Secondary Characters in Tale of Two Cities
How Jerry Cruncher, Miss Pross, and Jarvis Lorry function in their different ways to aid the plot of Tale of Two Cities.
In Charles Dickens? A Tale of Two Cities, there are many minor characters involved in the story. When these secondary characters are added to a novel, they typically aid the plot, theme, or character development. In A Tale of Two Cities, three minor characters, Jerry Cruncher, Miss Pross, and Jarvis Lorry serve these purposes.
One of Jerry Cruncher?s main functions is comic relief. Although modern readers? senses of humor differ from those in Dickens? time, even today?s readers know that Jerry?s lines are meant to be funny. ?Much of that wouldn?t do for you, Jerry! I say, Jerry! You?d be in a Blazing bad way, if recalling to life was to come into fashion, Jerry!? Jerry says (11). Jerry?s journey home with the ?recalled to life? message is an example of his humorous purpose. He stops to drink and begins talking to himself as he rides home, and his amusing monologue continues for the rest of the book. Even when describing Jerry, Dickens uses jokes. ?Mr. Cruncher himself always spoke of the year of our Lord as Anna Dominoes: apparently under the impression that the Christian era dated from the invention of a popular game, by a lady who had bestowed her name upon it,? wrote Dickens (53). Just when the book begins to get too intense, Dickens uses Jerry to lighten things up a bit.
The author also uses the character of Jerry to illustrate the terrible poverty of life in England during the late 1700?s. Jerry has such a hard time supporting his family that he digs up dead bodies in the middle of the night to help make ends meet. He is not proud of this, but has no other choice. He hates it so much he becomes paranoid, and thinks that his wife is praying against him. ?What do you mean by flopping yourself down and praying agin me?? he said to his wife (54). Dickens creates this picture of Jerry?s life to help establish the setting of the novel. Jerry?s night job eventually allows him to perform another function. He later reveals that Roger Cly is not actually dead, and provides Sydney Carton with more blackmailing material for John Barsad, the spy. But mostly, Jerry provides an excellent example of 18th century life.
The second minor character, Miss Pross, functions primarily as a foil for Madame Defarge. Madame Defarge is Dickens? prime example of selfish hatred. She will do anything to avenge her sister?s death, including killing Lucie Manette. Miss Pross, on the other hand, is the prime example of selfless love. She is willing to give her life to protect her surrogate daughter, Lucie Manette. Dickens? intent becomes apparent when the two enter a confrontation at the end of the book. ?No, you wicked foreign woman; I am your match,? Miss Pross says when Madame Defarge comes to find the family (355). Miss Pross wins the battle and Dickens shows that good prevails over evil. ?Miss Pross, with the vigorous tenacity of love, always so much stronger than hate, clasped her tight, and even lifted her from the floor in the struggle that they had? he writes, with Miss Pross symbolizing love and Madame Defarge symbolizing hate (357). Miss Pross? loss of hearing illustrates the sacrifice of her truly selfless love. Dickens plays Miss Pross against Madame Defarge as a foil to illustrate the to the reader the theme of good versus evil.
Jarvis Lorry functions as a ?wise old man? character, similar to Tieresias in ?Oedipus the King?. He is the rock that keeps everyone grounded, the ?man of business? who always knows what to do. For example, when Mr. Stryver considers asking Lucie to be his wife, he goes straight to Mr. Lorry for advice. Mr. Lorry politely tells him that Lucie will decline. ?You deliberately advise me not to go up to Soho and offer myself-myself, Stryver of the King?s Bench Bar?? says Stryver when he asks Mr. Lorry for his suggestions. Mr. Lorrie always helps to keep things under control, and avoids becoming overly emotional. For example, when he informs Lucie of her father?s release from prison, he says, ?A matter of business. Regard it as a matter of business ? business that must be done? (23). His words are an attempt to calm Lucie and himself down. He continues this business-like attitude throughout the book, keeping the other characters together. One could even say that he functions as a foil for Dr. Manette. When Dr. Manette goes into his trance again, Mr. Lorry is there day and night, trying to bring him to life. They are the same age, and Dr. Manette is understandably unstable, while Mr. Lorry is remarkably stable. Mr. Lorry functions to keep everyone under control, and contrasts with Dr. Manette as a ground for the other characters to stand on.
These three characters are only a few of the many that are woven into Dickens? complex story of life and death, love and hate, England and France. Jarvis Lorry, Miss Pross, and Jerry Cruncher all serve to aid the plot, themes and character development of A Tale of Two Cities. Although none of them appears frequently in the play, their roles are crucial to the storyline, and the book would not be complete without them.
