The Time Traveler’s Wife Character Analysis

Henry DeTamble

Henry, Clare’s husband, is one of the protagonists. He works as a librarian in Chicago’s Newberry Library. Since childhood, Henry’s time-traveling condition (also known as Chrono-impairment) prevents him from staying firmly in the present… read analysis of Henry DeTamble

Clare Abshire

Clare is one of the novel’s protagonists and Henry’s wife. Clare is born into a wealthy family and raised in rural Michigan. She has a difficult relationship with her parents, whose fixation on public… read analysis of Clare Abshire

Alba DeTamble

Alba is the daughter of Henry and Clare. Though Alba does not appear until the latter half of the novel, her arrival is significant because it ushers in a new era for her parents… read analysis of Alba DeTamble

Jan “Gomez” Gomolinski

Gomez is Clare and Henry’s friend and Charisse’s husband. At the beginning of the novel, he is a lawyer who is passionate about leftist politics. Gomez is skeptical of Henry before he even… read analysis of Jan “Gomez” Gomolinski

Charisse Gomolinski

Charisse is a friend of Henry and Clare. She’s married to Gomez. Charisse is a self-labeled communist and anarchist, and she expresses her beliefs in her artwork. At the start of the novel… read analysis of Charisse Gomolinski

Richard DeTamble

Richard is Henry’s father. He is a professional violinist who was happily married to famous vocalist Annette Lyn Robinson (Henry’s mother) prior to her sudden death, and he never gets over his grief; Annette’s… read analysis of Richard DeTamble

Annette Lyn Robinson

Annette is Henry’s mother. She was a renowned vocalist when Henry was very young. Her husband Richard is also a successful violinist, and they frequently traveled abroad with Henry to perform. At the time… read analysis of Annette Lyn Robinson

Kimy/Mrs. Kim

Kimy is the landlord of the apartment building Henry grew up in. Kimy and Mr. Kim were close friends of the DeTamble family when Henry was young, and they often spent holidays and birthdays together… read analysis of Kimy/Mrs. Kim

Dr. David Kendrick

Kendrick is geneticist who works with Henry to determine the cause of his condition and work toward possible treatments. He initially dismisses Henry’s claims regarding time traveling but changes his mind after Henry provides details… read analysis of Dr. David Kendrick

Ingrid Carmichel

Ingrid is Henry’s ex-girlfriend. He dates her sometime before meeting Clare in the novel’s present, and they have a turbulent relationship due to Henry’s constant disappearances and occasional infidelity. Though Ingrid periodically breaks things… read analysis of Ingrid Carmichel

Celia Attley

Celia is Ingrid’s best friend and an acquaintance of Henry. When Celia finds out Clare is dating Henry, she warns Clare that Henry broke Ingrid’s heart and often mistreats his romantic partners. She… read analysis of Celia Attley

Lucille Abshire

Lucille is Clare’s mother. She comes from a wealthy family and lives in the house she grew up in with her husband Philip and their children. She is an avid gardener and poet. Like… read analysis of Lucille Abshire

Philip Abshire

Philip is Clare’s father. He is a lawyer and respected community member. He seems to care about his wealth and his profession above all else, and he often criticizes his children when they fall… read analysis of Philip Abshire

Mark Abshire

Mark is Clare’s older brother. Growing up, he often teased and annoyed Clare. Later as adults, Clare, Mark, and Alicia all bond over their mutual concern for Lucille’s mental health and their frustration… read analysis of Mark Abshire

Ben

Ben is a friend of Henry’s. He works as a vigilante chemist and pharmacist, synthesizing drugs for impoverished and marginalized populations who are living with AIDS and cancer. Ben, who has AIDS himself, seeks… read analysis of Ben

Alicia Abshire

Alicia is Clare’s younger sister. Alicia is a talented cellist, though she struggles under Philip’s exacting criticism. She also struggles to cope with Lucille’s mental illness. Alicia and Henry become friends, much… read analysis of Alicia Abshire

Jason Everleigh

Jason is a classmate of Clare’s. She agrees to go on a date with him to disprove rumors that she is lesbian, but he assaults her when she refuses to have sex with him… read analysis of Jason Everleigh

Grandma Meagram

Grandma Meagram is Clare’s maternal grandmother. She is the only member of Clare’s family to be formally introduced to Henry during one of his time traveling visits. Afterward, Clare tells her grandma the truth… read analysis of Grandma Meagram

Matt

Matt works with Henry at the Newberry Library. Matt often finds Henry’s abandoned clothes in the stacks and covers lectures when Henry is absent from work. Though Matt confronts Henry about his behavior periodically, Henry… read analysis of Matt

Roberto

Roberto is Henry’s supervisor at the Newberry Library. He attempts to address Henry’s peculiar behavior (which includes running around naked, missing work, and leaving piles of clothes scattered around) multiple times. Henry is forced… read analysis of Roberto

Isabelle

Isabelle is another of Henry’s coworkers at the Newberry Library, and she plays a major role in Clare and Henry’s first encounter in the novel’s present. When Clare recognizes Henry—but he doesn’t remember her… read analysis of Isabelle

Minor Characters

Helen Powell

Helen is one of Clare’s high school friends. Suspecting Clare is keeping a secret boyfriend, Helen sneaks off to check Clare’s car during a party and meets Henry during a time traveling visit. When Clare brings Henry home for Christmas years later, Helen recognizes him as the same person.

Ruth

Ruth is one of Clare’s high school friends. When one of their classmates, Jason, assaults Clare, Henry helps her get revenge by duct-taping him to a tree. After, Clare calls Ruth and asks her to gather the other girls to cut Jason down.

Sharon Abshire

Sharon is the girlfriend and later wife of Mark. She and Mark get engaged over their visit to the Abshire home for Christmas following Sharon’s unexpected unexpectedly. During the holiday visit, Sharon and Henry bond because they both feel like outsiders among the Abshires.

Great Aunt Dulcie

Dulcie is Clare’s great aunt. Henry meets her when he goes home with Clare for Christmas for the first time. When Mark and Sharon’s unplanned pregnancy upsets Lucille, Dulcie reminds Lucille that she herself married Philip because she accidentally got pregnant.

Colin Kendrick

Colin is the son of David and Nancy Kendrick. Henry uses the foreknowledge his time traveling gives him about Colin’s Down syndrome diagnosis to convince Dr. Kendrick that Chrono-impairment is real. Colin grows up with Henry and Clare’s daughter, Alba.

Kevin

Kevin is a security guard at the Newberry Library. Henry is disappointed that it is Kevin, his least favorite of his coworkers, who finds him after he time travels into the Newberry’s east stairwell cage.

Roy

Roy is a security guard at the Newberry Library. Kevin, another guard, asks for Roy’s help after discovering Henry naked and locked in the cage at the center of the east stairwell.

Nick

Nick is an acquaintance of Gomez. After Nick calls Henry a homophobic slur, Henry beats him until Gomez steps in. Because of Nick, Gomez and Henry’s paths cross, and later that evening Henry tells Gomez about his time traveling.

Mia

Mia is a bartender at a bar Henry frequents before meeting Clare. Henry comes to the bar one Christmas Eve, the anniversary of Annette’s death, to drink away his grief. When Mia realizes Henry is dangerously drunk, she takes him to the emergency room to get his stomach pumped.

Catherine

Catherine is a coworker of Henry’s at the Newberry Library. She learns of Henry’s condition when he gets trapped in the caged staircase at the library.

Nell

Nell is the housekeeper in the Abshire home. She helps care for Clare throughout childhood.

Etta

Etta is the housekeeper in the Abshire home. She helps care for Clare throughout childhood.

Dr. Amit Montague

Dr. Montague is Henry and Clare’s obstetrician. She specializes in chromosomal disorders, providing support as the couple struggles to conceive and maintain a successful pregnancy.

Min Kim

Min Kim is the daughter of Kimy and Mr. Kim. She dies before the beginning of the novel, though Henry encounters her during one of his trips to the past.

Peter

Peter is the Abshire’s gardener. He helps maintain Lucille’s extensive garden.

Janice

Janice is Clare’s hairdresser for her wedding.

Mary Christina Heppworth

Mary Christina is one of Clare’s high school friends.

Laura

Laura is one of Clare’s high school friends.

Nancy

Nancy is one of Clare’s high school friends.

Patty

Patty is one of Clare’s high school friends.

Nancy Kendrick

Nancy is the wife of Dr. David Kendrick.

Nadia Kendrick

Nadia is the daughter of David and Nancy Kendrick and the sister of Colin. She grows up with Henry and Clare’s daughter, Alba.

Max Gomolinski

Max is the oldest child of Charisse and Gomez.

Joe Gomolinski

Joe is the middle child of Charisse and Gomez.

Rosa Gomolinski

Rosa is the youngest child of Charisse and Gomez.

Grandpa Meagram

Grandpa Meagram is Clare’s grandfather on her mother Lucille’s side.

Mr. Kim

Mr. Kim is the DeTambles’ landlord when Henry is young. He is the husband of Kimy/Mrs. Kim.