双城记--英语论文

EnkxxAcademicWriting2011-6-10ATaleofTwoCities：AnAnalysisofSacrificeThemostimportantthemeofATaleofTwoCitiesisauthor,CharlesDickens’seulogizationofthesacrifice.Dickenstenaciouslysuggeststhat,painfuldayswillpassinashorttime,andsacrificeleadstohappiness.Theauthorhelpedthereaderrealizethetruevalueoflife,aswellastotellthemtorendergoodtoevilandthekeyofthereturnissacrificeanddeveloptheplotthroughtheeffectsofthosesacrifices.OneofthewaysitaccomplishesthisisthroughthecharactersofDr.Manette,Charles,MissProssandtheMadameThereseDefarge,especiallySydneyCarton,thethemeisdeveloped.Tosummarizethesacrificesinthewholenovel,itcanbedividedintothreekindsofdifferentsacrifices:ThecruelMarquisSt.Evrémondeforcepeopletosacrificeforhim;Thevengefulfemalerevolutionary,MadameThereseDefargesacrificeinherownhostilitytotheFrencharistocrats;buttheDr.Manette,Charles,MissProssandCartonsacrificethemselvesfortheirbeloved.Thethemeputallplotsofthisnoveltogether,whileCarton’ssacrificebringsthenoveltotheclimax.DickenslashesanddeteststhesacrificeofthepeoplerepresentedbyMarquisSt.Evrémondeforheonlysacrificesotherstofulfillhisowninterests.Inordertodispossessesayoungwoman(MadameThereseDefarge’ssister),theEvrémondeskilledfivepersonsinherfamily.AndtheyputDr.ManettewhowrotealettertotheCourttotellthetruthintoprisonforfearthedisclosuretothepublic.TheinnocentdoctorwasinBastilleforeighteenyears.“MonseigneurinTown”or“MonseigneurintheCountry”referstoaspecificaristocratintheFrance.HeisthesameastheEvrémondeswhomtheauthorcriticizesdeeply.Theyarethesymboloftyrannyandaccustomedtosacrificeothersforthemselves.Butallofthemcometoabadendfinally.Theauthorwanttosuggestthosewhosacrificeotherswillcometoabad.TheauthorshowshissympathyforMadameDefargebutalsonolackofcriticismtoher.MadameDefarge,thewifeofMonsieurDefarge,isafemalerevolutionaryandsheassiststherevolutionbyalwaysweavingthenamesandcharacteristicsoftheirenemiesintoherknitting.Atthebeginning,shewantspoliticallibertyfortheFrenchpeople,butlatersheisstronglymotivatedbyabloodthirstydesireforrevengeforherlovetoherfamilieswhichthenturnedintothehostilitytotheinnocentliving.SheexterminateseveryonewhorelatedtotheEvrémondes.MadameDefargecanberegardedastrongcontrasttogoodnessLucie.WhenhelplessLuciepleadedMadameDefargenottodoharmtoherhusband,Charles,thecold-bloodedwomanreturned,“Yourhusbandisnotmybusinesshere;itisthedaughterofyourfatherwhoismybusinesshere.”(234)AfterputCharlesintodeath,shetrytokillLucieevenDr.Manettebysaying“theEvrémondespeoplearetobeexterminated,andthewifeandchildmustfollowthehusbandandfather.”(316)TheauthorembodieshertothevengefulwomanwhowantstokillsomeinnocentpeoplelikeLucieandanarguablyantagonistwhoiscompletelydevoidofmercy.Herdeedofreturningevilforevilcausesherdeath.Actually,thesepeoplewhosacrificeothersforthemselvesarecriticizedbyDickens,andtheauthormakethemhavepaidaheavyprice.Whattheauthorwanttomakeclearisthatonlysacrificeforotherscanleadtohappiness.Incontrast,thosewhosacrificesforotherlikeMissPross,Dr.Manette,Charles,andCartongainedauthor’stenaciouseulogizationandhighpraise.AsLucie’sgovernessandSolomonProsss’sister,MissProssshowsherloyaltytoEnglandandaversiontotheFrench.ShesacrificesherlifedaybydayforLucietohaveabetterlifeandsimplydevotesherlifetoLucie.HerwellbeingwhichisshownwhenMr.LorrydescribesMissPross’sdevotion“thereisnothingbetterintheworldthanthefaithfulserviceoftheheart;sorenderedandsofreefromanymercenarytaint.”（81）MissProsswassacrificingthingseverydaybysimplybeingdevotedtoher“Ladybird”,Lucie,sinceLuciewastenyearsold.AndvirtuousMr.Lorrystationedher“muchnearertothelowerAngelsthanmanyladiesimmeasurablybettergotupbothbyNatureandArt.”(81)Intheend,MissProssovercameherfearsanddeathtoprotectLucie’sreturningtoEnglandbykillingMadameDefargewhichelevatedhertrueloveandhersacrificetothefullest.Dr.Manettelosthisfreedominordertopreservehishumanityandintegrity.Afterheknewthetruthfromtheyoungboy,MadameDefarge’sbrother,Dr.Manettedecidedto“writeprivatelytotheMinisterstostatethenatureofthetwocases.”(290)But,candidandinnocentdoctorwasputintoBastillebytheEvrémondesfornoreason,whichgreatlyandvividlyreflectsthesocialrealityofFranceatthattime.ThecommonpeopleareoppressedandexploitedbytheFrencharistocrats.ThetyrannyoftheFrencharistocracy-hightaxes,unjustlaws,andacompletedisregardforthewell-beingofthepoorisshowedfullyandcompletely.Eighteenyears’lifeinjailbringsdoctormanypsychologicalandmentalsufferingswhichhithimandtormenthimformanyyears.TheunjustimprisonmentofDr.Manettecausedthelostofhisfreedomandhiswifewhichmadehimlosehismindtobesshoemaker.Inhismadness,Dr.Manetteembodiestheterriblepsychologicaltraumaofpersecutionfromtyranny.Manetteiseventually“resurrected”—savedfromhismadness—bytheloveofhisdaughter,Lucie.ManettealsoshowshowsufferingcanbecomestrengthwhenhereturnstoParisandgainsapositionofauthoritywithintheRevolution.AllhesufferedisadirectandvividreflectionoftherealfateofthecommonpeopleandthesocialrealityoftheFrance.Hismisfortunatelifewascausedbythearistocrats.Inthatspecialtime,beforetheRevolution,hispreservationofhumanityandint