The significance of Charles Darnay's character in "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens

"A Tale of Two Cities" is one of Charles Dickens' most favoured novels that brings out the spirit of the late eighteen century and the outbreak of the French Revolution. The book opens in the year 1775 by contrasting Paris and London in "the best of times" and "the worst of times" (p. 3). The story shifts from injustice and brutality to sacrifice made in the name of love. The carefully chosen characters show an attitude that …

…high standards and principles in life. He is the conscientious character who lives by his own laws of justice and truth despite the price and the risks involved. Darnay's presence gives both the story and the other characters a different look by impacting their lives and decisions. He is the one making Dickens's story "the best of times" and "the worst of times" by revealing the evolution of his persona and that of his creator.