Carton's apology to Darnay and his request to visit the family show his respect for Darnay's new place in Lucie's life and his desire to remain a peripheral part of the family's life. His sincerity and earnestness in speaking to Darnay echo the tone he took in speaking to Lucie before her marriage, indicating that he is revealing the real Carton to Darnay. However, Darnay lacks Lucie's sensitivity and compassion and fails to perceive the difference in Carton's manner. When Darnay talks about Carton as "a problem of carelessness and recklessness,"Dickens adds that he is speaking of Carton "as anybody who saw him as he showed himself."While this statement may seem like a defense of Darnay's remarks, it actually comments on Darnay's inability to "see"Carton's real self, even after Carton has shown it to him. In the end, Darnay receives a glimpse of Carton's worthiness through Lucie's vision of him.
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