Tale of Two Cities, Character Watcher, Period 1
So far in the story, Mr. Jarvis Lorry is the main character. We know so far that he works for Tellson’s bank and he has received a message to repeat to a Miss Manette. After he was given this message from one of this friends he begins to have dreams about having to dig somebody out. We are unsure what this dreams mean and what connection they have to Mr. Lorry and the message. What do you think this dreams mean? Do you think that maybe Lorry is worked up by this message, or does he maybe have other problems? When Lorry meets this lady, he tells her that her father is still alive. Why do you think that he was to tell her? Do you think that Mr. Lorry knows Miss Manette and her father. I find it odd that he would be asked to give her this news if he is not a family friend.
We later find out that Mr. Lorry is a witness in charges against Charles Darnay. Lorry is questioned about if this man traveled with him on the mail cart. Lorry is unsure because he could not tell because all of the people had a lot of clothing on to keep warm. This may tell us that Lorry is not as observant as we might have thought. He traveled with other passengers for a long time, and never really got a look at them. Or is he maybe hiding something.
I was also wondering, how does the charges against Charles Darnay tie into Miss Manette and her living father?
~Lauren Gress~
Category: Per 1 ToTC CW 6 comments »
February 15th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I also find it odd that mr lorry would be asked to deliver that news to lucie if he was not an old friend of the family, because its very important news. Why mr lorry for the job? I don’t believe that he has any connections with the family, or maybe he does and we just don’t know about it yet. But I think he was just randomly chosen by Tellson’s to tell Lucie the news.
-Alyssa=)
February 15th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I think that when Mr. Lorry was talking about digging someone out, he was referring to getting Dr. Manette out of the prison he was in. The message he recieved was “Wait at Dover for Mam’selle”. The person they are referring to in the message is Lucie Manette. Having said this, I think that the dreams are also connected to Dr. Manette. In Lorry’s dreams, the man has been “buried alive” for eighteen years. I think that being buried alive translates to Dr. Manette having been imprisoned. He was still alive, but unable to do anything because he was trapped. When you think of someone being buried alive, you think of them in a coffin, fighting to get out. Essentially, the prison was Dr. Manette’s coffin because it killed him on the inside. Yes, he was physically alive, but mentally he was a broken man. Getting back to the original point, the dreams show Lorry getting the man out, just as he rescued Dr. Manette. I think Lorry is having these dreams because he is unconsciously preparing himself for the rescue. I have heard that dreams are a result of what your subconscious mind is thinking about during sleep. Perhaps Lorry’s mind was beginning to anticipate how Dr. Manette would look like when he was rescued. After being locked in a prison for eighteen years, he can’t have been in too good of shape! When Lorry meets Lucie, he tells her that her father is alive for two reasons. The first reason is that anyone would want to know if their father was alive after eighteen years. Who wouldn’t want to find their father again? The second reason he told Lucie was that she was going to have to take care of him after he was released from prison. My first thought is that Lorry doesn’t know the Manette’s. But Lauren brings up a good point when she says that only a family friend would be asked to break such news. So, I’m not really sure about that one. I think that the charges against Darnay did not actually affect the Manette’s directly. In trials, witnesses are called that know nothing about the accused, except what they saw. I think that is why the Manettes where called to the trial, because they had met Darnay on the ship. However, if Darnay is proved later on to be guilty of the treason, he could have been one of the reasons that Dr. Manette was imprisoned. However, I don’t think that it is very likely that Darnay would have been working for the French at the time of Manette’s imprisonment.
I hope that answer wasn’t too confusing!
Erin B.
February 15th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
I think that at this point in the story the details we are being given about Mr. Jarvis Lorry are just foreshadowing to a major event that is to occur later in the story. When Lauren brought up the point of the possibility of Mr. Lorry being aquantances with the Manettes that to me proves that there will be a major event in happening in the future that has to do with the association between Mr. Lorry and Dr. Manette. The “being buried alive” dream reminds me of someone struggling with their own problems and unable to live a normal life because of the fact that they are surrounded by worries and mistakes.
February 15th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I think that at this point in the story the details we are being given about Mr. Jarvis Lorry are just foreshadowing to a major event that is to occur later in the story. When Lauren brought up the point of the possibility of Mr. Lorry being acquaintances with the Manettes that to me proves that there will be a major event in happening in the future that has to do with the association between Mr. Lorry and Dr. Manette. The “being buried alive” dream reminds me of someone struggling with their own problems and unable to live a normal life because of the fact that they are surrounded by worries and mistakes.
February 15th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
I agree with Erin. That was a really good explanation. I figured that the situations and dreams were related, but I hadn’t put EVERYTHING
together like she did. Good job Erin. But, I wonder if Dr. Manette and Darnay’s relationship is deeper than just meeting on a ship? Hopefully, Dr. Manette will remember some crucial evidence about the situation.
-Maddie Zinn
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Lauren: Some good questions. Don’t forget to focus on the character’s personality as well.
Erin: Awesome answer! Now that is what I’m talking about. Thoughtful and thorough! Others would do well to consider this!
Shank