“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known.”
Sydney Carton is a remarkable character. At the opening of the book, he is portrayed as young, cynical, and sloppy. He is depressed and full of self-contempt for wasting his life in drinks and unrequited love. As he tells Darnay, “I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me.” Yet at the same time, he is brilliant—a lawyer at only twenty-five. By the end of the book, Sydney has undergone an incredible transformation. He sacrifices himself for Darnay, the very man who married the woman he was in love with, and dies by the guillotine. This quote holds his final words, and ends Dickens’ story as well.
Do you have a quote from literature you love? Share it in the comments and I’ll include it in an upcoming post!