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Book 1, Chapter 2: "The Mail" .
Summary: .
On a misty Friday night in November, a mail-coach lumbers up a hill on the road to Dover. Three passengers trudge in the mud behind it, with one passenger flinching each time the coach rattles. The guard and coachman both complain that it is late, and the coach cannot go any faster. Suddenly they hear a horse coming at full gallop. Everyone is frightened as the guard calls out to the mystery man. In a hoarse voice, the horseman asks for Mr. Jarvis Lorry. Lorry identifies the voice as Jerry. When the guard shows some apprehension, Mr. Lorry states that he is from Tellson's Bank in London, and there is nothing to fear. Jerry gives Lorry the message "Wait at Dover for Mam'selle." Lorry gives the reply, "Recalled to life," and sends Jerry on his way. After a few moments, the guard and coachman wonder what the conversation means. Meanwhile, Jerry rides back, hoping that "recalling to life" doesn't become fashionable. .
Analysis: .
Dickens uses pathetic fallacy in this scene ¹that is, making nature reflect the inner turmoil of the characters. The misty, muddy nature of the night accurately reflects the murky natures of the characters. Dickens believed in revealing the characters as the story unfolds. Thus, the characters are only presented in bits and pieces, and with a shroud of questions hanging over them. Mr. Lorry is a mysterious figure himself: the passengers don't seem to trust him, and only the knowledge that he is from a respectable bank is enough to comfort them (although the guard and the coachman, who are remarkably similar to the guards of Hamlet's opening scene, still doubt him). Jerry is also a menacing figure; he could be a highwayman, and he definitely appears to be up to no good. What does the message to Lorry mean, and to whom does it refer? What does his reply mean? Why is Jerry concerned that resurrections ("recalling to life") will become fashionable? By introducing the characters in small pieces, questions like these spring to mind, keeping our interest in the story up.
