Essays for school

The Methodical Mr. Lorry (A Tale of two cities)

secret

Mme. secret

English

30 September 28, 2020

The Methodical Mr. Lorry

At the beginning of the novel we are introduced to Mr. Lorry as he is traveling to Dover. We learn that he works for the Tellson's bank and takes good are of his appearance and is very reserved when it comes to his emotions. He is introduced in the first chapter taking a carriage ride to arrive in Dover with two other passengers. When he finally arrives, he meets Lucie Manette at the hotel he was staying at and they discuss their business in Dover which is to retrieve her father who has been wrongfully in France for the past eighteen years. In chapter four book one we are given a very detailed look on his appearance and personality.

Mr. Lorry has a very restrained personality and he took very good care to not show too much emotion over the years at his job. He has been working for the Tellson's bank for many years now and he is currently waiting for Lucie Manette to arrive in Dover so that they may discuss the matter of her father. "A face, habitually suppressed and quieted, was still lighted up under the quaint wig by a pair of moist bright eyes that it must have cost their owner, in years gone by, some pains to drill to the posed and reserved expression of Tellson's Bank." (21). These words reveal that Mr. Lorry has been working at the bank for many years now and as a result he doesn't permit himself to show much emotion, his face remains neutral yet his eyes are still bright. There is a pair of two parallel adjectives such as "suppressed and quieted" and "posed and reserved". Both these pairs of words rephrase "orderly and methodical" as it was already used many times in this passage to describe Mr. Lorry. This quote shows a lot about Mr. Lorry's personality and personal life. He is not the most outgoing of people and he seems to be more of an introvert than an extrovert. This passage really shows the restrained side of Mr. Lorry, how he wasn't always calm and quiet. He used to be very different than what he is now and that because of his job he had to change.

While Mr. Lorry waits for Mme. Manette in the coffee room to discuss her father, we are shown his patience and also his efficiency. It is also shown that he is very put together and organized, both with his appearance and personality. His composure reflects his state of mind. "Very orderly and methodical he looked, with a hand on each knee". This quotation is quite particular as well because the adjectives come before subject of the sentence which is not very common. This shows that his mental state is what's being described rather than his physical appearance or build. Yet this quotation could be used to describe both, it also suggests that he is as quoted "Very orderly and methodical". He is organized, serious and determined to complete whatever job is given to him. He finishes one task efficiently and moves on to the next.

Mr. Lorry is a serious man, not only is he efficient and restrained it is very apparent that there is much to his character that has yet to be revealed. He appears clean and put together both mentally and physically as he awaits Lucie Manette and he is a hard-working and straightforward man. Perhaps I should strive to be a little more like him when it comes to work.