A Tale of Two Cities

I just finished re-reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens yesterday. What a powerful story!

Background: It takes place in London and Paris during the French Revolution. The story shows how the French Aristocrats oppressed the common people in shocking ways. The common people, who after a time, were so beaten down that they had nothing more to lose, united and beheaded ("exterminated") the Aristocrats and anyone who didn't sympathize with the Republic. Both sides committed horrible atrocities against the other.

Plot Summary: This literary masterpiece begins with the famous quote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." As the story opens, Lucie Manette travels from London to Paris to retrieve her father who was wrongly imprisoned and left in jail for 18 years. On the way back to London, Lucie meets her future husband, a Frenchman named Charles Darnay. Charles was from an aristocratic family -- the likes of which treated common people like dogs. Charles, however, wanted nothing to do with his inheritance and with the continued oppresion of the commoners. Therefore, he left France, denounced his name, changing it from Evremonde to Darnay. Upon entering London, Charles is charged with treason but acquitted. The lawyer's assistant, the rough, hard-living alcoholic Sydney Carton, is secretly in love with Lucie, who's in love with Charles. After Charles and Lucie are married, Charles receives an urgent letter from a former servant who implores him to return to Paris and help him out of prison. Charles goes back to France and finds things much changed. All the Aristocrats have either gone into hiding or been murdered by the guillotine. Immediately upon arriving in Paris, Charles is sent to prison and after a travesty of a trial, is condemned. Lucie and her father hasten to Paris to try to free him, but fail.

***Spoiler alert: don't continue reading if you don't want to know how it ends!*** Enter Sydney Carton. He comes to Paris, unknown to Lucie or Charles, and unexpectedly visits Charles in his jail cell a mere hour before his execution by guillotine. He knocks Charles out and switches clothes with him and fixes his hair like Charles' and vice versa. (Early on the book, it is mentioned that the two men happen to look a lot alike. The main difference being Sydney looks haggard and Charles is well-groomed.) He goes to the guillotine not so much for Charles, but for the happiness of the woman he loves but could never have, and for the chance to finally do something good after wasting his life and talents. On the way to the guillotine, Sydney doesn't think of Lucie, but of Christ. He meditates on, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will never die." (My paraphrase.) That's why the book ends with, "It's a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done. It is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known." The end. (sniff! sob!)

I first read this book in high school in Mrs. Bentz's (no relation) AP English class. I was so moved by the character of Sydney Carton. When we watched the movie version in class -- oh how I wanted to cry like a baby at the end!! I couldn't look at anybody. For all I know, there may not have been a dry eye in the classroom. I wouldn't have been surprised.

How beautiful, the sacrificial love of Sydney Carton. What a picture of Jesus' sacrificial love. Sydney paid the price for someone else's sins (Charles' father and uncle's sins). Jesus paid the price for our sins. Sydney willingly faced death for Lucie's life to be full and happy. Jesus willingly faced death for us, his beloved children, to live life to the fullest and for us to spend eternity with him. There is no greater gift than that. Can I get an amen?

Wow. I love that book!!! If you have read it, please post a comment! If you haven't read it, go to your library and get it! (Don't forget the tissues.)