Today we learned a great deal more about the relationship between Carton and Stryver. We learn that they were school boys together and they even went and studied in Paris together. Now Carton does much of the analytical work for Stryver.
We also learned that even as a student Carton was doing the hard work for others instead of himself. He has carried on that tradition with Stryver.
When asked how he realized he look just like Darnay, Carton responded “I thought he was a rather handsome fellow, and I thought I should have been much the same sort of fellow, if I had any luck.”
Why would Carton consider a lack of luck as the thing that is holding him back when he has shown a consistent habit of doing hard work for others?
Is Carton's behavior evidence of generosity, insecurity, a lack of ambition, or something else?
Meanwhile Stryver has become a successful and increasingly prominent barrister.
When we attribute our failures to bad luck, are we recognizing circumstances beyond our control, or avoiding responsibility for decisions within our control?
As Carton is walking home he can envision a different world where he is successful but at the end of the chapter he drops down on his neglected bed and “his pillow is wet with wasted tears”
Has Carton given up on his life and his potential?
The last paragraph paints a bleak picture of Carton. He is a man of “good and good emotions,” who is unable to bring about his own happiness.
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 ...
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
Poet, Critic, Philosopher
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was one of the most gifted literary minds of his generation. A poet, critic, and philosopher, he possessed extraordinary intellectual abilities. Yet his life was marked by unfinished projects, difficulties with discipline, and an increasingly destructive dependence on opium.
Coleridge produced some of the most memorable poetry in English literature, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan. But he also struggled to translate his ambitious intellectual plans into completed works. His friends recognized his extraordinary abilities, even as they witnessed the difficulties that prevented him from consistently applying them.
Unlike Sydney Carton, Coleridge achieved lasting recognition. Nevertheless, both men illustrate the distance that can exist between ability and accomplishment.
Consider the comparison. Was Coleridge's potential diminished by his inability to complete everything he envisioned?
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