Dicknes is one of the greatest creator of characters in English fiction. Sydney Carton is a superb example of his characterization. Sydney Carton is an example of sacrifice and renunciation. His sacrificing action in the novel raises him to the status of the hero. Dickens has portrayed him as a man of word and a man of action.

Self-Love in “A Tale of Two Cities”:

Jer Sydney Carton is a happy-go-lucky man. He does not concern himself much, with people and affairs. He takes only a causal, passing interest in things. He gives Darnay some food while Carton himself drinks wine. Though there is a physical resemblance between Darnay and Carton, Carton hates Darnay because Darnay is a Frenchman and he is an Englishman.

Carton is by no means a lion. He occupies this position by his worldy achievement. He is described as a jackal to Mr. Stryver. Mr. Stryver is very successful in a worldly sense but Carton is described as an idlest and most unpromising of men. He is a heavy drinker. After a heavy drink, he solves many questions of Mr. Stryver. He has no ambition, no aspirations, no aims, no goal in life.

Sydney Carton has fallen in love with Lucie. But Lucie is in love with Darnay. Finding himself to be unacceptable to here nevertheless confides his feeling to her. He visites Lucie's house for the sake of his love. His intellectual meaningful conversation with Lucie is a mark of his deep love to her. He proposes her not to forget that there is a man who would give his life for her sake. When Lucie gives birth to a daughter, he becomes very fond of the child.

Carton's bold plan to save Darnay's life is a turning point of his character. When he finds that Darnay has been sentenced to death and that Lucie and her little daughter are also likely to be denounced by Madame Defarge and to meet the same fate. He conceives a bold plan to save Darnay's life and other's from danger. Technically he handles the spy Barsad and with Barsad's helps, he takes Darnay's place in the cell and saves Darnay from being executed. Before doing this, he also makes the arrangements for the escape of Lucie and others from Paris.

Carton has given his life for Lucie's husband. He has kept his promise; "I am ready to give my life for a life you love." His thoughts on earth are as follows: "Barsad, Defarge-those evil Judges-all will die soon. This present evil will eventually pass. In its place, there will be Beauty and Truth, true Freedom and Happiness. Dr. Manette, Lucie and Charles will live in peace in England. Their lives will be useful and happy. When Lucie has a son, she will give him my name. He will grow up to win the respect and the truth of all. He will be what I should have been. And in time, she will bring her son here. She will tell him my story. It is far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done, it is far far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."

Carton's role in the plot of this novel is crucial. He saves the life of Darnay, Lucie, Dr. Manatte, Lucie's child. His self-sacrifice makes the novel a tragedy. The tragedy of Sydney Carton is like that of a saint. This sacrifice arouses in us the deepest feeling of pity and fear. His radiant vision of the future in integral to Dickens's design of the Novel because Dickens wants, us to draw a moral from his story and the moral includes this optimistic prophecy.

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