The butler, whose name is Walker, is sympathetic to Mrs. Foster’s anxiety, reassuring her that she will make her flight and not indulging her fears the way Mr. Foster, his foil, does. As a neutral party, his reaction to Mrs. Foster’s anguish seems a more normal one than her husband’s, which raises the reader’s suspicions against Mr. Foster early on.
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The Butler (Walker) Character Timeline in The Way Up to Heaven
The timeline below shows where the character The Butler (Walker) appears in The Way Up to Heaven. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Way Up to Heaven
...Foster is dithering about nervously, fearing she will miss her plane and repeatedly asking the butler the time. They are supposed to leave at nine fifteen and the plane takes off...
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...emerges and says casually that they should probably get going. Mrs. Foster replies that the butler has his coat and reminds him that the car is waiting. He examines her carefully,...
(full context)
...occasionally stopping by the house to get the mail. Mrs. Foster meekly suggests that their butler could stay and do that, but Mr. Foster refuses because he’d have to pay Walker...
(full context)
