Seventy-Two Derwents

by

Cate Kennedy

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Seventy-Two Derwents makes teaching easy.

Mrs Carlyle Character Analysis

Tyler’s Grade 6 school teacher, who is gentle and kind. Tyler feels particularly close to her, treating her as both a source of stable authority and a role model. She gives Tyler the journal in which Tyler supposedly writes the story’s narrative, probably intended as an exercise in creative self-expression. Because of her deep trust in Mrs Carlyle, Tyler eventually lets her read the contents of her journal, despite the fact that she was not required to turn it in. After reading about Shane’s abusive behavior, Mrs Carlyle swiftly contacts the authorities. She owns an aviary with pet budgies, which are an object of fascination for Tyler. She promises Tyler one of the eggs, indicating her affection for her, and takes Tyler to visit it after notifying her that she’d reported the contents of her journal to the police. After Shane is out of the picture, Tyler concludes her journal by addressing Mrs Carlyle directly and promising to keep writing in her journal, indicating that their relationship becomes even stronger.

Mrs Carlyle Quotes in Seventy-Two Derwents

The Seventy-Two Derwents quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs Carlyle or refer to Mrs Carlyle. 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:
Relationships and Intimacy Theme Icon
).
Seventy-Two Derwents Quotes

Mrs Carlyle has two budgies, a boy and a girl, and they have built a nest. If they have baby budgies and if I’m allowed she will give me one. You have to wait until they’re old enough to leave the nest before you can take them away from their parents because they need special looking after. In my mind I can picture this ... after she says this, when I walk back into class and down to my desk, I feel my skin buzzing like someone stroked it.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Mrs Carlyle
Related Symbols: Mrs Carlyle’s Budgies
Page Number: 225-6
Explanation and Analysis:

Mrs Carlyle told us that when you are training your dog you need to say the same thing over and over until the dog gets it. He wants to do the right thing, he just doesn’t know it at first. She says it’s the same with training a bird to talk, you have to say the same thing again and again so they learn. That’s true and maybe it’s true for people too.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Tyler and Ellie’s Mother, Mrs Carlyle
Page Number: 226
Explanation and Analysis:

I said if I put my hand into the nest now would the mother bird bite me? And she looked so sad at me and nodded. We fed the birds and then she drove me back to the mall.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Mrs Carlyle
Related Symbols: Mrs Carlyle’s Budgies
Page Number: 257
Explanation and Analysis:

If your budgie’s eggs hatch please will you call one of the babies Alicia. One day I will get an aviary and then I will come and get her, Mrs Carlyle. That’s my promise.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Mrs Carlyle
Related Symbols: Mrs Carlyle’s Budgies
Page Number: 263-4
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mrs Carlyle Quotes in Seventy-Two Derwents

The Seventy-Two Derwents quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs Carlyle or refer to Mrs Carlyle. 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:
Relationships and Intimacy Theme Icon
).
Seventy-Two Derwents Quotes

Mrs Carlyle has two budgies, a boy and a girl, and they have built a nest. If they have baby budgies and if I’m allowed she will give me one. You have to wait until they’re old enough to leave the nest before you can take them away from their parents because they need special looking after. In my mind I can picture this ... after she says this, when I walk back into class and down to my desk, I feel my skin buzzing like someone stroked it.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Mrs Carlyle
Related Symbols: Mrs Carlyle’s Budgies
Page Number: 225-6
Explanation and Analysis:

Mrs Carlyle told us that when you are training your dog you need to say the same thing over and over until the dog gets it. He wants to do the right thing, he just doesn’t know it at first. She says it’s the same with training a bird to talk, you have to say the same thing again and again so they learn. That’s true and maybe it’s true for people too.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Tyler and Ellie’s Mother, Mrs Carlyle
Page Number: 226
Explanation and Analysis:

I said if I put my hand into the nest now would the mother bird bite me? And she looked so sad at me and nodded. We fed the birds and then she drove me back to the mall.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Mrs Carlyle
Related Symbols: Mrs Carlyle’s Budgies
Page Number: 257
Explanation and Analysis:

If your budgie’s eggs hatch please will you call one of the babies Alicia. One day I will get an aviary and then I will come and get her, Mrs Carlyle. That’s my promise.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Mrs Carlyle
Related Symbols: Mrs Carlyle’s Budgies
Page Number: 263-4
Explanation and Analysis: