Book TWO (Chapters 10-15)

In chapter ten, Doctor Manette continues his shoemaking, which must be because he is having mental troubles with his past. I still don't know what was so terrible about his past that he feels he does not want to remember it.
Comic relief is shown in chapter eleven when Mr. Stryver says that Lucie will marry him. He says, "...and perhaps will make you think me not quite as shrewd as you usually do think me. I intend to marry... Yes. And not for money..." This passage displays that most marriages were for money rather than love. People would marry so they could make and have enough money together to keep themselves out of debtor's prison. I think that it is sad that they married someone they didn't usually love just to stay out of prison. At the same time though, it is smart because if they were alone, didn't have anyone else, and they went to prison, then they wouldn't have anyone to make money and bail them out so they would be in prison long enough to be put to death. Even though Stryver does not want to marry Lucie for money, he doesn't want to marry her for love either; whereas Darnay does. Stryver merely wants to marry her because she has a high social status. I don't think that is right, that would basically be using her. Stryver also tells Carton that he needs to find a woman to take care of him because he is a drunk. He says, "Marry. Provide somebody to take care of you. Never mind your having no enjoyment of women's society, nor understanding of it, nor tact for it. Find out somebody..." Stryver doesn't know Carton very well obviously because Carton does want to marry. He wants to marry Lucie also, but he thinks that he is not good enough to do so. Stryver tells Carton to find a woman to marry because he has found his, and he wants to marry Miss Manette. Carton also wants to marry her, but he keeps quiet to Stryver because I don't think that he wants him to know; all Stryver would do is put him down and tell him that he is not good enough for her and that he is better.
The title of this chapter is a connection to Mr. Lorry because he is very "delicate" to Mr. Stryver when he tells him that she does not want to marry him. Mr. Lorry actually didn't ask Lucie but pretends like he actually did. He looks out for Lucie and tries to find her someone that would care the most for her because he cares so much for her. Mr. Stryver does not take the news of Lucie not accepting his proposal very well. He just goes on saying that it is her loss, not marrying him.
In chapter thirteen, the reader is shown who the real Sydney Carton is. Carton talks to Lucie and toward the end of their conversation he reveals something very important to her. He says, "... It is useless to say it, I know, but it rises out of my soul. For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything. If my career were of that better kind that there was any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you." I found this very heartening and disheartening at the same time. It was heartening because he finally tells Lucie how he really feels about her, but it was disheartening because, by saying this, Carton says that he has basically given up trying even though he never really tried to win her over in the first place. He has accepted his defeat, but I think by telling Lucie this, she will become attracted to him and find out who he really is and choose him.