Lucie's Love For Carton example essay topic

In A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, the concept of love is shown clearly through the character Lucie Manette. Her love is so great is able to change the character of those she reaches out to. One of the men Lucie touches is her father, Doctor Manette, whom Lucie brought out of a horrible state of mind. This state of mind Doctor Manette was in was due to his imprisonment for eighteen years, and it seized when Lucie brought her love upon her father.

Another one of the men, whose character was altered by Lucie's love for him, was Jarvis Lorry. Before Lucie came into Lorry's life, he was a lonely man, who went to work at Tellson's Bank and then came home to an empty house. This went on day by day until he came to know Lucie, and this relationship gave Lorry someone to care for. A third man, whom Lucie reaches out to, is Sydney Carton. This man started out as a miserable wreck; he was a drunkard, a profligate, and a careless man.

This was only until Lucie came into his life and wove her golden thread around him; it was this love that Lucie had for Carton that gave him a reason to better himself and also a reason to live. The love Lucie has for Sydney Carton recalls him to life. The love Lucie has for Sydney Carton enables him to promise that he would make any sacrifice for her or anyone close to her. The love Lucie has for Sydney Carton makes it possible for him to be more compassionate towards others.

The love Lucie has for Sydney Carton helps him to be able to overcome his drinking problem. The love Lucie has for Sydney Carton enables him to promise Lucie that he would make any sacrifice for her or anyone close to her. Initially Carton was a careless, wasteful man, who had no intention to better himself". It is to late for that. I shall never be better than I am. I shall only sink lower, and be worse". (p. 137) This is what Carton said to Lucie when he had the courage to go to her and pour out the feelings he has towards her.

However, these words were met with the words that came from Lucie", No, Mr. Carton. I am sure that the best part of it might still be; I am sure that you might be much, much worthier of yourself". (p. 138) Because of this love that Lucie shows towards Carton, he is able to care for someone with as much love for him or her as he would have for his wife. This love, which Carton conveys towards Lucie, is so great that it enables him promise her this", I would do anything. If my career were of the better kind that there was any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you". (pl. 140) He fulfills this promise by sacrificing his own life for Lucie's beloved husband, Charles Darnay. It is this sacrifice that shows the change in Carton from a wasted man to one who would die for someone he loves.

During the time of Charles Darnay's trial, Carton was a lonesome man, who needed someone to take care of him. He did not care about anyone or anything; his life at that time only consisted of work. Carton even came to say, "I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me". (p. 76) However, there was one man, Stryver, who was a companion of Carton, but Stryver only worsened the state Carton was in.

Stryver does this by joshing with Carton about getting a wife, who is a nurse and will be able to take care of her sick husband. (p. 129) Than after the trial, Carton goes to meet Lucie at her house on Soho-square; he goes to visit Lucie many times because of the attraction he has for her, for he is caught in the golden thread, which Lucie has woven around him. Lucie uses this thread to recall Carton to life. Lucie had used this same form of love on her father as well, for it allowed her father to forget his misery. (p. 71) The effect of Lucie's love on Carton brought him out of his own miseries. It gave him someone to love and show his affections to. Because of the breaking from his past, Carton was than able to show his affections towards others, as well as Lucie. One example of Carton expressing his compassion towards a loved one is when he carries Lucie to her coach and whispers", A life you love", into her ear as she is unconscious. (p. 314) Another way he is compassionate towards someone occurs on his way to the guillotine.

During this time, Carton encounters a poor girl, who is a seamstress. This girl was little and weak; she needed someone to comfort her through her death and give her courage. It was Carton who took it up to do this for her; he held her hand in order to give her peace and comfort until the end. It was true, .".. the last thing on earth that his heart was to warm and soften to, it warmed and softened to this pitiable girl". (p. 332) This is revealed when it comes to the end, for the two embrace and kiss. This shows how much Carton has changed from the times when he was practicing law in England.

Lucie's love for Carton gives him the strength to change from being a profligate to being a man capable of love. Carton starts out as a man who even calls himself "-self-flung away, wasted, drunken, poor creature of misuse... ". (138).

As a lawyer, he spends his time working on court cases, and he drinks constantly while doing so. Carton almost always smells of wine. Rumors talk of Sydney Carton as often stumbling into his home. ".. like a dissipated cat". (78). A fellow lawyer, Mr. Stryver, talks of Mr. Carton as being drunk one minute and in a state of depression the next.

Carton gains up his confidence and tells Lucie how great a love he has for her. This is the first time that he has opened up to anyone-and so completely! He realizes that she is the one who is inspiring him to live a better life. A change in his life does not come about right away, but it comes about gradually.

Even Charles Darnay, who had not had the greatest of times with the drunk Mr. Carton, notices that he, even though it is not apparent in his looks or manner, has changed. As Lucie reflects back on her life and reflects on when Carton visited her and her family, she remembers, "He never came there heated with wine". (195). Thus, Sydney Carton starts his progression and lives a life in which he cares about what others, especially Lucie, think of him.

He stops drinking, which helps him to change how he sees himself. From the beginning, Carton was a heavy drinker; he almost never was sober. One occurrence of his drunkenness was after Darnay's trial. After the trial Carton smelt of port wine and was acting as though he were not quite sober. It even came to the point in which he threw his glass behind him, letting it shatter into thousands of pieces. Than, he walked off with another pint of wine, having dishonored himself in the presence of Darnay. (p. 76) Another time that conveys Carton's drinking problem is when he is keeping the books with Stryver.

During this instance, Carton continually drinks his wine, until he decides to stop and go to bed. This drinking problem continues through his lifetime; it is only when he comes to care for Lucie that he decides to sober up. However, he only becomes sober when he goes to visit Lucie, hopping that he might be able to impress her, in order to win her love. This happens only a few times a year, but during this time, he forms a relationship with Lucie. This relationship helps Carton to better himself by sobering up because of his love for Lucie, for he does not want her to know how pathetic and reckless he is. It is only when he comes to the confrontation that he is able to share his feelings with Lucie.

Because of the love Lucie expresses for Carton, he is able to come to the point where he decides that drinking will only ruin his relationship with her. This enables him to take his last drink and set it back down, showing that he was done with it. (p. 316) Carton's alcoholism comes to an end due to the relationship he has with Lucie, of he does not wish to bring to one who loves him. Carton changes from a self centered, careless man to someone who would give his life up for a loved one. He also becomes compassionate and quits drinking in order to gain the love of Lucie.

He truly was revived by the love that Lucie expresses towards him, for without this love, Carton would have no one to love himself and would have stayed the same worthless half-life he was. However, Carton was awakened from the long desolate sleep he had been in and awoke to a new life, filled with joy, love, and compassion. This was the life that was worth giving for another man, for it was equal to that of another.