Insights into Chapter 4, Book the First

Chapter 4 is entitled “The Preparation.” Good readers will attempt to predict what is being prepared (for what)—and who is doing the preparing.

Underline the place element of setting at the beginning of Chapter 4. Note specifically that the paragraph opens with Mr. Lorry arriving at the Royal George Hotel in Dover. Attentive readers will know that this hotel is named after someone extremely important to the British people.

 Mr. Lorry is the “one adventurous Traveller” (p. 16) left on the Dover mail coach.  Notice the imagery that Dickens uses to describe him (p. 16) as he gets out of the coach and enters the Royal George Hotel.

A “packet” to Calais (p. 16) is a boat that would cross the English Channel to take passengers from Dover, England to Calais, France.

At the end of the first paragraph on page 17, we see a “gentleman of sixty.” Pay attention to this characterization, underlining any Characterization on this page in brown, because this is Mr. Jarvis Lorry, the banker from Tellson’s Bank in London.

At the top of page 18, we see one of Dickens’ greatest aphorisms: “[P]erhaps secondhand cares, like second-hand clothes, come easily off and on.” Be sure that you can paraphrase this aphorism and that you can explain what it says about Mr. Lorry.

Make an inference on page 18 to who the “we” is that Mr. Lorry says “came last from France.”

Page 19 contains Dickens’ second reference to the sea. (The 1st is on page 7.) Highlight this reference in yellow and write “the sea” at the top of the page. Pay close attention to any time Dickens mentions the sea and how it behaves— because he will use the sea as important imagery.

We meet Lucie Manette for the first time on page 20. Underline her characterization in light blue. Be sure you understand what Lucie’s misconceptions are about her father.

On page 22, be sure to mark what Lucy’s adopted country is—and make sure you know what her original country of birth is.

Of course, “best” and “worst” (p. 26) are an allusion. Highlight in yellow and label to what they allude.

Miss Pross (“the wild-looking woman”) bursts on the scene on page 27. Highlight all characterization of her in (of course) red.