# Little Dorrit's Lover explained — Little Dorrit > Chapter companion for Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. ## What happens Little Dorrit, now twenty-two, has a devoted admirer in Young John Chivery, the sentimental son of a turnkey. John has loved her since childhood and dreams of a future where they marry and he inherits the turnkey's position, envisioning a pastoral life within the Marshalsea. His parents support the match, seeing it as advantageous. The Dorrit family, however, exploits John's devotion to bolster their own pretensions to gentility. When John finally attempts to declare his love on the Iron Bridge, Little Dorrit reacts with distress and aversion, murmuring about her father's behavior, leaving John confused and heartbroken. ## Themes in this chapter ### Imprisonment and Confinement Young John's romantic vision of a future with Little Dorrit is entirely circumscribed by the Marshalsea, from the lock-keeper's lodge to the tombstone within the prison walls, illustrating how confinement shapes even the most intimate aspirations. ### Social Class and Hypocrisy The Dorrit family, despite their imprisonment, cling to pretensions of gentility, using Young John's devotion as a peg to air their faded status, while the Chiveries view the match as socially advantageous, highlighting the hypocrisy of class distinctions. ### Family Dynamics and Obligation Little Dorrit's distress on the bridge, crying 'O father, father!' reveals her painful awareness of her father's exploitation of Young John's attentions, showing the burden of family obligation and her conflicted loyalty. ## Character check-ins ### Little Dorrit At twenty-two, she is the object of Young John Chivery's affection but reacts with distress and aversion when he approaches her on the Iron Bridge, murmuring about her father. ### Young John Chivery The sentimental son of a turnkey, deeply in love with Little Dorrit since childhood; he dreams of a future with her in the Marshalsea and attempts to declare his love, but is met with her distress. ### William Dorrit The Father of the Marshalsea, who accepts cigars and attentions from Young John and his father, gratified by their respect, though Little Dorrit is pained by his behavior. ### Fanny Dorrit Little Dorrit's sister, who asserts the family gentility by flouting Young John as he loiters around the prison. ### Tip Dorrit Little Dorrit's brother, who asserts the family gentility by swaggering and threatening Young John in the skittle ground. ### Mr. Chivery Young John's father, a turnkey who supports his son's attachment and offers William Dorrit civilities, including the chance to look at the street. ## Key lines > Little Dorrit had not attained her twenty-second birthday without finding a lover. By the time she turned twenty-two, Little Dorrit had attracted a suitor. _Introduces the central romantic plot of the chapter._ > Young John was small of stature, with rather weak legs and very weak light hair. One of his eyes (perhaps the eye that used to peep through the keyhole) was also weak, and looked larger than the other, as if it couldn’t collect itself. Young John was gentle likewise. But he was great of soul. Poetical, expansive, faithful. Young John was physically slight and unassuming, with a weak eye, but he possessed a gentle, poetic, and deeply faithful nature. _Describes Young John's character and appearance, emphasizing his inner nobility._ > Little Dorrit's lover very soon laid down his penny on the tollplate of the Iron Bridge, and came upon it looking about him for the well-known and well-beloved figure. Young John paid the toll to cross the Iron Bridge, searching for Little Dorrit. _Sets the scene for the pivotal encounter on the bridge._ > Now, that momentary look had said, 'You, of all people! I would rather have seen anyone on earth than you!' Her fleeting expression conveyed that she would have preferred to see anyone else but him. _Captures Little Dorrit's aversion to Young John at that moment._ > To the inexpressible consternation of her lover, Little Dorrit, with her hands to her averted face, and rocking herself where she stood as if she were in pain, murmured, 'O father, how can you! O dear, dear father, how can you, can you, do it!' Little Dorrit, visibly distressed and rocking, cried out about her father's actions, shocking Young John. _Reveals Little Dorrit's anguish over her father's behavior, which is the true cause of her distress._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/little_dorrit_se/chapters/xviii-little-dorrit-s-lover - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/little_dorrit_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/little_dorrit_se/chapters