A Tale of Two Cities Chapter 2 Summary

Summary

On a cold, misty November night in 1775 the Dover mail struggles up Shooter’s Hill; horses, guard, coachman, and wrapped passengers contend with thick mud and damp, clammy fog. One passenger travels on the coach-step while two others trudge beside it; all keep to themselves because of common fears of highway robbery. The scene emphasizes the coach’s laboring progress and the tense watchfulness of the guard, who keeps a blunderbuss and other arms ready in his arm-chest.

A hoarse rider bursts through the mist and calls for confirmation that this is the Dover mail; he seeks Mr. Jarvis Lorry. Mr. Lorry steps down and receives a folded paper from the rider (Jerry), reads it by the coach-lamp and aloud: “Wait at Dover for Mam’selle.” Then, as his brief reply, he instructs Jerry to say that his answer is, “Recalled to life.” The coach moves on; the passengers quickly close themselves into the coach to avoid further interaction. Jerry stands in the dark, reflects on the oddity and meaning of “Recalled to life,” and trudges away, muttering that it is a “blazing strange message.” The chapter closes with the mail descending the hill and the messenger’s skeptical, hoarse commentary about the curious phrase.

Key events

1. Dover mail struggles up Shooter’s Hill in thick, cold mist
2. Passengers and guard remain distrustful and watchful against robbery
3. A rider (Jerry) gallops up and asks for Mr. Jarvis Lorry
4. Jarvis Lorry reads the rider's note aloud: 'Wait at Dover for Mam’selle.'
5. Lorry's terse reply is summarized as 'Recalled to life.'
6. Coach resumes its descent; Jerry reflects on the strange message

Analysis

This chapter functions as a transitional, atmospheric piece that introduces Jarvis Lorry in motion and furnishes one of the novel’s first enigmas: the phrase “Recalled to life.” Dickens uses vivid sensory description — the mud, the clammy mist, the panting horses — to create a mood of apprehension and to underline the precariousness of travel and communication in this world. The guarded interactions among passengers and the heavily armed guard show a society conditioned to suspicion and danger, foreshadowing wider social unrest and the theme of perilous journeys.

Narratively, the chapter briefly interrupts any deep exposition to deliver a striking, unexplained signal (“Recalled to life”) that functions as a motif: it will recur and gain meaning later. The scene also characterizes Mr. Lorry as a calm, businesslike figure connected to Tellson’s Bank, and introduces Jerry as a rough, pragmatic messenger whose coarse reaction offers the reader a lay interpretation of the phrase’s oddity. Dickens’ technique of small set pieces and localized conversation advances plot by planting a cryptic seed while sustaining tension through descriptive realism.

Important quotes

“‘Wait at Dover for Mam’selle.’”

Jarvis LorryThe folded paper's instruction, read aloud by Lorry by the coach-lamp, gives a short, specific appointment.

“Recalled to life.”

Jarvis LorryLorry's terse answer communicated by Jerry; this mysterious phrase becomes a key motif.

Characters in Chapter 2

• Jarvis Lorry
• Jerry Cruncher
• Guard
• Coachman
• Passengers (unnamed)