Our reading assignment ends today with Mr. Lorry leaving the Old Bailey and heading back to his job at Tellson’s. Dickens describes the bank as old-fashioned, cramped, and fiercely resistant to change.
Although Tellson’s is fictional, it was likely inspired by Child & Co., which started as a goldsmith business run by Robert Blanchard in 1649. Blanchard’s business was recognized by the sign of a marigold.
Francis Child joined Blanchard in 1665. In 1673 they moved their business to Fleet Street. In 1681 Child inherited the entire business and it became known as Child & Co. By 1780, it had been an established financial institution for generations, serving wealthy families and influential members of British society.
At the time Dickens was writing A Tale of Two Cities Child & Co was headed by Sarah Sophia Fane, which was uncommon in the business world of the 1850s. The business remained at 1 Fleet Street until it closed in 2022. If you are in London you can still walk by the building that was once Child & Co. and may have been the inspiration for Tellson’s.
Something to Consider
Can an institution become so attached to its past achievements that it fails to recognize opportunities for improvement?
Can the same thing happen to an individual?
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 ...
Sydney Carton is intelligent, capable, compassionate, self-destructive, and deeply dissatisfied with his life.
His potential is evident, but his accomplishments are limited. His habits are troubling, but his character contains admirable qualities. His reputation is unfavorable, but Lucie recognizes something in him that others have overlooked.
Perhaps the greatest mistake we can make when judging another person is to assume that who they are today represents everything they are capable of becoming. Yet there is an equally dangerous mistake: assuming that possessing the potential for greatness is equivalent to achieving it. Potential without action remains unrealized. Character without conviction may fail when tested. Reputation without substance is little more than appearance.
The challenge is not simply to possess admirable qualities or to be regarded favorably by others. It is to develop the discipline, courage, and integrity necessary to become the person we are capable of being. When ...
