essay #9 Carton

Cooper Feltes

English 9

Mr. Salsich

November 30, 2010

Emotionally Cornered:

The Path the Emotionally Fearful Must Take

          What opportunities do people have when they hide in their emotional corners, not allowing themselves to live their life to their full potential? These people are destined to live limited lives, not becoming what they want because of this emotional fear. This same emotional fear feeds itself, in many cases becomes the chains that slow and stop people from becoming acceptable citizens of society(alliteration). Many of these people, unfortunately, never find the right path in life, and in Tale of Two Cities, this person is Sydney Carton. 


          Sydney Carton is one of those people who you have to spend a lot of time with to understand. More often Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
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an not, he wants to spend time by himself, and begs the world to leave him alone. He "care[s] for no man, and no man cares for [him]", which shouts that he has spent much time of his life sad, and alone, and away from other people(polysindeton). All he wants is to be "taken no notice of" and to drift past the lives of others, just as he has allowed others drift pass him like a man sitting on the bench of a mall, waiting for someone to ask him what is wrong. Carton has lived most of his life sad, and separated, and languished(FAST), and lonely, but he occasionally makes an attempt to be sympathetic. In chapter thirteen of the book, he tells Lucie that he is "undeserving" and "weak", definitely displaying (alliteration)sorrowful attributes in order to make Lucie feel bad for him. Spending most of his life without much emotional strength, he resorts to making others sympathize(FAST) for his loneliness, which, in his case, probably was not the best approach. Carton does, however, show promising signs of emotional growth. Trying to win Lucie was a hopeful sign that is trying to start a significant life-- a life full of meaning and purpose(appositive). He seems to be taking advice from his colleague and comrade(alliteration), Stryver, one step further, finding somebody to love, instead of finding someone to "take care of [him]." Carton is, on the whole, a misunderstood and growing person.


            To help Mr. Carton, all he needs is some quality advice to guide him down a new path of life, away from his comfort zone. For most of his life, he has been as unnoticed as a "useless peace of furniture." Even Stryver suggested he move on from his habitual(FAST) attitude. Being more social, in contrast with his normal misanthropic mindset, will give him a positive point of view towards his life. I would also suggest Carton get a new job. Although he is good at what he does, it seems to be a depressing occupation for him, and is dragging his life down, holding him like a steel chain holds the yearning prisoner from breaking out of the metal bars that keep him in(Coordinate cumulative with simile). If he had "used his talents better", he might not be in such a sorrowful situation(alliteration). Carton likes to remind people how sorry of a situation he is in, but he needs to find a different way to grab attention. His trip to the manette's house to win Lucie's love, making her aware of all his weaknesses, is testimony(FAST) to the need of a different change of pace in his way of thinking. Hopefully he will, at some point, learn that his way of thinking does not work for him. Carton needs to be social, and strong, and, most of all, smart(polysindeton/alliteration).


          Carton seems to have many good qualities, but, on the whole, needs some improvement. He acts and talks as if he knows he needs help, but doesn't act upon it, he looks and lives(alliteration) as if he hasn't had one hour of fun in his life, and he grabs his love as if he was a desperate man in need of repair. He is, in fact, in need of a repair that will take years, not only to reverse his sorrowful life of being a "lifeless drudge," but to create out of him a proper and acceptable man. The "useless piece of furniture" he hopes to be is not working for him and to find his path in life, he must let go of this idea completely.


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Self Assessment:


I do not like this essay, although I worked hard on it. Since I began to write essays, I knew that I have had trouble writing about text, and I think that shows in this essay. Writing about text, to me, is boring, dissecting a book or examining a sentence, both are miniaturized by my love for writing about feelings and happenings that I can relate to. In this individual essay, I see that I skillfully kept similes and quotes popping up throughout the essay, to keep it stitched together.
Personal grade: A-