The appearance was of great value to a nobleman, even in death. He would have gone to his death thinking only of dying as a brave heroic nobleman. Would the character Sydney was saving who was married take this woman’s hand? Likely not as he would not want to tarnish his appearance of being unfaithful to his wife. The man Sydney was saving would likely not consider giving attention to the poor young peasant woman. I studied the life of Dickens throughout my career I could not help but wonder what was in Dickens mind to write this in, what was it in his own life that would cause him to consider this act of holding the hand of a woman facing her death as a great noble act.
Dickens inserted that simple act of Sydney holding the hand of this frightened young woman as an act to bring her great comfort in her last moments. As Sydney Carton was on his way to the guillotine he met a young seamstress who was falsely accused as most who went to the guillotine during this time and when she realized Sydney was dying for another man she asked if he would hold her hand as they came to the guillotine. In re-reading the story I found yet another act of redemption among the many. Sidney Carton traded places with his rival and went to the guillotine in his place. At the end of the story the man Lucy was in love with and married was a man who was of the French nobility during the French Revolution and ended up facing the guillotine.
The only redeeming value was his love for Lucy. Sidney Carton was a brilliant attorney who wasted his life as an alcoholic while living his life befriending some very shady characters. I am always impressed how Dickens found so many ways at the very end of the novel for Sidney Carton to redeem himself. I was reading for maybe the 121 st time “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens (obviously my favorite novelist). Isaiah 41:13: “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not I will help thee.” HEBREW WORD STUDY – HE HOLDS MY HAND – MACHAZAQI YAMINAKA מחזיקי ימיני
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