Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Johnny Tremain, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Coming of Age
Pride vs. Humility
Patriotism and the Revolutionary War
Violence
Moral Integrity and Class
Summary
Analysis
1. Weeks pass and Johnny continues to wander Boston. Though Mr. Lapham asked Johnny to ask masters for work politely, Johnny is too impatient and scornful. He storms into shops with his hand in his pocket and asks if the master wants a new boy. Only then does he pull his hand out with a flourish, at which point they usually send him away. He doesn’t look at the signs above shops, so he has little idea what he’s even asking to do. He never goes home for dinner, especially once Mrs. Lapham begins negotiating with a Mr. Tweedie to become Mr. Lapham’s business partner. Cilla often slips a hunk of bread or cheese into Johnny’s pocket, but Johnny is too unhappy to thank her. However, he dreams of buying her nice things when he’s grown up.
Johnny is extremely unhappy, and he remains just as prideful and arrogant as he was before his injury. While his pride once helped him somewhat (he was proud of his work and always tried his best), now, Johnny finds that it doesn’t help at all. Rather, he comes off to these masters as foolish and attention-seeking, especially when he dramatically reveals his burnt hand. Though Johnny doesn’t have the emotional maturity to thank her, his relationship with Cilla does remain constant. At least when it comes to her, he’s still thinking about the future.
Themes
One day, when Cilla hasn’t slipped food into his pocket, Johnny notices a sign with a little man on it peering at Salt Lane through a spyglass. This is where the Boston Observer is published; Mr. Lapham calls the paper “wicked,” as it tries to get people to revolt against England. The man on the sign looks welcoming though, so Johnny enters the shop. Inside, a boy older than Johnny is writing down a marketwoman’s advertisement about her lost pig, Myra. The woman tells the boy all about Myra and Johnny finds himself entranced, too. When the woman leaves, the boy sets the type before acknowledging Johnny. It’s an amicable silence though, and finally, the boy pulls out his lunch to share.
Mr. Lapham is what’s known as a Tory; that is, he believes the colonies should stay British colonies rather than fight for independence. As Johnny disregards Mr. Lapham’s political beliefs and enters the shop, he begins to come of age. Now, he’s experimenting and figuring things out for himself, rather than allowing Mr. Lapham to tell him what to do and how to think. And Johnny isn’t disappointed; indeed, he seems to enter a whole new world in the shop. In this world, pigs are interesting, and this boy is surprisingly friendly.
Themes
Midway through the meal, the boy, Rab, invites Johnny to cut himself more bread. Johnny stealthily takes his maimed hand out and struggles a bit to cut the bread, but the boy doesn’t acknowledge Johnny’s disability. Rab’s nonchalant attitude inspires Johnny to open up to him. He explains how he burnt his hand and that he’s looking for work he can do—preferably work that he'd actually enjoy doing. For the first time since the accident, Johnny can “stand aside from his problems—see himself.”
Though Rab says little, he manages to make Johnny feel like it’s finally okay to talk about what happened to him. As Johnny does this, he gains some emotional maturity and intelligence—this is why the novel states that Johnny can only now “see himself.” Johnny’s new perspective offers hope that, after this experience, he will be able to make some changes to his behavior that will help him move forward.
Themes
Soon, Mr. Lorne, Rab’s uncle, returns from lunch with the Webb twins, the two smaller apprentices. Rab doesn’t move to get up and instead, suggests that the shop might have work for Johnny, riding and delivering papers. It’s not skilled, but it’s work. Feeling hopeful, Johnny says he’ll only come back to share that he’s found a good job. The boys share that they’re both orphans, and then Johnny leaves in good spirits. Rab somehow makes people feel comforted and supported.
As another orphan, Rab is something of a kindred spirit to Johnny. But also note that Rab is far kinder, more practical, and generous than Johnny would likely ever be if their positions were reversed. This sets Rab up to become a potential mentor for Johnny, someone who can show Johnny how to be a good, kind person.
Themes
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2. Mr. Tweedie, a silversmith from Baltimore, comes to Boston. At first, he stays at a lodging house, and weeks pass before Johnny meets him. Johnny is soon tired of hearing about the man and how indecisive he is about the terms of the contract. Finally, Johnny runs into Mr. Tweedie in the shop one morning. He initially treats the man like a thief and then, upon hearing his squeaky voice, Johnny speaks scornfully to him. Going into the kitchen, Johnny finds total chaos—things went so much more smoothly when Johnny was in charge. In a voice loud enough for Mr. Tweedie to hear, Johnny tells Mrs. Lapham that Mr. Tweedie is a terrible man who’s probably just “somebody’s spinster aunt dressed up in men’s clothes” and a “squeak-pig.” Mrs. Lapham cuffs Johnny’s ears and tells him to go away.
Johnny’s arrogance shines through here—as does his jealousy. Recall that the original plan was for Johnny to marry Cilla and then join Mr. Lapham in the business, so Mr. Tweedie is essentially Johnny’s replacement. Finding a new business partner for Mr. Lapham seems like a necessity; Mr. Lapham, after all, struggles to get things done without Johnny’s help. But Johnny can’t see that the Laphams are acting practically and instead, he rudely insults the man who could improve the Laphams’ fortune.
Themes
3. Johnny grabs his jacket and hat, which he wears at a “rakish angle” these days. With his right hand in his pocket, he looks arrogant. He’s always been arrogant, but it used to show up in his pride in his work. Now, Mrs. Lapham is convinced that Johnny is engaging in criminal activity—and some passersby think the same. Johnny wanders through the market and then reaches the lower floor of the Town House, where merchants gather. Johnny hasn’t tried to find work with the merchants yet and waits for them to arrive. When he sees John Hancock arrive, Johnny decides to start with him, as he’s the most affluent merchant. But he notices the lavish Lyte coach clattering past and decides to go see what the fuss is about first.
The implication here is that Johnny is starting to look more and more like a criminal. As far as readers know, he’s not engaging in criminal activity—but the way he’s dressing and carrying himself means that people assume he’s untrustworthy. With this in mind, it’s somewhat ironic that Johnny decides to try to work for the merchants—does he look trustworthy enough to be put in charge of keeping records, or of valuable goods? Again, Johnny fails to see how he's coming off to others, so he’s unable to modify his behavior to potentially help himself.
Themes
Johnny has been guiltily watching the Lytes for years. Today, Lavinia Lyte is returning from London, and he watches her gracefully disembark the ship. She’s a lovely woman with an odd scar on her forehead. Despite being the one who sets fashions in Boston, she throws herself in Merchant Lyte’s arms like any country girl. Johnny reminds himself to be unimpressed; she’s skinny, bad-tempered, and hopefully she’ll kill herself overeating rich food. With this, Johnny returns to Mr. Hancock’s counting house. A clerk first asks Johnny whether he can read, and then Mr. Hancock joins in and asks Johnny to do some math. Mr. Hancock is impressed until Johnny reveals his now-terrible handwriting, and he then begs Johnny to leave. But Jehu soon follows with a bag of silver coins for “the poor work-boy in the broken shoes.”
The way the narration describes Lavinia Lyte positions her as potentially the most powerful woman in Boston. She sets the fashions (which also means she’s wealthy enough to afford new clothes all the time), and she can draw a crowd simply because she’s returned to the city. Noting that Johnny has “guiltily” been watching the Lytes for a while now deepens Johnny’s connection to them—clearly, he’s curious about his possible family members and wants to know what they’re all about. Then, Johnny cannot escape what looks like his extremely low status. The tables turn when Jehu—an enslaved boy with no power—gives Johnny this money, as it makes it seem like now, Jehu has the upper hand over white, free Johnny.
Themes
4. Johnny has been hungry for hours, so he decides to get lunch at a tavern kitchen. He decides to dine at the Afric Queen, happy to make the “kitten” in his stomach happy. He shows the landlady his money and then purchases several dishes, coffee, and hot chocolate. Though it’s all delicious (except the coffee), Johnny’s sad to learn how much all his food costs. He feels foolish; Rab would never have gorged himself like this. Johnny realizes the Afric Queen backs up onto the back of the Boston Observer. Though he wants to visit, he wants to visit as an equal, not a beggar.
Johnny has only met Rab once, but already Rab is helping Johnny think more critically about his choices and behavior. Here, Johnny realizes he should be more prudent about spending his money—yes he was hungry and needed food, but the implication is that Johnny didn’t need to spend so much money on fine food when something less expensive would suffice. It’s also telling that Johnny chooses not to visit Rab after this. He wants to impress Rab (by making good choices and getting a good job), not make Rab feel pity for him.
Themes
Johnny purchases himself shoes to replace his broken ones, and then buys limes for Isannah. At a stationer’s, he buys Cilla a book about martyrs and pastel crayons. He happily enters the Lapham kitchen, but Mrs. Lapham is annoyed and accuses him of stealing his shoes. Once she’s gone to tell Mr. Lapham, Dorcas and Madge escape: they’re both in love with Frizel, Junior and want to go see him. Alone with Cilla and Isannah, Johnny gives them his gifts. Isannah is thrilled as limes fall from Johnny’s pockets, and all three laugh as they chase limes. But as Johnny lifts Isannah up, she screeches for Johnny to not touch her with his “dreadful hand.” Cilla scolds and slaps Isannah, but Johnny walks out.
Finally, Johnny does with his money what he believes Rab would do: he uses it to help himself and others. Buying himself new shoes makes him look more trustworthy (except to Mrs. Lapham, but she already thinks the worst of Johnny). And buying Cilla and Isannah such thoughtful gifts helps him reconnect with his friends and his community. Isannah, however, ruins this tender moment by screaming in horror at Johnny’s hand. It seems like Johnny wasn’t thinking about his hand until she brought it up, but now he’s forced to acknowledge that other people notice and judge him for it.
Themes
5. Johnny is heartbroken. Certainly everyone agrees with Isannah. He wanders Boston, shuddering as he passes the gallows and the unmarked graves. For a while he sits in an orchard and then, in the middle of the night, he finds his mother’s unmarked grave. Flinging himself down on it, Johnny sobs. His mother would be so sorry if she knew what happened, but nobody else seems to care. Johnny doesn’t know he’s fallen asleep until he snaps awake, as if someone called to him. He can almost hear his mother telling him that if all else fails, he should go to Mr. Lyte.
Isannah’s unthinking words lead Johnny to believe that everyone hates him because of his burned hand. Being totally cut off from his community, Johnny believes, is what his mother meant when she told him to only approach Merchant Lyte if he hit rock bottom. This highlights where Johnny’s priorities are: he does want to fit in and be part of a community, even if he’s perhaps not aware that it’s his own arrogance and pride that keep him from reintegrating into Boston society.
Themes
