resurrection in a tale of two cities essay

Student Essay: Resurrection in A Tale of Two Cities

By Katie Holford

Both central and secondary characters in dickens' novel are defined in terms of miraculous restorations to life..

“He that believeth in me, although he were dead, yet shall he live.” This scripture reference in A Tale of Two Cities profoundly represents the spiritual death of several characters that brings them to the power of resurrection. In the story, several men are beaten into moral and physical submission by a corrupt society; this repression of their right to happiness causes the decay of hope in their lives. However, the deterioration of their humanity eventually leads them to their respective redemptions: Dr. Manette, Mr. Cruncher, and Sydney Carton all find new life in the ruins of their past. 

Dr. Manette, the father of the lovely Lucie, suffered greatly at the hands of the French government. Because of his compassion and fervor for justice, he was cruelly locked up for eighteen long years. In those years, although he was physically weak, his autonomy and intellect were rendered even more feeble, suppressed by the looming prison walls. Even when he was set free bodily, his mind and spirit were left in captivity. He was weak, but “it was not the faintness of physical weakness … it was the faintness of solitude.” It was only through his daughter that he was finally able to reclaim control of his life and expel the darkness that had been thrown, shroud-like, over his mind. She was the “golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery: and the sound of her voice, the light of her face, the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with him almost always.” Slowly but surely, Dr. Manette regained his hope and vivacity as Lucie replaced the years he had spent as a dead man with tranquility and promise. Dr. Manette’s glorious resurrection was complete when “for the first time the Doctor felt … that his suffering was strength and power.” Thus, the same suffering that had condemned Dr. Manette to a life of uncertainty and fear lifted him out of those same troubles, to his and his family’s redemption.

By contrast, Mr. Cruncher’s spiritual decay was of his own doing. In the beginning of the novel, Cruncher was a terror to his family, treating his wife without mercy. He “led the unfortunate woman a hard life by dwelling on any complaints he could bring against her.” He had no regard for her well-being; instead, he incessantly raged at her for “flopping” (i.e., praying). He lived with a complete lack of regard for right and wrong, treating those in his life who deserved the most respect with utter indecency. He willfully deceived his family so that he could rob people’s graves for profit; he even lacked any concern for his son. But the close prospect of death at the hands of the blood-thirsty French mob made him rethink his ways. It was then that he saw the flaws of his actions, and he understood the negative ways in which he was affecting not only his family, but himself as well. He was empty, suffering under a self-inflicted burden, filling his life with deception and anger. Fortunately, this did not drive him to despair: Cruncher had the fortitude to confront his previous lifestyle and transcend it, resolving to become a better man. He renounced his grave-robbing, vowing to “never do it no more,” as well as sorrowfully promising to not “interfere with Mrs. Cruncher’s flopping.” Cruncher’s genuine change of heart uplifted his soul and led it towards the good despite his unethical past.

"O Miss Manette, when the little picture of a happy father's face looks up in yours, when you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you!" Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Sydney Carton had also led an immoral life that caused his spiritual demise. At the beginning of the novel, he was the “idlest and most unpromising of men”; he filled his time with drinking and wallowing in misery. However, his redemption began as he met the Manettes and Darnay and began to find love inside him, even while he still appeared to others as a rough, unfeeling lowlife. In the ruins of his immorality, there was the seed of budding hope, only recognized by the most innocent: Lucie’s daughter, “little Lucie.” She had a “strange sympathy with him—an instinctive delicacy of pity for him.” Slowly, Sydney Carton was able to access this inward longing for a meaningful life, and manifest it in the most selfless action: laying down one’s life for a friend. The tired beginnings of Carton’s life would grow by his death into something memorable; his sacrifice would be forever remembered not only by Lucie junior, but also by her family and even her descendants. He was the man who had given his life so they could live, the man who had paid the ultimate sacrifice honorably and without fear. Sydney Carton “had wandered and struggled and got lost, but … at length struck to his road and saw its end.” Because of his insignificant and troubled life, death for him was not an end, but the establishment of his legacy in the hearts of those whom he loved. Without his initial brokenness, his sacrifice would only be a meaningful death; with his broken life, that meaningful death became a shining redemption. 

Dr. Manette, Mr. Cruncher, and Sydney Carton all improved themselves in the midst of suffering. Instead of bowing under the temptation of what was easy but false, they found it within themselves to stand up against their debilitating pasts and turn them into instruments for good. They transformed their suffering into their own redemptions, making sacrifices for those they loved. In doing so, they not only created peace in the lives of those around them, but also within themselves. As Sydney Carton said, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”

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Katie Holford is a junior at Scottsdale Preparatory Academy, AZ, where she plays soccer, indoor volleyball, and beach volleyball. She also loves spending time with her family and two dogs, as well as driving to different spots around Scottsdale with her friends. She is looking forward to attending a college where she can continue her liberal arts education.

Each time we administer the CLT, the forty highest-scoring students are invited to contribute to the Journal. Congratulations to Miss Holford on her high score! To see more from our top students, check out these essays on female villains in classical tragedy , the philosophy of St. Thomas , and the shared themes of Beowulf and Ecclesiastes ; and be sure not to miss out on our podcast on education and culture, Anchored .

Published on 29th April, 2022. Page image of The Storming of the Bastille by Jean-Pierre Houël, 1789.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Books — A Tale of Two Cities

Essays on A Tale of Two Cities

Prompt examples for "a tale of two cities" essays, the theme of resurrection.

Explore the theme of resurrection in "A Tale of Two Cities." How does the concept of resurrection manifest in various characters and situations throughout the novel, and what is its significance?

Character Analysis: Sydney Carton

Analyze the character of Sydney Carton. How does his transformation and ultimate sacrifice contribute to the themes and message of the novel?

The Contrasting Cities of London and Paris

Compare and contrast the cities of London and Paris as depicted in the novel. How do these settings represent different aspects of society and revolution?

The Role of Fate and Coincidence

Discuss the role of fate and coincidence in the lives of the characters. How do chance encounters and twists of fate drive the plot and shape the characters' destinies?

Social Injustice and Class Struggles

Examine the themes of social injustice and class struggles in "A Tale of Two Cities." How do these issues lead to the French Revolution, and what commentary does Dickens offer on society?

The Sacrifice of Darnay and Carton

Discuss the theme of sacrifice in the novel, focusing on the sacrifices made by Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. What motivates their sacrifices, and what do they achieve?

The Influence of History and Politics

Analyze the historical and political context of the novel. How do real historical events, such as the French Revolution, impact the story and its characters?

The Role of Women in "A Tale of Two Cities"

Examine the portrayal and significance of female characters in the novel, such as Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge. How do they contribute to the themes and conflicts of the story?

Violence and Revenge

Discuss the themes of violence and revenge in the novel. How do these themes drive the actions of characters and influence the outcome of the story?

Dickens's Commentary on Humanity

Explore Charles Dickens's commentary on the nature of humanity and the possibility of redemption as presented in "A Tale of Two Cities."

The Theme of Light Versus Darkness in a Tale of Two Cities

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How Charles Dicken Uses Death as a Liberation in a Tale of Two Cities

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Punishments for Breaking Laws in a Tale of Two Cities

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Analysis of Sydney Carton’s Character in a Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

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Charles Dickens

Historical Novel

• Book the First (November 1775): Jerry Cruncher, Jarvis Lorry, Lucie Manette, Monsieur Defarge, Madame Defarge, Jacques One, Two, and Three, Dr Alexandre Manette
• Book the Second (Five years later): Mrs Cruncher, Young Jerry Cruncher, Charles Darnay, John Barsad, Roger Cly, Mr Stryver, Sydney Carton, Miss Pross, "Monseigneur", Marquis St. Evrémonde, Gaspard, The Mender of Roads, Théophile Gabelle
• Book the Third (Autumn 1792): The Vengeance, The Seamstress

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A Tale of Two Cities

Resurrection in a tale of two cities elizabeth marcil 11th grade.

Resurrection is a term that is often used to describe the rebirth of someone, not only after death, but often as a new person in their own lifetime. In A Tale of Two Cities, a novel written by the famous English author Charles Dickens, the idea that love and devotion lead to resurrection is demonstrated from beginning to end. First and foremost, it is clear that love has an enormous impact on Dr. Manette, who is initially a broken and haunted man. His daughter Lucie devotes her time and love to him, making sure that he is restored back to the man that he once was. In addition to Dr. Manette, Jerry Cruncher finds himself resurrected from his life of grave-robbing because of his love and devotion to the members of the Manette household. Lastly, we see how Sydney Carton’s devoted love for Lucie leads him to his sacrifice, after which he is reborn in Lucie’s son Sydney Darnay. Each of these men are perfect examples of how love and devotion lead to resurrection.

In 1757, Dr. Alexandre Manette is arrested and held as a political prisoner in the Bastille, left to rot, knowing himself only as “One Hundred and Five, North Tower” (46). He is put into solitary confinement where he is driven mad by lack of human contact, love and natural...

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