Astounding Sacrifice For The Sake Of Principle example essay topic

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a story of great sacrifices being made for the sake of principle. There are many examples of this throughout the book made by many of the characters but some or more evident than others. In Book The First, entitled Recalled to Life, the most obvious sacrifice for the sake of principle was made by Dr. Manette. He is imprisoned for eighteen years in the Bastille, for no apparent reason. Another noticeable sacrifice made for the sake of principle was made in Book The Second, entitled The Golden Thread, also by Dr. Manette. Charles Darnay reveals the truth about himself and about his family history.

He tells Dr. Manette his real identity and that he is heir to the Marquis St. Evremonde. In Book The Third, entitled The Track of a Storm, Sydney Carton makes an astounding sacrifice for the sake of principle when he fulfills his promise to Lucie Manette, his true love, that he will one day sacrifice himself for the person whom Lucie loves. In Recalled to Life, Dr. Manette makes a very great sacrifice for the sake of principle. All through the cold and restless interval, until dawn, they once more whispered in the ears of Mr. Jarvis Lorry-sitting opposite the buried man who had been dug out, and wondering what subtle powers were for ever lost to him, and what were capable of restoration-the old inquiry: I hope you care to be recalled to life? And the old answer: I can t say. (Dickens 44-45) Dr. Manette is imprisoned in the French Bastille for eighteen years by the cruel French government and unknown to him those many years of pain and suffering serve as a great sacrifice in the eyes of the Revolutionists.

He is recalled to life from the time he served when he meets Lucie for the first time. He is not sure that he can bounce back and become himself once again but he is willing to try for his daughter. Later the Patriots look up to Dr. Manette as a type of role model because he took the pain for those eighteen years to set an example for those who thought that the revolution would come easy. He of course did not know this nor did he have a choice to be imprisoned.

But nonetheless his captivity in the Bastille served as a prime example of what the peasants of France must go through in order to achieve their goals. This sacrifice does not become known until later in the book when his time spent gives him a leadership quality over the Revolutionists. In The Golden Thread, Dr. Manette makes another great sacrifice when he disregards the fact that the man who is to marry his daughter is the same man who family is responsible for those eighteen years of pain and suffering in the French Bastille. He does not know of this until later in the story but still even before finding out proclaims his desire of keeping her daughter happy. I give the promise, said the Doctor, without any condition. I believe your object to be, purely and truthfully, as you have stated it.

I believe your intention is to perpetuate, and not to weaken, the ties between me and my other and far dearer self. If she should ever tell me that you are essential to her perfect happiness, I will give her to you. If there were-Charles Darnay, if there were-. (Dickens 124-125) Despite his sense of revenge towards the people who imprisoned him he sacrifices his own feelings for the happiness of his daughter and will let anything slide as long as she is happy. This proves that he is willing to sacrifice any of his feelings for her being content, because that is all that matters to him. In The Track of a Storm, Sydney Carton shows his true self when he makes the ultimate sacrifice, his life for the life of the man who Lucie loves.

He makes this promise earlier in the book and the reader thinks he is just saying this to gain Lucie's favor. We later find out that he is tired of leading a life with no purpose to it, no goal to reach, nothing to live for and the one thing that was worth living for did not love him back. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known. (Dickens 352) He realized that his one true goal in life was to somehow keep himself a fond memory in the people that were around him after he died.

He wanted people to think of him as a brave person with a big heart after he died. He knew he had to fulfill his promise and had to achieve his goal. So he made the highest degree of sacrificing there is and that was to give his own life. In A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens there are many sacrifices made for the sake of principle. Like Dickens' inspiration qa is. Some examples of this can be found throughout the book made by many of the people.

Some of the sacrifices were, in my opinion superior to others. In Book The First, Dr. Manette made the most palpable sacrifice for the sake of principle. He was imprisoned for eighteen years in the Bastille. Another conspicuous sacrifice made for the sake of principle was made in Book The Second, also by Dr. Manette. Darnay revealed the truth about himself and about his family history. He lets Dr. Manette know his true identity and that he is the nephew to the Marquis St. Evremonde.

In Book The Third, Sydney Carton makes an astonishing sacrifice for the sake of principle when he fulfills his promise to Lucie Manette, his true love, that he will one day sacrifice himself for the person whom Lucie loves. All of the above sacrifices were made with the intention of keeping morals and principles high in human life. Whether it is your life or your feelings towards someone, we have learned that it is always better to give for the greater cause.