A TALE OF TWO CITIES - CHARACTERS

Characters

Charles Darnay

A French aristocrat by birth, Darnay chooses to live in England because he cannot stand the cruel injustices of the French social system. Darnay displays great virtue in his rejection of the snobbish and cruel values of his uncle, the Marquis Evrémonde. He exhibits an admirable honesty in his decision to reveal to Doctor Manette his true identity as a member of the infamous Evrémonde family. He proves his courage in his decision to return to Paris at great personal risk to save Gabelle.

Sydney Carton

An bad, indifferent, and alcoholic lawyer who works with Stryver. Carton has no real prospects in life and doesn’t seem to have any. He loves Lucie, and his feelings for her transform him into a man of merit. 

Lucie Manette

A young French woman who grew up in England, Dickens shows Lucie as an archetype of compassion. Her love has the power to bind her family together—the text often refers to her as the “golden thread.” Furthermore, her love has the power to transform the people around her. 

Doctor Manette

Lucie’s father and a brilliant physician, Doctor Manette spent eighteen years as a prisoner in the Bastille. At the start of the novel, Manette does nothing but make shoes, a hobby that he adopted to distract himself from the bad memories of prison. As he overcomes his past as a prisoner, however, he proves to be a kind, loving father. 

Monsieur Defarge

A wine shop owner and revolutionary in the poor Saint Antoine section of Paris, Monsieur Defarge formerly worked as a servant for Doctor Manette. Defarge proves an intelligent and committed revolutionary, a natural leader. Although he remains dedicated to bringing about a better society at any cost, he does demonstrate a kindness toward Manette. His wife, Madame Defarge, views this consideration for Manette as a weakness.

Madame Defarge

A cruel revolutionary whose hatred of the aristocracy fuels her tireless crusade, Madame Defarge spends a good deal of the novel knitting a register of everyone who must die for the revolutionary cause. Unlike her husband, she is blood-thirsty.

Jarvis Lorry

An elderly businessman who works for Tellson’s Bank, Mr. Lorry is a very business-oriented bachelor with a good, honest heart. He is trustworthy and loyal, and Doctor Manette and Lucie come to value him as a personal friend.

Jerry Cruncher

An odd-job man for Tellson’s Bank, Cruncher is short-tempered, superstitious, and uneducated. He supplements his income by working as a “Resurrection-Man,” one who digs up dead bodies and sells them to scientists.

Marquis Evrémonde

Charles Darnay’s uncle, the Marquis Evrémonde is a French aristocrat who embodies an inhumanly cruel caste system. He shows absolutely no regard for human life and wishes that the peasants of the world would be dead.

Mr. Stryver

An ambitious lawyer, Stryver dreams of climbing the social ladder. Unlike his associate, Sydney Carton, Stryver is proud, and foolish.

John Barsad

Like Roger Cly, John Barsad is a British spy who swears that patriotism is his only motive. Barsad falsely claims to be a virtuous man of reputation.

Roger Cly

Like John Barsad, Roger Cly is a British spy who swears that patriotism alone inspires all of his actions. Cly feigns honesty but in fact constantly participates in conniving schemes.

Gabelle

The man charged with keeping up the Evrémonde estate after the Marquis’ death, Gabelle is imprisoned by the revolutionaries. News of his internment prompts Darnay to travel to France to save him.