Chapter 5

The Jackal
Introduction
• In this lesson, we will take a look at what happens in Book 2,
Chapter 5, of ''A Tale of Two Cities'' by Charles Dickens. We will
focus on the important characters as well as the important events.
• The title of this chapter is 'The Jackal.' A jackal is a type of dog-like
animal, but is also the name given to someone who does the lame
tasks that nobody else wants to do. This chapter starts by telling us
that people could drink a lot in 'those days.' In particular, Mr. Stryver
could drink as much as the people around him. When he hung out
with his buddy, Sydney Carton, they drank a ton. The narrator
reveals that Carton was a 'jackal' and being a jackal was how he
helped Stryver, who is referred to as the 'lion.'
Carton and Stryver Meet
• Stryver and Carton are scheduled to meet at 10:00 o'clock one
evening. Carton is passed out in the hotel and is awakened by a
man who was asked to be his alarm clock. Carton gets up and
heads over to Stryver's place. Stryver points out that Carton is late,
saying 'You are a little late, Memory.' So aside from being a jackal,
Carton is also given the nickname 'memory.'
• Stryver and Carton get down to business. First though, Carton
soaks some rags in cold water and puts them on his forehead. The
two men then begin to pour over a stack of legal documents. The
narrator tells us that the two have very different ways of going
about this. Stryver lays down on the couch, staring into the fire and
occasionally glances at a document or two. On the other hand,
Carton sits up at the table and examines document after document.
Even when he needs to grab a drink, he does not take his eyes off
the papers. Instead, he feels around the table until he locates his
glass.
The Boys Wrap it Up

• As a jackal attacks his prey, Carton attacks the first case. He goes
through that case and passes it to Stryver, who picks through it as
a lion picks through the slaughter left by a jackal. Carton and
Stryver address the second case in the same manner, ending their
'repast' about 3 a.m.
• Carton is acting moody, and Stryver comments, telling him he is
acting like he did when they were younger saying, 'the old seesaw
Sydney. Up one minute and down the next; now in spirits and now
in despondency (sadness)!' Sydney responds by saying that he is
the same person and just like when he was younger, he still ends
up doing other people's work and neglecting his own. Carton
complains a little about how he is always behind the scenes, while
Stryver gets the credit and moves ahead.