's Schooldays is a novel by Thomas Hughes. The story is set at Rugby School, a public school for boys, in the 1830s; Hughes attended Rugby School from 1834 to 1842...
by Thomas HughesThomas HughesThomas Hughes was an English lawyer and author. He is most famous for his novel Tom Brown's Schooldays , a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. It had a lesser-known sequel, Tom Brown at Oxford .- Biography :Hughes was the second son of John Hughes, editor of...
.