Carrie Thatcher Character Analysis in Good Night, Mr. Tom

Twin to Ginnie, Carrie is a freckly, redheaded girl from Little Weirwold. Whereas Ginnie wants to be a wife and a homemaker, Carrie is a stubborn, independent intellectual who loves to read and despises housework. Her ambition is to attend the academic high school in the larger town of Weirwold, though the school in Little Weirwold never nominates girls to take the entrance exams. Though Carrie and Ginnie are initially skeptical of London evacuees William and Zach—they think William is too shy and Zach excessively extroverted—they soon become fast friends with the evacuees when George Fletcher invites them all on a blackberry-picking excursion. Carrie likes Zach because his self-assured weirdness makes her feel less out of place, despite how different she is from the rest of her family, some of whom who don’t understand her ambition. Zach is the first person Carrie tells of her plan to ask Little Weirwold teacher Mrs. Hartridge to let her take the entrance exams for the academic high school in town—and he seems to be the first friend she tells when she passes the exams and gets into the high school. At first, Carrie has a difficult time in high school because the more urbanized students take her rural accent as a sign of stupidity. When she beats many of them on the end-of-term exams, however, she starts to make friends. Yet after Zach dies, Carrie feels extremely lonely, especially when William refuses to talk about their dead friend. After William begins grieving for Zach in a healthier way, however, William and Carrie grow closer, and the novel strongly implies that William is developing a crush on her.

Carrie Thatcher Quotes in Good Night, Mr. Tom

The Good Night, Mr. Tom quotes below are all either spoken by Carrie Thatcher or refer to Carrie Thatcher. 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:

Biological Family vs. Chosen Family Theme Icon

He couldn’t read or write. He couldn’t swim or ride a bicycle. He had never made anything and he couldn’t tell the difference between one flower and another. He couldn’t play cricket or any other game for that matter and he had never been fishing. He began to panic. The others would get bored with waiting and go off on their own without him. He swallowed hard and looked up at their faces. They didn’t look bored. He relaxed a little and then he remembered something.

“I likes drawin’.”

Related Characters: William Beech (speaker), Zach Wrench, Mrs. Fletcher , George Fletcher, Carrie Thatcher, Ginnie Thatcher

Page Number and Citation: 92–93

Explanation and Analysis:

The jersey had a polo-neck collar in red. The cuffs and the waistband were ribbed in the same color. Willie thought that next to Zach’s deep complexion and black hair the red looked pleasing.

“I think it’s fine,” he said quietly, and Zach knew he was speaking truthfully.

Related Characters: William Beech (speaker), Zach Wrench, Ginnie Thatcher, George Fletcher, Carrie Thatcher

Page Number and Citation: 126

Explanation and Analysis:

“And here’s me dying to act and I can’t be in it because I’m Jewish.”

“Now you know how I feel about the high school,” said Carrie.

Related Characters: Zach Wrench (speaker), Carrie Thatcher (speaker), William Beech, George Fletcher, Ginnie Thatcher, Miss Emilia Thorne

Page Number and Citation: 142

Explanation and Analysis:

Carrie Thatcher Character Timeline in Good Night, Mr. Tom

The timeline below shows where the character Carrie Thatcher appears in Good Night, Mr. Tom. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...shirt.” Zach introduces Willie to the girls and asks their names again. They call themselves Carrie and Ginnie—and they’re annoyed. George was correct that they didn’t want Willie and Zach along:... (full context)

George, Carrie, and Ginnie lead the way toward Ivor’s farm. As Willie and Zach walk behind them,... (full context)

...they return to the bushes, they pick closer together and chat about what they like. Carrie likes reading and climbing trees, Ginnie likes collecting flowers and sewing, George likes fishing, and... (full context)

...meets him and the two boys walk to the village hall, where they meet George, Carrie, and Ginnie. When Zach notes that the school seems crowded, George says that they have... (full context)

...idea. Then, to Willie’s relief, Tom gets up to answer a knock at the door. Carrie, Ginnie, and George walk in. When Willie blushes, Carrie quickly announces that they’re upset Willie... (full context)

Carrie has just invited Willie to come with them to the woods on Saturday when Zach... (full context)

...the cottage, a whole roomful of people start singing happy birthday: George, Mrs. Fletcher, Ginnie, Carrie, their mother, Lucy, Lucy’s mother Roe, and Tom. (full context)

...never had his own birthday parties—he’s only heard about them from children at school. Tom, Carrie, and Zach explain to him that he should blow out the candles and make a... (full context)

...when Zach exclaims that no one has seen Willie’s picture yet. With some encouragement from Carrie and Ginnie, Willie shows them his picture. Tom praises his “fine hand,” and Willie blushes.... (full context)

...him. Sometimes, Emilia Thorne comes by and teaches Willie poems and vocabulary. Willie, Zach, George, Carrie, and Ginnie continue playing together. (full context)

One drizzly afternoon, Zach, Willie, George, Carrie, and Ginnie convene at the Littles’. Tom arrives with a suitcase for them and tells... (full context)

...George encourages Zach to open the final package. Inside is a multicolored jersey. Though George, Carrie, and Ginnie tease him about its brightness, Willie thinks its red collar and cuffs suit... (full context)

...where to meet next. The Littles have too many meetings, George’s house is crowded, and Carrie and Ginnie have a nosy younger sister. Willie worries that if he invites the others... (full context)

...so Tom asks him what’s wrong. Anxiously, Willie asks whether he can invite Zach, George, Carrie, and Ginnie over. Tom tells him yes: Willie can do what he likes with his... (full context)

...Willie’s drawings pinned to one wall and shelves that Tom made for Willie’s things. When Carrie, Ginnie, and George arrive, the children admire Willie’s drawings. George asks about the words under... (full context)

...Zach asks what George will do in the show. Though George initially resists, Zach and Carrie browbeat him into agreeing to volunteer. When Carrie asks Zach what he’ll do, Zach says... (full context)

...and tells the others that the choir needs more singers for the Christmas carol service. Carrie is about to volunteer when George tells her it’s a boys’ choir. Angrily, Carrie protests... (full context)

...on to explain that he’s already been rejected from the Nativity play for being Jewish. Carrie says that’s how she feels about not being able to attend high school. George mocks... (full context)

...a moment, and then George says they haven’t gone near the place for two years. Carrie adds that when they visited last time, the place was extremely “eerie.” Zach suggests again... (full context)

Miss Thorne’s Christmas show is A Christmas Carol. Zach, Carrie, and George have speaking roles, Ginnie makes costumes, and Willie paints scenery. Eventually, Willie has... (full context)

...excites him. The pupils practice multiplication and then do an English lesson. During the latter, Carrie slips Zach a note, and Zach, reading it, whispers “Good luck” to her. When Willie,... (full context)

Carrie walks up to Mrs. Hartridge and asks whether they can talk privately. Mrs. Hartridge agrees... (full context)

When the bell rings, the students go inside. Carrie is sitting at her desk, red-faced, but the others have no opportunity during their next... (full context)

...has answered 8 of 10 exercises correctly, tying Zach and beating all other students except Carrie and another girl. Zach cries out happily and other students “gasp[].” Mrs. Hartridge, smiling, shushes... (full context)

...class a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale and dismisses them. After playing a little with Carrie, Ginnie, and George—who leaves early with a headache—Willie and Zach walk home together, chatting a... (full context)

...dog sprint exuberantly together. Later, after breakfast, Willie walks to school with Zach. At school, Carrie now sits in the back row with the 13-year-old pupils, though she’s only 10. Mrs.... (full context)

...belly expand. Yet this day he longs to finish school. After school, he, Zach, George, Carrie, and Ginnie convene at Zach’s, where they plan to explore Spooky Cott that Saturday. Then... (full context)

...twins.” Mrs. Beech asks whether they go to church. Willie says that George, Ginnie, and Carrie do. When Mrs. Beech is angry that Willie has “mix[ed] with girls,” he repeats that... (full context)

...he himself did an excellent job in the play but missed Will. He also missed Carrie, who studies constantly now. (full context)

...Lucy, and Will says no, it’s just that Lucy’s a girl. Zach points out that Carrie and Ginnie are girls, but Will says that they aren’t “lovey dovey” like Lucy. (full context)

Will continues to get better. Zach, George, Carrie, Ginnie, and little Lucy visit him at home, though he often falls asleep during their... (full context)

...When they arrive back in Little Weirwold after several days’ journey, they find that George, Carrie, and Ginnie have left them “welcome-home goodies,” while Mrs. Fletcher has bought them groceries and... (full context)

...his friends set out to explore Spooky Cott. Will and Zach go together, while George, Carrie, and Ginnie go another way. Will and Zach hear a hooting signal, and Will sounds... (full context)

On the first day of school, Will and Zach go to the Thatchers’ to see Carrie in uniform off to her first day of high school. Mr. Thatcher is very proud,... (full context)

Carrie is also grieving Zach, who helped her feel less like “an odd fish.” At high... (full context)

...with vegetables. One day, Will is wearing Zach’s old red jersey while planting seeds. Then Carrie runs up, flushed, and asks whether Will has “them.” He says they’re in his room.... (full context)

Will suggests that Carrie go wait in his room till he’s done planting. When he’s done, they can ride... (full context)

A bit later, Will joins Carrie in his room. Will gets her a pair of shorts, a shirt, and Zach’s multicolored... (full context)

Will and Carrie sneak from the house with the tandem bicycle and ride off. When Mrs. Hartridge spies... (full context)

Carrie tells Will that her mother has been awful. Will asks whether Mrs. Thatcher is awful... (full context)

Carrie reads and Will sketches her with focus and intense enjoyment until it gets dark. They... (full context)

Good Night, Mr. Tom

Carrie Thatcher Character Analysis

Carrie Thatcher Quotes in Good Night, Mr. Tom

Chapter 7: An Encounter over Blackberries Quotes

Chapter 10: The Case Quotes

Chapter 11: Friday Quotes

Carrie Thatcher Character Timeline in Good Night, Mr. Tom