Day 17: Favourite Fictional Male Character
Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
A Tale of Two Cities has arguably the most famous opening lines ever written but for me the closing lines of the book which come from the character of Sydney Carton hold a certain poignancy,
“ 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. ”
Sydney Carton is bright and intelligent and yet is a deeply unhappy man. He’s an alcoholic and a pessimist. He’s supposed to be a damaged person, he himself believes he is beyond redemption. But we still see that underneath it all he is good man and is capable of great deeds. His ultimate sacrifice for Lucy and her husband proves his worth. A true tragic hero if ever there was one.
A Paperback Life 