A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens, 1859.
Query -- Charles Dickens. What are considered his best books?
Reply:
Having read the summaries of Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, I think I lucked out and read the best one first -- A Tale of Two Cities.
I think the only other Charles Dickens novel I will read is Bleak House.
Now, back to A Tale of Two Cities.
Highly recommend: use a chatbot to --
- get background; and,
- to summarize chapters after you've read the chapters.
I think preparing for this book there are several broad areas of which one must be aware, for it to flow better:
This is a story of the French Revolution from the view of Charles Dickens, a formidable English author.
A French aristocrat gave up his life as a French aristocrat and "escaped / moved" to England. Goes by the name of Darnay.
Marries a young English woman, Lucie. a Manette commoner who was brought to England by Tellson's Bank representative, Jarvis Lorry.
So many plots, so many plot lines, hard to say where to begin.
Lorry goes back to Paris to bring home Lucie's father who's been locked up for 18 years on trumped up charges.
Years later, Darnay goes back to rescue his servant from prison.
The last chapters pretty much brings everyone back together.
Setting, geographical: tale of two cities -- the French Revolution, a follow on from the American revolution, and the industrial revolution.
- London: American Revolution -- 1775 -- 1783
- Paris: French Revolution -- about ten years later, April 1792 -- March 1802
The overall dates:
- dates of action in the book and how the dates correspond with actual history
- date Darnay and Lucie married: 1788 -- one year before French Revolution
- their daughter born: the day the French Revolution breaks out, 1789, one year after parents married.
- Darnay returns to Paris to free Gebelle in late 1799 -- the Revolution has just ended months earlier.
The setting, time: the book covers 25 years?
- American Revolution: 1775 - 1783
- Darnay's trial during American Revolution
- The French Revolution: 1789 - 1799
- Darnay married one year before French Revolution breaks out
Location of characters:
- characters in England
- characters in France
Social classes, perhaps:
- upper classes
- lower classes
Miscellaneous:
- American Revolution "drove" the British Industrial Revolution.
********************************
Gutenberg Project. In PDF, full book here.
Set in London, Paris, 1775 -- one year before 1776.
- April 19, 1775: battles of Lexington and Concord
- July 4, 1776: Declaration of Independence
France:
- King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
- archduchess of Austria, Vienna; major principality of Holy Roman Empire
- last queen of France before the fall of the monarchy
- 15th child of Empress Maria Theresa, ruler of the Hapsburg monarchy
- Maria Theresa's husband: Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
**************************************
Some Background
Charles Dicken, 1812 - 1870 (died at age 58).
Wrote the book in the mid-to late 1850s; published 1859, when he was 37 years old.
One of his two best books.
Written in the mid-1850s, the book was set in Paris / London, 1775 - 1799.
1780's in England when story was set: Industrial Revolution in England, so a lot of upheaval.
England, 1775 - 1789:
- 1760–1840 agrarian to industrial era shift
- Revolutionary War in America: 1775 - 1783.
England:
- King George III / Lord North
- Industrial revolution
- American revolution
- loss of colonies
- Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- Hanover House: bridged the gap between the Georgian and the Victorian eras
- married for 57 years; 15 children; 13 survived into adulthood
- 1780: Gordon Riots -- anti-Catholic sentiment
- 1787: start of Australian colonization
- 1789: start of French Revolution
The book:
- 1775: Dr Manette is released from the Bastille; has served 18 years
- he had been secretly imprisoned; released because the authorities had lost the reason for original incarceration and agreed to release him in custody of Mr Defarge
- 1789: fall of Bastille and then the Reign of Terror
AI prompt: reign of terror following the fall of the Bastille; spread into England; huge role of spies on both sides.
AI reply:
************************************
The Book
AI prompt: what inspired Charles Dickens to write Tale of Two Cities tale of two cities?
AI reply:
Characters
(1) Jerry Cruncher: Tellson's Bank employee; 1775, flags down nightly mail coach from London to Dover; carries message for another Tellson's Bank employee, (2) Jarvis Lorry -- one of the bank's managers. Lorry sends message "recalled to life" via Cruncher back to Telleson's -- references (3) Dr Alexander Manette; just released after serving full 18-year prison term in Paris, a physician. Lorry continues and meets Dr Manette's daughter Lucie (whom he had never met) and her governess (5) Miss Pross. Lorry tells Lucie / Pross that Dr Manette is alive! They all travel to Paris to "rescue" Dr Manette. The entourage travel to the Faubourg Saint-Antoine neighborhood where they find Dr Manette lodging with (6) and (7) Ernest Defarge and Therese Defarge -- these were Dr Manette's previous servants --they own a wine shop. Lorry, Lucie, Pross and Dr Manette return to England.
In book 2, chapter 2, five years after Dr Manette, et al, have returned to England, (8) Charles Darnay is standing trial in the Old Bailey law building. Darnay's counsel is (9) Mr Stryver who attempts to discredit the prosecution's two main witnesses -- (10) and (11), John Barsad and Roger Cly but the turning point comes when Stryver's associate, (12) Sydney Carton alerts him to the remarkable resemblance between Carton (himself) and Darnay. The jury returns a verdict of not guilty.
Now the scene switches to France, a reception at the Parisian suite of (13) Monseigneur, a French lord. The (14) Marquis St Evrémonde angrily leaves the other guests feeling he was snubbed and mistreated by the Monseigneur and the other guests. Riding through Paris, the Marquis' carriage runs over and kills a child; the Marquis throws the grief-stricken father, (15) Gaspard a coin and drives on. Eventually ends up at his estate and he asks if (16) "Monsieur Charles" has arrived from England yet. Monsieur Charles is his nephew Charles Darnay. Overnight, the Marquis is discovered dead -- stabbed by a member of the Jacquerie, a French revolutionary, typically a poor, working-class citizen from the Saint Antoine suburb of Paris, committed to overthrowing the aristocracy. They will eventually storm the Bastille.
In chapter 15, we meet (17, 18, 19) Jacques One, Two, and Three.
In chapter 16, a policeman / Jacquerie tells the Defarges to to watch for a new spy in the area (20) John Basard.
In chapter 21, we learn that eight years have passed; it is now 1789. The attack on the Bastille.
Now, (20), Foulon, a hated official who they thought was dead, is alive and has been captured.
Chapter 24, three more years have passed, now 1792 (?). The revolution has toppled the government but France is still unsettled.
(21) Gabelle (should have been mentioned earlier), Darnay's steward.
Book Three Chapter One
(22) Vengeance -- another Jacquerie.
Book The First
Recalled To Life
Chapter 1
The Period
Very first page; second paragraph: reference to the events in America (1775)
""Sister of the shield and trident" refers to Britannia, the female personification of Britain. The phrase is most famously used by Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities to compare Britain to France, with the shield representing military strength and the trident symbolizing naval power.
Second page: grisly scene of a teenager burned alive before being tortured, and the the description of the guillotine.
The first chapter, only two and a half pages, gives an overview of London and Paris. French monarchy in absolute control; the British monarchy apparently can't control London.
Chapter 2
The Mail
This chapter introduces the protagonist of the story, a passenger in a carriage -- The Dover Mail -- likely traveling from Dover to London. Shooter's Hill is mentioned, located in southeast London, southside of the Thames, and on the southeast edge of Greenwich.
The passenger of interest: Mr Jarvis Lorry.
Apparently The Dover Mail was heading out of London when a rider, Jerry, approached the carriage to give Mr Lorry a message. Lorry was an employee off Tellson's Bank.
Message: wait at Dover for Mam'selle.
Reply from Lorry: recalled to life.
So, Mr Jarvis Lorry, of Tellson's Bank, was heading to Dover (probably to Paris) when he was urgently recalled to London by his employer. But he would have to go to Dover -- complete the route -- and then wait for "Mam'selle."
Chapter 3
The Night Shadows
"The shadows of the night," page 17, back to the carriage on the southeast side of London. It sounds like "Lorry" is transporting cash to Dover, probably to France. Interesting name, "Lorry," as a transporter. Etymology of lorry: apparently first seen in England in 1830. A Tale Of Two Cities was published in 1859.
Lorry with an imaginary conversation with himself. He was 45 years old, remembering a death / a burial eighteen years earlier. Huge amount of symbolism. A very "difficult" vignette / an imaginary conversation. Apparenlty talking about someone buried alive for 18 years.
Important books published between 1850 and 1870 include Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859) and Great Expectations (1861), Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852), Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace (1869), and Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865). Other key publications were Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859) and John Stuart Mill's On Liberty (1859).
Page 19; the end of the first installment.
Chapter 4
The Preparation
The coach is called the Concord coach, possibly named after Concord, New Hampshire. This might be the coach in which he will cross using the ferry from Dover.
It is incredibly difficult for Google Gemini to find the meaning of "drawer" in this chapter.
"... digging, digging, digging." Reappears -- major use of this phrase in previous chapter.
Mam'selle, Miss Manette, arrives by coach to meet Mr Lorry in the restaurant.
Not more than 17 years of age. She reminds him of a passage a very long time ago, perhaps 15 years ago.
Miss Manette was told by letter by the bank to meet Mr Lorry in Paris for an inheritance from her long-dead father. Tellson Bank is a bank of both Paris and London.
Tellson's Bank was the bank for the Manette's. The mother of Lucie was English. She died of a broken heart when her father was imprisoned on trumped up charges by the Evermonde brothers who had raped a sister / killed a brother of Lady Defarge. The bank had chosen Lorry to bring Lucie back to Paris to find her father who had been released to the custody of his former servant, Mr Defarge.
Page 25: "curtsied in those days." Takes place in 1755, first chapter begins in "winter, 1755." The book as published in 1859. Almost exactly one hundred years later.
Apparently Miss Manette's father has been found alive, 18 years after his supposed death -- "brought back to life... after 18 years."
At end of chapter another woman servant runs into the room and yells at other servants to get Ms Manette packed for trip to Paris.
Mr Lorry seems to be robot business man.
Page 31; the end of the second installment.
Chapter 5
The Wine-Shop
Now in Paris. Opens with bizarre episode of wine casket spilling.
Paris: everyone starving.
Opens in wine-shop / inn / bar. In the Saint Antoine district.
Monsieur Defarge -- wine-store owner.
Worked for Ms Maette's father many, many years earlier
Her old father lives upstairs.
p. 43; The end of the third installment.
Chapter 6: The Shoemaker
DeFarge leads the group, Lucie and Lorry to the 5th level to see Dr Manette.
The four leave as a group: Defarge, Manette, Lucie, and Lorry.
By post, on their way to England.
The first month's series is complete, the fourth installment ended, p. 54.
Book The Second
The Golden Thread
Chapter 1
Five Years Later
Must be 1780 (yes, see page 59)
Starts with a description of Tellson's bank next to Temple Bar.
Introduces Jerry Cruncher and 12-year-old son. Jerry Cruncher, an "odd-job-man" by day and a "resurrection man" at night (gravedigger). His son was also called Jerry.
Chapter 2
A Sight
Darnay's trial.
The elder Crunch is despatched to the Old Bailey Criminal Court -- to stand there in case Lorry needs him.
Accused of treason, a quartering offense.
Chapter 3
A Disappointment
Darnay acquitted because of his looks compared to Carton.
Chapter 4
Congratulatory
Chapter Five
The Jackal
Chapter Six
Hundreds of People
Doctor Manette and his daughter Lucie live in a two-story home; if not a mansion, a very, very nice and a very, very respectable home.
They have a housekeeper Miss Pross who has been with Lucie since the beginning.
Manette and daughter live near Soho Square.
Mr Jarvis Lorry lives in Clerkenwell, a bit more rundown and a bit more dangerous than Soho.
Need to google Clerkenwell and Soho to get a sense of the difference.
Lorry and his body guard Mr Sydney Carton were at the house.
At the trial: in the early part of A Tale of Two Cities, at the trial of Charles Darnay for treason, the two lawyers on the defense team were Mr. Stryver and Sydney Carton. Their roles were as follows:
Mr. Stryver was the ambitious, loud, and confident barrister (counselor) who presented the case in court and took public credit for the work.
Sydney Carton was Mr. Stryver's associate (solicitor, or "jackal," in the novel's terms) who did the bulk of the research, paperwork, and strategic thinking behind the scenes. It was Carton's keen observation of his own resemblance to Darnay that ultimately led to Charles Darnay's acquittal at this trial.
The other person to visit Doctor Manette and his daughter: the defendant, Darnay.
P. 106: Doctor Manette tells the story of something that was written and buried in the prison. Unknown what was written.
Mr. Lorry, Charles Darnay, and Sydney Carton became regular visitors at the Manette home, and their arrivals were generally separate events. The specific evening described (in Book 2, Chapter 6) unfolds as follows:
Mr. Lorry arrived by himself earlier in the day on a Sunday, as was his habit, to have dinner and spend time with the Manettes.
Charles Darnay was present for the dinner and the subsequent conversation, arriving sometime after Lorry but before Carton's later appearance.
Sydney Carton arrived much later, during teatime, after everyone had moved inside due to rain. Reminder: both Carton and Darnay are interested in Lucie.
Therefore, they did not arrive all at once or in pairs. The order of arrival at the house that evening was Mr. Lorry, then Charles Darnay (who was already there for dinner), and finally Sydney Carton.
Skip ahead.
Chapter 7
Monseigneur in Town
In France. Monseigneur kills a child.
Chapter 8
Monseigneur in the Country
Monseigneur at his country estate.
His nephew Charles Darnay will visit.
Monseigneur rides past a thin starving woman who is trying to find a stone to mark her husband's grave who has starved to death.
Chapter 9
The Gorgon's Head
Monseigneur is killed by the father (Gaspard) of the child who was killed by Monseigneur in town.
Chapter 10
Two promises
Charles Darnay is now an English tutor, having left France a year earlier.
Charles Darnay is in love with Lucie and meets with her father to discuss that. Lucie is out with her servant, Ms Pross.
Mr. Stryver (senior, barrister) and Sydney Carton (junior, barrister) also both visit the house of Lucie and her father (and Miss Pross). There is a note elsewhere that suggests Sydney Carton, same age as Charles Darnay, looks very much alike to Charles Darnay, suggesting Darnay and Carton are cousins, sons of twin brothers, with one being the Monseigneur.
Charles Darnay and Dr Manette both make promises to each other to keep each in confidence.
Chapter 11
A Companion Picture
Opens with Stryver and Carton.
Chapter 16
Still Knitting
References John Barsad, a spy, to having been mentioned earlier in the book. From AI: John Barsad, also known as Solomon Pross, is first mentioned and appears as a witness in Book the Second, Chapter 3 ("A Disappointment"), during Charles Darnay's trial in London, where he gives damning testimony against Darnay as a spy, though he's portrayed as a scoundrel.
Context: He testifies as an informer for the prosecution, but his untrustworthiness is immediately apparent to the reader.
Details: He's described as looking like Judas and is shown to be an opportunist, switching allegiances between England and France.
See wiki, John Barsad.
In fact, one could learn much of the book by checking wiki on top 12 individuals in the long book.
Chapter 17
One Night
Back to London, Soho, with the Doctor and Lucie.
Lucie was to be married the next day, on her birthday, I believe, need to confirm.
A sweet tender night -- the three of them -- Lucie, her father, and Miss Pross. (Elsewhere, we learn that Miss Pross is romantically linked to Mr Jerry Cruncher, the gravedigger, and thus some comedic relief.)
In short, the chapter sets the stage for future dramatic turns by highlighting Dr. Manette's precarious mental state and underscoring the deep familial bonds that will be tested by the events of the French Revolution. AI.
Chapter 18
Nine Days
Wedding and nine-day honeymoon.
Charles Darnay seems to be in shock after talking with Lucie's dad.
The Doctor goes into catatonic state -- back to making shoes. By the ninth day his hands are as nimble as ever making shoes.
Chapter 19 --> Chapter 24
An Opinion --> A Plea --> Echoing Footsteps --> The Sea Still Rises --> Fire Rises --> Drawn to the Lodestone Rock
Lucie and Charles Darnay have a baby girl the year the French Revolution breaks out. They have a baby son who dies early in infancy. Because of close relationship between London and Paris, events in Paris will have an effect on London. Mr Lorry needs to return to Paris to pick up important papers for Tellson's Bank; meanwhile, Darnay needs to go to Pais to save the hated tax assessor Gabelle but who was a faithful servant of Darney. Darney will travel under his real name making journey very dangerous for him. His uncle Monseigner is in London under assumed name, I believe.
It's interesting, lots of small subplots but main story presses on.
Book Three: The Track of a Storm
Chapter 1
In Secret
P. 255
1792. The king fell on August 10, 1792. The traveler headed to Paris in the Autumn. The king had just fallen.
The book began on a cold November night, 1775, American Revolution, April, 1775 -- Lexington and Concord.
French Revolution began 1789; Lucie's baby is10 years old now. Was born about 1789. Darnay's trial, 1780; marriage 1788; birth of Lucie's baby, 1789. French Revolution: 1789. So, 1792 -- Lucie's baby is 10 -11 years old. Lucie's baby born at outbreak of French Revolution; at end of Revolution, she is 10 years old.
The French Revolution --> Republic One and Indivisible of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity or Death. Revolution will end in 1799.
The king had fallen.
Darnay: Darnay was returning to France to "rescue" his family's former servant, Gabelle, who is imprisoned for being a servant for a French aristocratic family. Darnay ran into no significant problems going to Paris but knew that return trip was not guaranteed.
The trip was taking forever.
Still several days out from Paris, stays over night in a small inn in a small village p. 256.
The peasants who had won the revolution: "red caps."
Darnay's escort: red caps and tricoloured cockades. Dragoon trot -- p. 256.
The escorts did not know that Darnay was headed to the Abbaye to free Gebelle.
Arrived Beauvais.
Darnay ( Evrémonde) -- confronted by Citizen Defarge!
Chapter 2
The Grindstone
P. 267
Charles Darnay imprisoned in La Force.
His wife and infant son, as well as Doctor Manette and the nanny, Ms Pross, show up where Mr Lorry of Telleson's bank is staying / living -- he is the London Banker's representative in Paris. Mr Lorry puts Lucie and son into locked hiding and then convinces Dr Manette to convince the crowd that Charles Darnay needs to be released. The mob had arrived at the grindstone to sharpen their weapons.
Chapter 3
The Shadow
P. 273
Ah, ha! Jerry is mentioned again; haven't heard his name in a long time. Jerry, Mr Lorry's factorum, is to stay with Ms Pross, Lucie and the baby at a new lodging procured by Mr Lorry at Doctor Manet's insistence.
DeFarge shows up to see Mr Lorry with a note regarding Darnay.
Mr Lorry sees Ms Defarge and her constant companion -- The Vengeance -- the first time he has seen her since 17 year ago!
Not sure why the chapter is called "the shadow."
Chapter 4
Calm in Storm
P. 278
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Triumph
p. 290
Darnay is to be released after being in prison for a long time.
Actions occurs in the Conciergerie.
Acquittal, p. 295.
Carmagole. Dancing, p. 296.
Dr Manette had saved him.
Chapter 7
A Knock at the Door
p. 297
Darnay re-arrested. Accusers Defarge from San Antoine and a third.
Chapter 8
A Hand at Cards
p. 302
Ms Pross and Mr Jerry Cruncher shopping; Pont Neuf mentioned.
Unaware that Darnay had been arrested again.
Ms Pross is going to buy some wine. Startled by what she sees: Solomon. P. 304.
Sheep: spy, a cant word, p. 306.
They also see Sydney Carton.
And a Mr Barsad.
Solomon and Barsad are the same. Solomon / Barsad is a spy / turncoat -- brother to Ms Pross.
Barsad and Cly faked Cly's death to escape England return to France.
Cruncher exacts a deal from Barsad to get Darnay free.
Chapter 9
The Game Made
p. 315
Taken back to stand trial. The (forged?) letter by Dr Manette?
Chapter 10
The Substance of the Shadow
p. 328
Carton will switch places with Darnay, to be guillotined.
All the rest will flee France for England.
Chapter 11
Dusk
p. 343
Chapter 12
Darkness
p. 347
Chapter 13
Fifty-two
p. 356
Chapter 14
The Knitting Done
p. 368
Chapter 15
The footsteps die out forever
p. 381
The end. Carton is guillotined. His last words.
Afterword by A. N. Wilson
The afterword by A. N. Wilson provided much of the background that I needed, thank you. I'm curious: what was the reception of the book by the English upon publication?
Since I had just recently finished three books on India and now knowing the backstory to this book, I will be re-reading the history of India at the time Charles Dickens wrote this novel.Indian Mutiny: Indian Rebellion of 1857 --
- "the events of 1857 ... have provoked more impassioned literature than any other single event in Indian history." -- p. 436 -- at the bottom.
- connection: A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859
- the end of the British East India Company ruling India ended
- the beginning of the British Raj
The first thing I'll do is read A. N. Wilson's The Mystery of Charles Dickens. Have ordered a copy from Amazon.
Query: Charles Dickens died fairly young. What was that all about?
Reply:
*******************************************
Characters In Tale of Two Cities
Sydney Carton is a central character in Charles Dickens' 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities. He is a shrewd young Englishman educated at Shrewsbury School, and sometime junior to his fellow barrister Stryver. Carton is portrayed as a brilliant but depressed and cynical drunkard who is full of self-loathing because of what he sees as his wasted life. He feels a deep unrequited love for Lucie Manette, who nevertheless inspires him to try to be a better person. Near the end of the novel, Carton manages to change places with Lucie's husband, Charles Darnay, hours before Darnay's scheduled execution in France, giving his life for Lucie's sake. Later, Lucie and Charles name their second son after Carton. Their second son dies in infancy.
While there's no definitive list of exactly twelve, the core main characters in Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities center around the love triangle and revolution, including Lucie Manette, Sydney Carton, Charles Darnay,
Dr. Alexandre Manette, Monsieur & Madame Defarge, Miss
Pross, Jarvis Lorry, and Jerry Cruncher, with key supporting figures
like C.J. Stryver, Marquis St. Evrémonde, and revolutionaries like
Gabelle, forming the essential cast for the story's drama of sacrifice
and revolution.
Here are the key figures, often considered the main players, totaling around 12:
- Lucie Manette: The compassionate "golden thread" who unites the characters.
- Sydney Carton: The cynical, self-sacrificing lawyer.
- Charles Darnay: The French aristocrat who renounces his title.
- Dr. Alexandre Manette: Lucie's father, released from the Bastille.
- Monsieur Defarge: A wine-shop owner and revolutionary.
- Madame Defarge: Ernest's pitiless, knitting wife.
- Miss Pross: Lucie's fiercely loyal governess.
- Jarvis Lorry: The devoted banker from Tellson's.
- Jerry Cruncher: Tellson's messenger and "resurrection man".
- C.J. Stryver: Carton's ambitious, blustering friend.
- Marquis St. Evrémonde: Charles Darnay's cruel uncle.
- Gabelle: The loyal servant Darnay tries to save, sparking the Paris return.
Another list:
here are the key characters often considered the top twelve (the order is a bit different but 12 in each list).
- Sydney Carton: The brilliant but self-destructive lawyer who sacrifices himself for love.
- Charles Darnay: A French aristocrat who renounces his family's cruelty and marries Lucie.
- Lucie Manette: The compassionate "golden thread" who brings hope and healing.
- Dr. Alexandre Manette: Lucie's father, a former prisoner of the Bastille.
- Madame Defarge: The relentless revolutionary knitting vengeful lists.
- Monsieur Defarge: The wine-shop owner, husband to Madame Defarge, a revolutionary leader.
- Miss Pross: Lucie's fiercely loyal and strong-willed governess.
- Jerry Cruncher: A "resurrection man" (grave robber) and messenger for Tellson's Bank.
- Stryver: Carton's ambitious, blustering lawyer friend.
- Jarvis Lorry: The dependable, paternal figure from Tellson's Bank.
- Marquis Evrémonde: Charles Darnay's cruel, aristocratic uncle.
- Théophile Gabelle: A postmaster whose imprisonment triggers Darnay's return to France.
Other
significant figures include Gaspard (the peasant who kills the Marquis)
and the revolutionaries known as the Jacques, notes Homework.Study.com
and Study.com.
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In the early part of A Tale of Two Cities, at the trial of Charles Darnay for treason, the two lawyers on the defense team were Mr. Stryver and Sydney Carton.
Their roles were as follows:
- Mr. Stryver was the ambitious, loud, and confident barrister (counselor) who presented the case in court and took public credit for the work.
- Sydney Carton was Mr. Stryver's associate (solicitor, or "jackal," in the novel's terms) who did the bulk of the research, paperwork, and strategic thinking behind the scenes. It was Carton's keen observation of his own resemblance to Darnay that ultimately led to Darnay's acquittal at this trial.
- Charles Darnay was accused of treason for allegedly acting as a spy and passing secret information to the French about British troop movements bound for America during the American Revolution.
Mr. Lorry, Charles Darnay, and Sydney Carton became regular visitors at the Manette home, and their arrivals were generally separate events. The specific evening described (in Book 2, Chapter 6) unfolds as follows:
- Mr. Lorry arrived by himself earlier in the day on a Sunday, as was his habit, to have dinner and spend time with the Manettes.
- Charles Darnay was present for the dinner and the subsequent conversation, arriving sometime after Lorry but before Carton's later appearance.
- Sydney Carton arrived much later, during teatime, after everyone had moved inside due to rain.
Therefore, they did not arrive all at once or in pairs. The order of arrival at the house that evening was Mr. Lorry, then Charles Darnay (who was already there for dinner), and finally Sydney Carton.
Lorry came for the good conversation (and perhaps to see Lucie). Both Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay were interested in Lucie; they looked like twins.
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