Johnny Tremain

by

Esther Forbes

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Johnny Tremain makes teaching easy.

Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne Character Analysis

Rab’s uncle, Uncle Lorne, prints the Boston Observer, a seditious newspaper. He lives with his wife, Aunt Jenifer, and their infant son Rabbit in a house across from the Boston Observer’s office. He’s a thin, “tweedy” man with glasses. He’s very shy and awkward. Uncle Lorne feels very strongly about the Patriots’ cause and insists that he’ll keep printing the Observer until he dies or the British hang him for sedition. Uncle Lorne and Aunt Jenifer graciously accept Johnny as a member of their family when he begins working for the paper. They supply him with a library of novels and nonfiction books, as well as snacks—they believe a young man should feed his brain and his curiosity, and they don’t see reading as a waste of time. After the Battles of Lexington and Concord, when the British vow to catch any seditious printers, Mrs. Bessie agrees to take in Mr. and Mrs. Lorne and pretend that Uncle Lorne has always been there working as a stable hand.

Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne Quotes in Johnny Tremain

The Johnny Tremain quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne or refer to Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne. 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:
Coming of Age Theme Icon
).
Chapter 5 Quotes

The idea that Goblin was more scared than he gave him great confidence and so did Rab’s belief in him and his powers to learn. […] But one day he overheard Uncle Lorne say to Rab, ‘I don’t know how Johnny has done it, but he is riding real good now.’

‘He’s doing all right.’

‘Not scared a bit of Goblin. God knows I am.’

‘Johnny Tremain is a bold fellow. I knew he could learn—if he didn’t get killed first. It was sink or swim for him—and happens he’s swimming.’

This praise went to Johnny’s head, but patterning his manners on Rab’s he tried not to show it.

Related Characters: Rab (speaker), Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne (speaker), Johnny Tremain, Goblin
Page Number: 108-109
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

‘Uncle Lorne is upset. He says the printers will not be able to go on with the newspapers. He won’t be able to collect subscriptions, or get any advertising. He won’t be able to buy paper nor ink.’

‘He’s sending the Webb twins home?’

‘Yes. Back to Chelmsford. But he and I can manage. The Observer is to be half-size. He won’t give up. He’ll keep on printing, printing and printing about our wrongs—and our rights—until he drops dead at his press—or gets hanged.’

Related Characters: Johnny Tremain (speaker), Rab (speaker), Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne, The Webb Twins
Page Number: 154
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Johnny Tremain LitChart as a printable PDF.
Johnny Tremain PDF

Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne Quotes in Johnny Tremain

The Johnny Tremain quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne or refer to Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne. 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:
Coming of Age Theme Icon
).
Chapter 5 Quotes

The idea that Goblin was more scared than he gave him great confidence and so did Rab’s belief in him and his powers to learn. […] But one day he overheard Uncle Lorne say to Rab, ‘I don’t know how Johnny has done it, but he is riding real good now.’

‘He’s doing all right.’

‘Not scared a bit of Goblin. God knows I am.’

‘Johnny Tremain is a bold fellow. I knew he could learn—if he didn’t get killed first. It was sink or swim for him—and happens he’s swimming.’

This praise went to Johnny’s head, but patterning his manners on Rab’s he tried not to show it.

Related Characters: Rab (speaker), Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne (speaker), Johnny Tremain, Goblin
Page Number: 108-109
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

‘Uncle Lorne is upset. He says the printers will not be able to go on with the newspapers. He won’t be able to collect subscriptions, or get any advertising. He won’t be able to buy paper nor ink.’

‘He’s sending the Webb twins home?’

‘Yes. Back to Chelmsford. But he and I can manage. The Observer is to be half-size. He won’t give up. He’ll keep on printing, printing and printing about our wrongs—and our rights—until he drops dead at his press—or gets hanged.’

Related Characters: Johnny Tremain (speaker), Rab (speaker), Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne, The Webb Twins
Page Number: 154
Explanation and Analysis: