Like many nineteenth-century authors, Dickens uses atmosphere and setting to establish the mood of a story, and this chapter exemplifies his mastery of the technique. The action of the novel begins with discomfort and anxiety as the characters slog along the muddy highway in the dark, damp chill of a late November mist. The threat of highway robbery that Dickens describes in the first chapter combines with the misty cold to create a sense of vulnerability and apprehension.
Mr. Lorry serves as a figurative and actual link between France and England throughout the book. As Dickens reveals in later chapters, Mr. Lorry is first and foremost a man of business, and his business — Tellson's Bank — carries him between England and France. At this point, though, his current business is a mystery to everyone but himself.
The messages exchanged between him and Jerry are a puzzle to all that hear them, especially Mr. Lorry's response: "Recalled to life."This theme of mystery and secrecy will recur repeatedly and will play a central role in the unfolding of the plot.
