Jarvis Lorry

Jarvis Lorry and Lucie by Fred Barnard, 1870s

Jarvis Lorry is a character in Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities.

Overview

Jarvis Lorry is one of the oldest employees of Tellson's Bank, and he frequently deals with the bank's offices in London and Paris. He is a confirmed bachelor and a man of business. He has served the Manette family since Dr. Alexandre Manette's imprisonment. He takes Lucie Manette to Paris to retrieve her father and is troubled by what they will find on their arrival. When Charles Darnay is arrested on his arrival in England, Mr. Lorry retains the lawyers Stryver and Sydney Carton to defend Darnay. Mr. Lorry becomes a constant fixture at the Manette home after that. Years later, when the French Revolution begins, Mr. Lorry goes to Paris to handle Tellson's bank business and at the same time tries to provide service to Lucie and her father during Darnay’s imprisonment. He softens to Carton at the end when he suspects what Carton might be up to and by the time Darnay is delivered back to the family, Lorry has undergone a Scrooge-like transformation from a seemingly crusty curmudgeon, to a man who finally realizes the importance of people over all else.

Cinematic and Theatrical Portrayals

In the 2008 Broadway musical adaptation of 'A Tale of Two Cities,' Jarvis Lorry is played by Michael Hayward-Jones.

External links

• Character Profile of Jarvis Lorry