CAUTION: (As most of you know) I am infatuated with A Tale of Two Cities. Haha! And in the most bizarre way I long to be that blond hair girl who held the hand of Sydney Carton in the last few hours of her life!! (This is to be explained later on.)
Seriously, it is a genius novel with an even more brilliant ending. If I learned anything from Dickens’s story it is that there is always hope. It does not matter how dark or bleak times may seem; God is always there. After I finished this novel, a quote from Pope John Paul II’s Holocaust speech popped into my mind. The great pope once proclaimed, “Not even in the darkest hour is every light extinguished”, and I automatically compared that to a selfless sacrifice amidst the horrors of the French Revolution.
You have to admit, Dickens is a brilliant and talented author. He described the French Revolution with such deep and vulgar details that it sometimes made me sick to my stomach. What made me even more disgusted was that he was writing about a realistic event. It was Hell on Earth! Man mercilessly murdering fellow man, the guillotine devouring almost a hundred heads a day, and blood becoming the new fad on France’s streets. Among the darkness of the Revolution, Dickens strategically placed a small light – Sydney Carton.
My faith in humanity was restored when good ole’ Sydney gave up his life so that Darnay could live. Wow! As soon as I figured out that that was Carton’s plan, I could not help but think, “My goodness! He is the Jesus Christ of A Tale of Two Cities!” Yes, they both gave up their lives so others may live. Yes, they both resurrected in some way. But they also gave hope, when it seemed like all hope was lost. Among the killings and selfishness that seemed to consume the times that Jesus and Sydney Carton, they both performed a purely selfless act for the good of others.
I want to be that girl – that girl of hope. I long to be that blond haired girl who gazes into the eyes of Sydney Carton and squeezes his hand before she calmly walks into the clutches of death. In the final precious hours of my life, I desire to hold the hand of my Lord and feel his comfort envelop me as death creeps closer and closer to capture me. As they stood before the guillotine, the blond girl and Sydney Carton held hands and exchanged a beautiful kiss before the brave woman met her unfriendly fate. The courageous man passed on his bravery to the beautiful lady and provided her with an undeniable strength as she faced death.
I have hope.
I have hope that when I face the blade of the guillotine (figuratively of course, I hope) I am peaceful. I have hope that the Lord will provide me with that strength, just like Sydney Carton provided a beautiful stranger with courage, when my final hour arrives. I have hope that even when times seem dark and rough that God will never abandon me. I have hope that there is a immaculate sanctuary waiting for me after this lifetime, where happiness and love are infinite.
The way Sydney Carton describes it provides me with an overwhelming sense of hope.
“It is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."
Rachel, That blog was beautiful. As you known from our discussions, I absolutely adore that blonde girl that held the hand of Sydney Carton. There is an absolute beauty to her presence, and it does feel very much like Jesus holding her hand before she dies. I think that Sydney and that girl are the lights that every person must embody before they are about to die. Sydney even more takes on a role of Jesus when she tells him that she has a poor cousin that she hopes will live a long time. It resembles a prayer to me anyway. This novel has taught me that I need not fear death, but I should have hope and take comfort in the arms of my Lord and Redeemer.
I really enjoyed reading your blog. I think that the quote from Pope John Paul II was a perfect comparison to the French Revolution. It is hard to believe that these events actually occurred. I think that the events with the guillotine were especially horrid. Finally, I agree with you that the acts of Carton were incredibly brave and unexpected. Nice blog!
You had a really nice blog. I completely agree that Sydney was really courageous to face the guillotine. Though it was a really terrible thing, that being the Revolution, there is light in the darkest places. And saying that, you're quote was great. It related too perfectly to this book. Good blog!
I absolutely loved reading A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens obviously did a beautiful job writing this book. It really is scary to think that the events such as the guillotine really did happen. We are very lucky to not be exposed to those types of dangers in our lives. It really is hard to put into perspective now hard it must have been to live during that time period, especially because we have it so good compared to that time.
I think that there are many lessons that someone can take from this book, because of the richness I which it was written, also it is very easy to compare the values in the book to our religion. This is because of the similarities that they have in common. The main similarity is the character of Sydney. He sacrificed his life just like Jesus did for us. So, I think that the main lesson that I will take and apply to my life is self sacrificing my time and my efforts.
These sacrifices do not have to be quite as extreme as Sydney Carton's in the novel. They can be as simple as donating time to help someone in need. I am going to donate my time helping out very Sunday at the faith formation classes on Sunday. I will help teach and do whatever I can to help out my parish. This is one way that I am going to sacrifice my time to help others.
We as a school are required to donate at least twenty hours of which is another way that we sacrifice our time and services to help others. Since we all were confirmed last year we also had to obtain service hours in order to become confirmed. There are many different ways that we make sacrifices even though we might not even realize it, such as donating money for dress down days and buying the pink shirts to help breast cancer.
However, even though we do make sacrifices we also take a lot for granted. We all have a house, which is a luxury that not every has. We do not always think about how good we have it. I know that I find myself taking things for granted all the time. After reading this book I am going to try to appreciate things more, especially if they are things that others do not have that same luxury.
I definitely respect the lesson(s) that you learned from A Tale of Two Cities. Sacrifice plays a major role in our lives, whether we know it or not. For Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay, it was the epitome of their survival. I really like how you related sacrificing to your life and the world we live in today. The service hour example was so interesting! The novel does teach a great lesson, however, about sacrificing for others and the way you related it to your own life was well done! The only sort of negative thing I have to say is maybe read over your blog once before you post it because there were some simple grammatical errors that become distracting sometimes. Other than that, great blog, Michaela!
Michaela, I also talked about sacrifice in my blog. It is one of the major things that the novel has to teach us. You, however, took it in a very different direction than I did, and I really liked your example. Your service hour example was good. I know that I personally like to exceed the amount of service hours that I am required to get. I actually found that I really enjoy helping people. There is something so uplifting about it. I would also agree with you when you say that people take a lot for granted. I know that I certainly do, sometimes without realizing it. It is easy to forget that not everyone has a home or a family like we do. People need to stop and appreciate what they have sometimes. Nice job, Michaela.
A Tale of Two Cities was such a remarkable book. I would be lying if I didn’t say that after the first reading I was skeptical, but the rest of the reading was amazing. By the end I couldn’t put it down. I literally fell in love. Dickens is a genius. I absolutely adore Sydney Carton and everything that he did for the Manettes. I thought I loved him before, but now I am certain! The beauty of this book is not only that it is a good read, but it leaves you with lessons that will last a lifetime. I know that I certainly found some.
The first lesson that this novel taught me was about the power of love. If you look at the way all the characters loved each other, there is something so beautiful and so strong behind it. Without the unfailing love of Lucie Manette, Doctor Manette may have never recovered himself. It was her love and patience that brought him back. Sydney Carton had a love of Lucie that was so strong that he died in her husband’s place to protect her. Miss Pross loved Lucie so much that she fought Madame Defarge in order to protect and keep Lucie from death. All that just because of love. After this novel I have realized that love is a lot stronger that force.
Another lesson that this novel has taught me was to have hope for tomorrow. Even though the situation may be bleak and dreary, tomorrow is another day and it can always be better. This is shown through Darnay and Lucie. Darnay is sentenced to death, but holds his head up high. Each day that he is imprisoned he hopes for the day when he may be released. He should have lost all hope to regain his life, but instead he thinks of his wife and child, and he is able to find the strength to carry on. He is hopeful for a brilliant future if and when he is free. I can only hope to be like that. It seems unlikely that I will ever be imprisoned, but even after a bad day I lose faith in tomorrow. I genuinely want to be as hopeful as Darnay and Lucie.
The third lesson that I have learned from this novel is sacrifice. I don’t quite mean the way that Sydney died for Darnay, but its example helps with my meaning. Sydney cares for his friends so much that he steps in when injustice is about to hurt them. I try to do the same for my friends. There are sometimes when you sacrifice yourself and take the fall for them. It is not anything as big as going to the guillotine, but it is still important. It is essential to stand up for your friends when injustice is at their doorstep. I often hope that I continue to stand in for my friends the way that Sydney stepped in for Darnay. It takes courage to make that sacrifice, and I hope that I can do the same for my friends.
A Tale of Two Cities. Wow. It is a wonderful book that teaches so much about hope, love, and sacrifice, among other things. There are definitely a multitude of lessons to be gauged from one single novel. I think that any novel that that can be done with should go on the shelves as a masterpiece and a true piece of literary genius.
Nice blog! I liked the way that you talked about the different lessons in the novel. I never thought about the aspect of love in the novel, but it was an essential part to the progression of the novel. I thought that your example of sacrifice was also very important. It is remarkable that a man would do that for the sake of someone else. Great job Megan.
Megan, I think that you picked out some very good examples from the novel. I also didn't really think of love as a lesson. But, now after reading your blog I can see how it really is a good lesson to take away from the book. Hope and sacrifice were also very good lessons to take away from this great book. Great blog!
I really liked your blog! It was nice to see how deeply you connected with the book, considering you apprehension about it in the beginning. I really liked the paragraphs regarding the section about love. When I was doing my Major Works Data Sheet and f long out the character page, I felt like I was using the same adjective over and over and it was "Loving". There is certainly something to be learned from them.
P.s. You were right. I relinquish. Sydney Carton is super awesome.
After reading tale of two cities I realize how precious life really is. Darnay was faced with the possibility of death, but Carton put someone before himself and died in place of Darnay. This selfless act was the perfect way for Dickens to end the novel. The beginning of the novel was difficult to read, but as the plot developed it became much more enjoyable to read. I thought that the article compared the Catholic Church to the novel very well.
The Catholic Church is rapidly changing with the influence of pop culture. There are many morals that are under attack as a result of common culture’s views. The opening paragraph of the novel perfectly describes the state of the church. We are currently “in the best of times” because there are many people who are worshiping God and spreading the faith, but we are also “in the worst of times” because there are more and more people leaving the faith and making choices against the teaching of the Church.
The novel encompasses many other teachings of the church. The main teaching is sacrifice. The church asks people to sacrifice or fast for special occasions. The sacrifice of Carton is not the extreme that the church is talking about, but it is the ultimate sacrifice. By dying for someone else, much like Christ did, he saved the hope of many people. If Darnay would have died Lucy and the rest of her family would have been very troubled and things could have changed drastically.
The next teaching of the church that the novel talks about is the idea of hope. There are many times throughout the novel where hope was the sole reason for survival. If Dr. Manette would not have had hope that he would be free someday he would have probably died. He believed that he would someday be freed, and eventually was. Another example of hope was Darnay believing that he would be freed from prison. Although he did not think that he would be saved by Carton, he did have hope that he would be freed because he had not committed any crime.
The novel is full of similar ideas to the catholic faith. There are many ideas that align with the teachings of the church. The ultimate sacrifice of Carton seals the ideas of Dickens.
I really like your blog and how you really integrated the church into the blog compared to the book. I also made the connection between Sydney Carton and Jesus. I think that sacrifice is the main lesson that we can take away from this novel. I think that hope is also a good lesson. Especially when things are not going our way, it is important to have hope and carry on. Great Job!
Nice blog! You integrated the church seamlessly throughout your entire blog, which was very good and interesting. You used the article a lot though, I would have like to see your personal lessons derived from the book! I agree with the idea of sacrifice being so important to the novel. I also think we can all relate to what you said regarding the book's difficulty at the beginning. It was hard. But by the end it got so good!
1859 is when "A Tale of Two Cities" was published. Its strange to think that words over two-hundred years old could be so relevant to a seventeen-year old girl, living in a time so very different from the revolution-filled Europe described in Dickens work.
This was certainly a work I never thought I'd "learn" something from, per say. However, the more I read these "classics" the more I realize why they are, indeed, "classics". You always learn something. A lesson or idea that transcends the very depths of time. I love it.
Dickens really stresses the idea of remaining rational when seeking justice. I find this very powerful. When asked in class about revenge, I couldn't quite gather my thoughts. I believe it is important that some form of punishment be given to those who do wrong. That is revenge, is it not? But the word revenge has such a negative connotation. I don't believe in spiting people....I was confused.
But then I think I began to confuse revenge with justice. After reading "A Tale of Two Cities" I have found that I am not the only one. The revolutionaries condemned innocent people to death in the name of "justice" or "The New Republic". That was revenge. But throwing a criminal in jail who is tried by the legal system, that is justice.
He somehow made it clear a concept I so struggled to grasp when asked directly about it. I understood what it meant, I knew how I felt about it inside, but somehow couldn't accurately articulate it.
I also connected deeply to the idea of sacrifice, especially in the area of our faith. We are taught that sacrifices are essential to following The Lord. We can't do good unto others unless we give up the easy road from time to time and put down our desires for the good of others.
Dickens portrays what happens if this is done on a large scale.
The Revolution is used as an example to depict the tragedies that can occur if vengeance and personal gain overshadow the desire to do good unto others. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to save all of man-kind. He was human, and cried in the garden out of fear of his looming death. However, he did not turn away from his mission. Sydney Carton gave up his life for the good of someone he loved. We are asked to make our own sacrifices on a much smaller scale everyday, yet we still often turn our backs on the opportunity.
This book was good for reflecting on concepts I was already familiar with. Every once in a while we need something to ground us again, to remind us what is important in life, especially when things get busy. "A Tale of Two Cities" was a beautiful masterpiece, that could not have been presented to me at a better time.
I loved how you related A Tale of Two Cities to your own life! I concur that it is amazing how an old novel can still relate to our lives 200 years later. I agree that this novel definitely showed how "revenge" and "justice" are indeed to contrasting terms. (I also respect you sneaking in a literary term as well.) Madame Defarge definitely made that clear to us. Haha! I used the idea of sacrifice in my blog as well because I think it is one of the biggest themes in Dickens's novel. I loved your allusion to Jesus's sacrifice and the way he accepted it. Beautiful blog, Danielle!
This was a great blog. Your reasoning behind the relationship between Carton and Jesus was exceptional. Like you said, this was a very appropriate time to read this book. Every once in awhile we really do need to ground ourselves, and this book really did the job. And this book is still applicable after 200 years. Nice job!
Charles Dickens wrote a very symbolic novel when he wrote the Tale of a Two Cities. It's incredible to think that 200 years later it would still be applicable today. Honestly I didn't think anything could be derived from this book, and I thought I would hate it at first because of the language and difficulty of interpreting that language. But in the end, the book had an epic ending that really capped off this book.
The main lesson that someone will learn from reading this book is the idea of sacrificing. Even though it doesn't have to be as huge as Sydney's to the Manette family, some times people just need to take time out of their day to help others. This will gain respect from people, and gain their love, which is the next lesson, but I'll get to that in a bit. Anyways Sydney's sacrifice was pretty extreme. He gave his life for another family, and he gave his life meaning. This should be a standard for living, obviously not to die, but to be courageous and stand up for others. We also want our lives to have meaning, and feel like we've been put on earth for a purpose. It's like that new Dr. Pepper commercial: there is only one "you" in this world, and that person can do whatever no one else can. Everyone was out on earth for a purpose, so we have got to sacrifice to do the right things, so we will be the best versions of ourselves.
Anyways after that spiel, the second lesson is love. Everyone's got to love to make it through life. It's just impossible to make it through life without loving something, someplace, or especially someone. Sydney Carton portrays this when he confesses to Lucie that he would do anything for her. And he pulls through his promise when he dies for her. We all have to love so much that we have to make sacrifices, which is kind of a two in one lesson. We have to love so much that we have to able to face a guillotine knowing that we're there for a good reason.
To sum up this blog in one sentence: Love God, love others, make sacrifices. Dickens really portrays these life lessons through Carton, who made a huge sacrifice out of love to make his life worth living.
CAUTION: (As most of you know) I am infatuated with A Tale of Two Cities. Haha! And in the most bizarre way I long to be that blond hair girl who held the hand of Sydney Carton in the last few hours of her life!! (This is to be explained later on.)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it is a genius novel with an even more brilliant ending. If I learned anything from Dickens’s story it is that there is always hope. It does not matter how dark or bleak times may seem; God is always there. After I finished this novel, a quote from Pope John Paul II’s Holocaust speech popped into my mind. The great pope once proclaimed, “Not even in the darkest hour is every light extinguished”, and I automatically compared that to a selfless sacrifice amidst the horrors of the French Revolution.
You have to admit, Dickens is a brilliant and talented author. He described the French Revolution with such deep and vulgar details that it sometimes made me sick to my stomach. What made me even more disgusted was that he was writing about a realistic event. It was Hell on Earth! Man mercilessly murdering fellow man, the guillotine devouring almost a hundred heads a day, and blood becoming the new fad on France’s streets. Among the darkness of the Revolution, Dickens strategically placed a small light – Sydney Carton.
My faith in humanity was restored when good ole’ Sydney gave up his life so that Darnay could live. Wow! As soon as I figured out that that was Carton’s plan, I could not help but think, “My goodness! He is the Jesus Christ of A Tale of Two Cities!” Yes, they both gave up their lives so others may live. Yes, they both resurrected in some way. But they also gave hope, when it seemed like all hope was lost. Among the killings and selfishness that seemed to consume the times that Jesus and Sydney Carton, they both performed a purely selfless act for the good of others.
I want to be that girl – that girl of hope. I long to be that blond haired girl who gazes into the eyes of Sydney Carton and squeezes his hand before she calmly walks into the clutches of death. In the final precious hours of my life, I desire to hold the hand of my Lord and feel his comfort envelop me as death creeps closer and closer to capture me. As they stood before the guillotine, the blond girl and Sydney Carton held hands and exchanged a beautiful kiss before the brave woman met her unfriendly fate. The courageous man passed on his bravery to the beautiful lady and provided her with an undeniable strength as she faced death.
I have hope.
I have hope that when I face the blade of the guillotine (figuratively of course, I hope) I am peaceful. I have hope that the Lord will provide me with that strength, just like Sydney Carton provided a beautiful stranger with courage, when my final hour arrives. I have hope that even when times seem dark and rough that God will never abandon me. I have hope that there is a immaculate sanctuary waiting for me after this lifetime, where happiness and love are infinite.
The way Sydney Carton describes it provides me with an overwhelming sense of hope.
“It is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."
Rachel,
DeleteThat blog was beautiful. As you known from our discussions, I absolutely adore that blonde girl that held the hand of Sydney Carton. There is an absolute beauty to her presence, and it does feel very much like Jesus holding her hand before she dies. I think that Sydney and that girl are the lights that every person must embody before they are about to die. Sydney even more takes on a role of Jesus when she tells him that she has a poor cousin that she hopes will live a long time. It resembles a prayer to me anyway. This novel has taught me that I need not fear death, but I should have hope and take comfort in the arms of my Lord and Redeemer.
P.S. I love the quote that you ended with!
Rachel,
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. I think that the quote from Pope John Paul II was a perfect comparison to the French Revolution. It is hard to believe that these events actually occurred. I think that the events with the guillotine were especially horrid. Finally, I agree with you that the acts of Carton were incredibly brave and unexpected. Nice blog!
Rachel,
DeleteYou had a really nice blog. I completely agree that Sydney was really courageous to face the guillotine. Though it was a really terrible thing, that being the Revolution, there is light in the darkest places. And saying that, you're quote was great. It related too perfectly to this book. Good blog!
I absolutely loved reading A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens obviously did a beautiful job writing this book. It really is scary to think that the events such as the guillotine really did happen. We are very lucky to not be exposed to those types of dangers in our lives. It really is hard to put into perspective now hard it must have been to live during that time period, especially because we have it so good compared to that time.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are many lessons that someone can take from this book, because of the richness I which it was written, also it is very easy to compare the values in the book to our religion. This is because of the similarities that they have in common. The main similarity is the character of Sydney. He sacrificed his life just like Jesus did for us. So, I think that the main lesson that I will take and apply to my life is self sacrificing my time and my efforts.
These sacrifices do not have to be quite as extreme as Sydney Carton's in the novel. They can be as simple as donating time to help someone in need. I am going to donate my time helping out very Sunday at the faith formation classes on Sunday. I will help teach and do whatever I can to help out my parish. This is one way that I am going to sacrifice my time to help others.
We as a school are required to donate at least twenty hours of which is another way that we sacrifice our time and services to help others. Since we all were confirmed last year we also had to obtain service hours in order to become confirmed. There are many different ways that we make sacrifices even though we might not even realize it, such as donating money for dress down days and buying the pink shirts to help breast cancer.
However, even though we do make sacrifices we also take a lot for granted. We all have a house, which is a luxury that not every has. We do not always think about how good we have it. I know that I find myself taking things for granted all the time. After reading this book I am going to try to appreciate things more, especially if they are things that others do not have that same luxury.
Michaela Cashmer,
DeleteI definitely respect the lesson(s) that you learned from A Tale of Two Cities. Sacrifice plays a major role in our lives, whether we know it or not. For Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay, it was the epitome of their survival. I really like how you related sacrificing to your life and the world we live in today. The service hour example was so interesting! The novel does teach a great lesson, however, about sacrificing for others and the way you related it to your own life was well done! The only sort of negative thing I have to say is maybe read over your blog once before you post it because there were some simple grammatical errors that become distracting sometimes. Other than that, great blog, Michaela!
Michaela,
DeleteI also talked about sacrifice in my blog. It is one of the major things that the novel has to teach us. You, however, took it in a very different direction than I did, and I really liked your example. Your service hour example was good. I know that I personally like to exceed the amount of service hours that I am required to get. I actually found that I really enjoy helping people. There is something so uplifting about it. I would also agree with you when you say that people take a lot for granted. I know that I certainly do, sometimes without realizing it. It is easy to forget that not everyone has a home or a family like we do. People need to stop and appreciate what they have sometimes. Nice job, Michaela.
A Tale of Two Cities was such a remarkable book. I would be lying if I didn’t say that after the first reading I was skeptical, but the rest of the reading was amazing. By the end I couldn’t put it down. I literally fell in love. Dickens is a genius. I absolutely adore Sydney Carton and everything that he did for the Manettes. I thought I loved him before, but now I am certain! The beauty of this book is not only that it is a good read, but it leaves you with lessons that will last a lifetime. I know that I certainly found some.
ReplyDeleteThe first lesson that this novel taught me was about the power of love. If you look at the way all the characters loved each other, there is something so beautiful and so strong behind it. Without the unfailing love of Lucie Manette, Doctor Manette may have never recovered himself. It was her love and patience that brought him back. Sydney Carton had a love of Lucie that was so strong that he died in her husband’s place to protect her. Miss Pross loved Lucie so much that she fought Madame Defarge in order to protect and keep Lucie from death. All that just because of love. After this novel I have realized that love is a lot stronger that force.
Another lesson that this novel has taught me was to have hope for tomorrow. Even though the situation may be bleak and dreary, tomorrow is another day and it can always be better. This is shown through Darnay and Lucie. Darnay is sentenced to death, but holds his head up high. Each day that he is imprisoned he hopes for the day when he may be released. He should have lost all hope to regain his life, but instead he thinks of his wife and child, and he is able to find the strength to carry on. He is hopeful for a brilliant future if and when he is free. I can only hope to be like that. It seems unlikely that I will ever be imprisoned, but even after a bad day I lose faith in tomorrow. I genuinely want to be as hopeful as Darnay and Lucie.
The third lesson that I have learned from this novel is sacrifice. I don’t quite mean the way that Sydney died for Darnay, but its example helps with my meaning. Sydney cares for his friends so much that he steps in when injustice is about to hurt them. I try to do the same for my friends. There are sometimes when you sacrifice yourself and take the fall for them. It is not anything as big as going to the guillotine, but it is still important. It is essential to stand up for your friends when injustice is at their doorstep. I often hope that I continue to stand in for my friends the way that Sydney stepped in for Darnay. It takes courage to make that sacrifice, and I hope that I can do the same for my friends.
A Tale of Two Cities. Wow. It is a wonderful book that teaches so much about hope, love, and sacrifice, among other things. There are definitely a multitude of lessons to be gauged from one single novel. I think that any novel that that can be done with should go on the shelves as a masterpiece and a true piece of literary genius.
Megan,
DeleteNice blog! I liked the way that you talked about the different lessons in the novel. I never thought about the aspect of love in the novel, but it was an essential part to the progression of the novel. I thought that your example of sacrifice was also very important. It is remarkable that a man would do that for the sake of someone else. Great job Megan.
Megan,
DeleteI think that you picked out some very good examples from the novel. I also didn't really think of love as a lesson. But, now after reading your blog I can see how it really is a good lesson to take away from the book. Hope and sacrifice were also very good lessons to take away from this great book. Great blog!
Megan,
DeleteI really liked your blog! It was nice to see how deeply you connected with the book, considering you apprehension about it in the beginning. I really liked the paragraphs regarding the section about love. When I was doing my Major Works Data Sheet and f long out the character page, I felt like I was using the same adjective over and over and it was "Loving". There is certainly something to be learned from them.
P.s. You were right. I relinquish. Sydney Carton is super awesome.
After reading tale of two cities I realize how precious life really is. Darnay was faced with the possibility of death, but Carton put someone before himself and died in place of Darnay. This selfless act was the perfect way for Dickens to end the novel. The beginning of the novel was difficult to read, but as the plot developed it became much more enjoyable to read. I thought that the article compared the Catholic Church to the novel very well.
ReplyDeleteThe Catholic Church is rapidly changing with the influence of pop culture. There are many morals that are under attack as a result of common culture’s views. The opening paragraph of the novel perfectly describes the state of the church. We are currently “in the best of times” because there are many people who are worshiping God and spreading the faith, but we are also “in the worst of times” because there are more and more people leaving the faith and making choices against the teaching of the Church.
The novel encompasses many other teachings of the church. The main teaching is sacrifice. The church asks people to sacrifice or fast for special occasions. The sacrifice of Carton is not the extreme that the church is talking about, but it is the ultimate sacrifice. By dying for someone else, much like Christ did, he saved the hope of many people. If Darnay would have died Lucy and the rest of her family would have been very troubled and things could have changed drastically.
The next teaching of the church that the novel talks about is the idea of hope. There are many times throughout the novel where hope was the sole reason for survival. If Dr. Manette would not have had hope that he would be free someday he would have probably died. He believed that he would someday be freed, and eventually was. Another example of hope was Darnay believing that he would be freed from prison. Although he did not think that he would be saved by Carton, he did have hope that he would be freed because he had not committed any crime.
The novel is full of similar ideas to the catholic faith. There are many ideas that align with the teachings of the church. The ultimate sacrifice of Carton seals the ideas of Dickens.
Kraus,
DeleteI really like your blog and how you really integrated the church into the blog compared to the book. I also made the connection between Sydney Carton and Jesus. I think that sacrifice is the main lesson that we can take away from this novel. I think that hope is also a good lesson. Especially when things are not going our way, it is important to have hope and carry on. Great Job!
Luke,
DeleteNice blog! You integrated the church seamlessly throughout your entire blog, which was very good and interesting. You used the article a lot though, I would have like to see your personal lessons derived from the book! I agree with the idea of sacrifice being so important to the novel. I also think we can all relate to what you said regarding the book's difficulty at the beginning. It was hard. But by the end it got so good!
Nice job!
1859 is when "A Tale of Two Cities" was published. Its strange to think that words over two-hundred years old could be so relevant to a seventeen-year old girl, living in a time so very different from the revolution-filled Europe described in Dickens work.
ReplyDeleteThis was certainly a work I never thought I'd "learn" something from, per say. However, the more I read these "classics" the more I realize why they are, indeed, "classics". You always learn something. A lesson or idea that transcends the very depths of time. I love it.
Dickens really stresses the idea of remaining rational when seeking justice. I find this very powerful. When asked in class about revenge, I couldn't quite gather my thoughts. I believe it is important that some form of punishment be given to those who do wrong. That is revenge, is it not? But the word revenge has such a negative connotation. I don't believe in spiting people....I was confused.
But then I think I began to confuse revenge with justice. After reading "A Tale of Two Cities" I have found that I am not the only one. The revolutionaries condemned innocent people to death in the name of "justice" or "The New Republic". That was revenge. But throwing a criminal in jail who is tried by the legal system, that is justice.
He somehow made it clear a concept I so struggled to grasp when asked directly about it. I understood what it meant, I knew how I felt about it inside, but somehow couldn't accurately articulate it.
I also connected deeply to the idea of sacrifice, especially in the area of our faith. We are taught that sacrifices are essential to following The Lord. We can't do good unto others unless we give up the easy road from time to time and put down our desires for the good of others.
Dickens portrays what happens if this is done on a large scale.
The Revolution is used as an example to depict the tragedies that can occur if vengeance and personal gain overshadow the desire to do good unto others. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to save all of man-kind. He was human, and cried in the garden out of fear of his looming death. However, he did not turn away from his mission. Sydney Carton gave up his life for the good of someone he loved. We are asked to make our own sacrifices on a much smaller scale everyday, yet we still often turn our backs on the opportunity.
This book was good for reflecting on concepts I was already familiar with. Every once in a while we need something to ground us again, to remind us what is important in life, especially when things get busy. "A Tale of Two Cities" was a beautiful masterpiece, that could not have been presented to me at a better time.
Danielle Healy,
DeleteI loved how you related A Tale of Two Cities to your own life! I concur that it is amazing how an old novel can still relate to our lives 200 years later. I agree that this novel definitely showed how "revenge" and "justice" are indeed to contrasting terms. (I also respect you sneaking in a literary term as well.) Madame Defarge definitely made that clear to us. Haha! I used the idea of sacrifice in my blog as well because I think it is one of the biggest themes in Dickens's novel. I loved your allusion to Jesus's sacrifice and the way he accepted it. Beautiful blog, Danielle!
Danielle,
DeleteThis was a great blog. Your reasoning behind the relationship between Carton and Jesus was exceptional. Like you said, this was a very appropriate time to read this book. Every once in awhile we really do need to ground ourselves, and this book really did the job. And this book is still applicable after 200 years. Nice job!
Charles Dickens wrote a very symbolic novel when he wrote the Tale of a Two Cities. It's incredible to think that 200 years later it would still be applicable today. Honestly I didn't think anything could be derived from this book, and I thought I would hate it at first because of the language and difficulty of interpreting that language. But in the end, the book had an epic ending that really capped off this book.
ReplyDeleteThe main lesson that someone will learn from reading this book is the idea of sacrificing. Even though it doesn't have to be as huge as Sydney's to the Manette family, some times people just need to take time out of their day to help others. This will gain respect from people, and gain their love, which is the next lesson, but I'll get to that in a bit. Anyways Sydney's sacrifice was pretty extreme. He gave his life for another family, and he gave his life meaning. This should be a standard for living, obviously not to die, but to be courageous and stand up for others. We also want our lives to have meaning, and feel like we've been put on earth for a purpose. It's like that new Dr. Pepper commercial: there is only one "you" in this world, and that person can do whatever no one else can. Everyone was out on earth for a purpose, so we have got to sacrifice to do the right things, so we will be the best versions of ourselves.
Anyways after that spiel, the second lesson is love. Everyone's got to love to make it through life. It's just impossible to make it through life without loving something, someplace, or especially someone. Sydney Carton portrays this when he confesses to Lucie that he would do anything for her. And he pulls through his promise when he dies for her. We all have to love so much that we have to make sacrifices, which is kind of a two in one lesson. We have to love so much that we have to able to face a guillotine knowing that we're there for a good reason.
To sum up this blog in one sentence: Love God, love others, make sacrifices. Dickens really portrays these life lessons through Carton, who made a huge sacrifice out of love to make his life worth living.