Mr. Stryver is making a name for himself in the legal profession. His growing success is somewhat surprising, however, because he has never been regarded as a particularly brilliant legal mind.
Dickens makes two additional observations about Stryver’s professional life.
First, Stryver frequently spends his evenings drinking excessively with Sydney Carton.
Second, Carton is present at every Old Bailey case in which Stryver appears. Although Carton often seems disinterested in the proceedings, his contributions have not gone entirely unnoticed. He has acquired a reputation as “an amazingly good jackal” to Stryver.
Stryver is building a successful career and earning public recognition. Carton, despite demonstrating considerable intelligence, seems content to remain in the background.
What does it mean to be an amazingly good jackal?
Is Stryver successful because he is more capable than Carton, or because he is more determined to succeed?
There is another possibility worth considering.
Perhaps Carton finds it easier to devote his considerable abilities to another man’s success because doing so allows him to avoid confronting his own failures. As long as he remains the jackal, he can exercise his talents without accepting the expectations, responsibilities, and possibility of failure that accompany pursuing his own ambitions.
If Stryver fails, Carton remains the assistant. If Carton pursues success for himself and fails, he must confront the limits of his own abilities.
When we look at Sydney Carton, are we witnessing a lack of ambition, a lack of self-confidence, or a deliberate retreat from personal responsibility?
And perhaps most importantly, can someone possess great potential while actively avoiding the responsibility of fulfilling it?
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 ...
