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Mom/Vivian
Ellie’s dad and Vivian’s husband is a small-animal vet. He cares deeply for his family, his patients, and for Lipan Apache traditions. He’s often the one to encourage Ellie to be cautious or to ignore any prejudice or racism she might encounter. While he briefly visits Allerton to drop the family van off for Vivian and give Ellie a ride, he returns home after a few days, as he cannot stay away from his patients.
Dad Quotes in Elatsoe
The Elatsoe quotes below are all either spoken by Dad or refer to Dad. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 8 Quotes
The lawn was speckled by white polka-dots, the heads of round mushrooms. Didn’t mushrooms usually sprout in moist environments? Exactly how much water did Dr. Allerton waste on his grass every day?
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Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Elatsoe LitChart as a printable PDF.
Dad Character Timeline in Elatsoe
The timeline below shows where the character Dad appears in Elatsoe. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
Ellie tries calling Mom and Dad, who are at a movie. They don’t answer, so Ellie decides to bike to the...
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Finally, moviegoers enter the lobby. Ellie finds Mom and Dad by the bathrooms and explains that Kirby had a fit. But Mom and Dad aren’t...
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Chapter 3
...mourning ritual), but she reasons that Trevor might not be dead. However, she notices that Dad took down Trevor’s photograph last night, a sure indicator that he’s dead. Taking his picture...
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Dad is in the kitchen. He confirms that Trevor died last night; Mom has already flown...
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Dad pulls out his map of Texas and traces the route he’ll take; he’s going to...
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Chapter 5
...isn’t true and leads Ellie to the sidewalk. When Ellie gets home wet and muddy, Dad angrily scolds her, but he reaffirms that they’ll honor Trevor’s last wishes “[t]ogether. As a...
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Chapter 6
Ellie stares out the window as she and Dad begin the 14-hour drive to McAllen. She thinks of her memories of Trevor. Ellie has...
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Chapter 7
...drive, Ellie sees a sign for a rock shop and truck stop, and she asks Dad if they can stop. He agrees and hopes there’s coffee. Although he’s tired, he refuses...
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...to give her a call if he learns anything before nine tonight, when she and Dad will drive through Willowbee. Hanging up, Ellie moves to the fossil collection and begins reaching...
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Chapter 8
...can be dangerous. Ellie is glad to pick up Jay’s call just before she and Dad reach Willowbee. Jay says that Abe is a seemingly perfect, and obviously wealthy, man: he...
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Dad pulls off the freeway, and Ellie takes in the cacti, shrubs, and mesquite trees. From...
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Several miles later, Ellie admits she doesn’t understand why Abe Allerton killed Trevor—and Dad cautions that there wasn’t a good reason. He says he believes in Ellie and her...
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Chapter 9
Ellie and Dad arrive at Trevor and Lenore’s three-bedroom house in a friendly neighborhood after 10:00 p.m. Ellie’s...
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...whereas she didn’t. Vivian appears in the kitchen and sends Ellie back to the bedroom. Dad is comforting Gregory, who’s screaming.
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Chapter 10
Dad approaches Ellie, and she tells him that Abe asked for the burial site. Like Ellie,...
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Chapter 11
Dad has flown home, and Lenore and Gregory are visiting Lenore’s parents. Vivian interrupts Ellie’s research...
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Chapter 16
...was. Reasoning that she should be able to find her way home again, Ellie remembers Dad teaching her to swim, but she begins to panic as she wonders if the ancient...
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Chapter 31
...is making trouble and Jay and Ellie are in the ballroom. Missed call notifications from Dad in the last four hours appear on Vivian’s phone as she approaches the ballroom door....
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Chapter 33
...the emissary are gone. Ellie confirms that all her living friends and family are safe (Dad is here too), and then she calls for Kirby. He doesn’t respond, and Ellie sobs.
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Chapter 34
Ellie is in the rental car with Vivian and Dad, headed back to Lenore’s. Vivian assures Ellie that Kirby will come back, but Ellie isn’t...
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Chapter 36
It’s been seven days since Dad brought home Snickers, a labradoodle, from the pound—and he already knows how to play dead....
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