Book TWO (Chapters 1-5)

By beginning to talk about Jerry Cruncher and his family, Charles Dickens takes the reader's mind off of the reunion between Miss Manette and her long-imprisoned father. Why was the man's name Cruncher? Is this significant to what he does or who he is? The name sounds like it would be given to someone who was not the most appealing. The book speaks of where Cruncher lived, "in Hanging-sword-alley, Whitefriars." Is there a reason that the alley is named such a peculiar name, or were all alleys and streets named like this? Cruncher portrays his wife as being a very religious person, and he gets frustrated with her when she prays for him. "Saying your prayers! You're a nice woman! What do you mean by flopping yourself down and praying agin me?" He seems to be offended that his wife is praying for him and does not accept this at all. I find it ironic that Jerry does not like his wife praying, but, by praying and being religious, she is a nice woman like Jerry should wish. His wife is praying for him, but Jerry thinks that she is praying against him, giving him bad luck. Bad luck with what? I'm not quite sure. He also says, "I am as rickety as a hackney-coach, I'm as sleepy as laudanaum, my lines is strained to that degree that I shouldn't know, if it wasn't for the pain in 'em, which was me and which somebody else, yet I'm none for the better for it in pocket; and it's my suspicion that you've been at it from morning to night to prevent me from being the better for it in pocket, and I won't put up with it, Aggerawayter, and what do you say now!" The way that he speaks shows that the people in that era were taught much different from what is taught now. They are taught less speaking and grammar skills. While I read this passage, I was confused about what he is saying here. What is really the big deal about her praying? Why is Cruncher against it so harshly?
Cruncher has a son who has the same name and seems to be an identical to himself. They both wear spikes upon there head and are both described as "a pair of monkeys." At the end of chapter one, young Jerry makes a statement about his father. "Al-ways rusty! His fingers is al-ways rusty! Where does my father get all that iron rust from? He don't get no iron rust here!" Rust is symbolic for aging, deterioration, negative attitudes, or a psychic component such as instinct, skill, or a personality trait. In this case, I think that the rust is symbolic for the negativity in his personality and that it is foreshadowing something about the character. Another incident that could possible connect with the rust is that Jerry Cruncher returns to his house with cleans boot and when his wife wakes up the following morning, the boot are muddy.
In chapter two, Cruncher is given a message to give to Mr. Lorry pertaining to the whereabouts of Charles Darnay's trial. The trial is for treason, and it is within this reading that we discover that the trials were not only meant for criminals, but for the public and their entertainment. Dickens makes the point that humans have an interest in other's suffering by showing how many people were at the trial. The people were not there for support. They were only there to see if Darnay would be given a severe sentencing.
Chapter three reveals that the trial was acquitted describing the title of the chapter, "A Disappointment." The crowd was disappointed that the trial was acquitted because, like I explained earlier, they wanted to see something severe like human suffering, the death sentence. Also within this chapter, there is a reference to the bible. "... showing them how the patriot, Barsad, was a hired spy and traitor, an unblushing trafficker in blood, and one of the greatest scoundrels upon earth since accursed Judas--which he certainly did look rather like." Judas was one of Jesus's twelve disciples and betrayed Jesus. If Barsad is connected to Judas, then is there more connection to the bible? Would the trial and Darnay's acquittal symbolize Jesus? The passage says that Barsad looked like Judas, but how do we know what Judas looked like? What is the reason for Dickens putting that within the novel? At the end of this chapter, Cruncher is given a note from Mr. Lorry and told to take it to Tellson's Bank. I don't understand this part. Is there a conspiracy going on at the bank??? This is probably one of those parts that I'm not going to understand until the end of the book, but, by putting this element of mystery into the novel, Dickens makes the novel more suspenseful and more interesting.
In chapter four, the reader is given the connection between the title of the second book and Lucy's hair. Lucy's hair is a golden color. It is her father's way of staying sane and forgetting that he is imprisoned for those eighteen years. This is shown at the beginning of the book when it is written that Dr. Manette kept a lock of his daughter's hair. Also this chapter reveals the comparisons between Carton and Darnay, and Lucie and Dr. Manette. This, along with Jerry Cruncher and his son, shows the similar characters. The characters are like doubles or parallels of each other. What is Dickens trying to do by putting such similar characters into the novel?
Chapter 5 portrays to the reader that Carton has an admiration for Lucie Manette, but he feels that because of what he has done with his life like becoming an idiotic drunk. I think that his desire to be with Miss Manette is foreshadowing the love that we are told about in the book. I detest not knowing and questioning so much about the book.
What is the significance of the beauty in chapter 6? The novel goes from talking about the filth and darkness to the elegance of the ripened peaches and the green leaves upon the trees... why? Does it symbolize an ending to the lower class's struggles?