A Tale of Two Cities · Chapter
A Companion Picture explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Stryver informs Sydney Carton of his intention to marry Lucie Manette, not for her fortune but because she is a charming creature who will do him credit. Stryver patronizingly advises Carton to marry a respectable woman with property for his own good. Carton, worn out from work and drinking, responds with cynical indifference and self-deprecation.
Themes in this chapter
Class and Privilege
Stryver's patronizing advice to Carton reflects class assumptions about marriage and social standing, as he views Lucie as a credit to his station.
Sacrifice and Redemption
Carton's self-destructive behavior and his friend's dismissive attitude foreshadow his later sacrificial role.
Characters to notice
- Sydney Carton
Exhausted from working double tides, drinking heavily, and displaying his characteristic self-loathing and incorrigibility.
- Mr. Stryver
Boastfully announces his plan to marry Lucie Manette, patronizing Carton and inflating his own sense of worth.
- Lucie Manette
Referred to as the object of Stryver's matrimonial intentions, described by him as a charming creature and golden-haired doll.
Key passages
“You have no business to be incorrigible”
You shouldn't be so hopelessly beyond improvement.
Stryver scolds Carton for his self-destructive attitude.
“I have no business to be, at all, that I know of”
As far as I can tell, I have no reason to exist.
Carton expresses his profound sense of worthlessness.
“She is a charming creature, and I have made up my mind to please myself”
She is delightful, and I have decided to marry her for my own satisfaction.
Stryver reveals his self-centered motivation for proposing to Lucie.