Great literature should do more than entertain us. It should provide a roadmap to improving our lives.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens introduced readers to Sydney Carton, one of literature's most compelling and deeply flawed characters. Dickens also gives him an unusual title: the Jackal.
His struggles raise questions that remain relevant today.
Are we defined by our past mistakes? Can we overcome our weaknesses? What separates the people we are from the people we could become?
Lessons From the Jackal is a 25-day character study exploring these questions through Sydney Carton’s life, decisions, relationships, and personal development.
This is not a traditional course on A Tale of Two Cities. Our reading assignments will focus specifically on Carton, with sufficient background provided to understand his story. No previous knowledge of the novel is necessary.
Each day will feature selected readings, historical comparisons, reflection questions, discussions, and practical challenges ...
“Don’t be afraid to hear me. Don’t shrink from anything I say. I am like one who died young. All my life might have been.
No Mr. Carton. I am sure the best part of it might still be; I am sure that you might be much, much worthier of yourself.”
A Tale of Two Cities
Book II
Chapter 13 beginning where yesterday’s assignment ended through the end of the chapter.
Contextual Background:
Lucie Manette was raised in England believing that both of her parents were dead. Her mother had died when Lucie was very young, and her father, Dr. Alexandre Manette, had disappeared before she could know him. In reality, Dr. Manette had been secretly imprisoned in the Bastille for eighteen years. His imprisonment profoundly damaged his physical and psychological well-being. When he was released, he had become so accustomed to making shoes in his prison cell that he continued the activity after regaining his freedom.
When Lucie first encounters her father in Paris, she discovers a man who has nearly lost his sense of identity. He struggles to recognize his surroundings and has difficulty recalling the life he once lived.
Yet Lucie does not regard her father's condition as permanent. She approaches him with compassion, patience, and the conviction that his ...
