The Dry

by

Jane Harper

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Dry makes teaching easy.

Gretchen Character Analysis

Gretchen is a Kiewarra resident in her 30s who has a young son named Lachie. She was best friends with Falk, Luke, and Ellie until Ellie’s mysterious death 20 years ago tore the group apart. Gretchen is one of the few people in Kiewarra who welcomes Falk back to town, defending him against people like Mandy who spread rumors about him and helping to understand all the ways his hometown has changed—and stayed the same—over the past 20 years. Falk and Gretchen soon start a romantic relationship. While the novel drops a couple red herrings to suggest that Gretchen could be the killer (she owns a shotgun and dislikes Karen because Luke chose Karen over Gretchen years before), ultimately, she is just an innocent bystander.

Gretchen Quotes in The Dry

The The Dry quotes below are all either spoken by Gretchen or refer to Gretchen. 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:
The Human Cost of Climate Change  Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

“It’s good to see you again, Aaron.” Her blue eyes wandered over his face as though trying to memorize it and she smiled a little sadly. “Maybe see you in another twenty years.”

Related Characters: Gretchen (speaker), Falk, Lachie
Page Number: 2
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

It would have been easy to miss, but when Falk thought about it afterwards, he felt sure. In the corner of his vision, Mrs. Sullivan had jerked her pale gaze up in surprise. She’d stared at her grandson for barely half a moment before casting her eyes back down. Falk had watched closely, but she didn’t look up again once.

Related Characters: Falk, Sergeant Raco, Deacon, Gretchen, Sullivan, Sullivan, Lachie, Gran
Related Symbols: Rabbits
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

“You’re a closed book,” she’d said one final time before she’d left. She’d said it a lot over the two years they’d been together. First intrigued, then concerned, finally accusing. Why couldn’t he let her in? Why wouldn’t he let her in? Did he not trust her? Or did he not love her enough?

Related Characters: Falk (speaker), Karen, Ellie, Deacon, Gretchen, Dow
Page Number: 140
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19 Quotes

“I’m trying to keep Kiewarra safe for our kids. Is that too much to ask? Haven’t things been bad enough? I know you didn’t have much time for Karen, but you could at least show some respect, Gretchen.”

Related Characters: Mandy (speaker), Falk, Sergeant Raco, Karen, Gretchen, Billy
Page Number: 160
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

“But seems it’d be better all round if you and I stuck to shooting rabbits together, don’t you reckon?”

Related Characters: Luke (speaker), Falk, Ellie, Gretchen
Related Symbols: Rabbits
Page Number: 185
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29 Quotes

‘You know what I mean, Aaron,’ she said. ‘You were there. You saw exactly the same things I did. How weird she was in those last few weeks. When she actually spent any time with us, that is. She was hardly around. She was always working at that crappy job, or—well, I don’t know what. Not hanging around with us anyway. And she’d completely stopped drinking, do you remember? She said it was to lose weight, but with the benefit of hindsight that sounds like bullshit.”

Related Characters: Gretchen (speaker), Falk, Luke, Ellie, Deacon
Page Number: 239
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 31 Quotes

Falk leaned over him, ignoring the dog as it bared its teeth. He stood over an ill man lying on the ground. Later he would hate himself for it. At that moment, he didn’t care.

Related Characters: Falk, Sergeant Raco, Ellie, Deacon, Gretchen, Dow
Page Number: 256
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 32 Quotes

The tiny pink face, dark hair and chubby wrist peeked out from the folds of a blue blanket in his arms. Luke held the child comfortably, closely. Paternally.

Related Characters: Falk, Luke, Karen, Gretchen, Billy, Lachie
Page Number: 264
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Dry LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Dry PDF

Gretchen Quotes in The Dry

The The Dry quotes below are all either spoken by Gretchen or refer to Gretchen. 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:
The Human Cost of Climate Change  Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

“It’s good to see you again, Aaron.” Her blue eyes wandered over his face as though trying to memorize it and she smiled a little sadly. “Maybe see you in another twenty years.”

Related Characters: Gretchen (speaker), Falk, Lachie
Page Number: 2
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

It would have been easy to miss, but when Falk thought about it afterwards, he felt sure. In the corner of his vision, Mrs. Sullivan had jerked her pale gaze up in surprise. She’d stared at her grandson for barely half a moment before casting her eyes back down. Falk had watched closely, but she didn’t look up again once.

Related Characters: Falk, Sergeant Raco, Deacon, Gretchen, Sullivan, Sullivan, Lachie, Gran
Related Symbols: Rabbits
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

“You’re a closed book,” she’d said one final time before she’d left. She’d said it a lot over the two years they’d been together. First intrigued, then concerned, finally accusing. Why couldn’t he let her in? Why wouldn’t he let her in? Did he not trust her? Or did he not love her enough?

Related Characters: Falk (speaker), Karen, Ellie, Deacon, Gretchen, Dow
Page Number: 140
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19 Quotes

“I’m trying to keep Kiewarra safe for our kids. Is that too much to ask? Haven’t things been bad enough? I know you didn’t have much time for Karen, but you could at least show some respect, Gretchen.”

Related Characters: Mandy (speaker), Falk, Sergeant Raco, Karen, Gretchen, Billy
Page Number: 160
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

“But seems it’d be better all round if you and I stuck to shooting rabbits together, don’t you reckon?”

Related Characters: Luke (speaker), Falk, Ellie, Gretchen
Related Symbols: Rabbits
Page Number: 185
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29 Quotes

‘You know what I mean, Aaron,’ she said. ‘You were there. You saw exactly the same things I did. How weird she was in those last few weeks. When she actually spent any time with us, that is. She was hardly around. She was always working at that crappy job, or—well, I don’t know what. Not hanging around with us anyway. And she’d completely stopped drinking, do you remember? She said it was to lose weight, but with the benefit of hindsight that sounds like bullshit.”

Related Characters: Gretchen (speaker), Falk, Luke, Ellie, Deacon
Page Number: 239
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 31 Quotes

Falk leaned over him, ignoring the dog as it bared its teeth. He stood over an ill man lying on the ground. Later he would hate himself for it. At that moment, he didn’t care.

Related Characters: Falk, Sergeant Raco, Ellie, Deacon, Gretchen, Dow
Page Number: 256
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 32 Quotes

The tiny pink face, dark hair and chubby wrist peeked out from the folds of a blue blanket in his arms. Luke held the child comfortably, closely. Paternally.

Related Characters: Falk, Luke, Karen, Gretchen, Billy, Lachie
Page Number: 264
Explanation and Analysis: