The Winslow Boy

by

Terence Rattigan

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Winslow Boy makes teaching easy.
John Watherstone is a man of about thirty years who gets engaged to Catherine. In Act 1, he comes to the Winslow house to discuss Arthur’s dowry for John and Catherine’s marriage. But John depends on an allowance from his father, and ultimately John follows his father’s orders by splitting from Catherine. It’s not clear, really, whether John is all that in love with Catherine anyway; after their split, he quickly moves on and marries a new woman (this time the daughter of an army general).

John Watherstone Quotes in The Winslow Boy

The The Winslow Boy quotes below are all either spoken by John Watherstone or refer to John Watherstone. 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:
Principles and Sacrifice Theme Icon
).
Act 1 Quotes

JOHN: The annoying thing was that I had a whole lot of neatly turned phrases ready for him and he wouldn’t let me use them.

CATHERINE: Such as?

JOHN: Oh – how proud and honoured I was by your acceptance of me, and how determined I was to make you a loyal and devoted husband – and to maintain you in the state to which you were accustomed – all that sort of thing. All very sincerely meant.

CATHERINE: Anything about loving me a little?

JOHN: That I thought we could take for granted. So did your father, incidentally.

Related Characters: Catherine Winslow (speaker), John Watherstone (speaker), Arthur Winslow, John’s Father/Colonel Watherstone
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2  Quotes

DICKIE: Suppress your opinions. Men don’t like ‘em in their lady friends, even if they agree with ‘em. And if they don’t – it’s fatal. Pretend to be half-witted, then he’ll adore you.

CATHERINE: I know. I do, sometimes, and then I forget. Still, you needn’t worry. If there’s ever a clash between what I believe and what I feel, there’s not much doubt about which will win.

Related Characters: Catherine Winslow (speaker), Dickie Winslow (speaker), John Watherstone
Page Number: 32
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3 Quotes

JOHN: But people do find the case a bit ridiculous, you know. I mean, I get chaps coming up to me in the mess all the time and saying: “I say, is it true you’re going to marry the Winslow girl? You’d better be careful. You’ll find yourself up in the front of the House of Lords for pinching the Adjutant’s bath.” Things like that. They’re not awfully funny –

CATHERINE: That’s nothing. They’re singing a verse about us in the Alhambra.

Related Characters: Catherine Winslow (speaker), John Watherstone (speaker)
Page Number: 72
Explanation and Analysis:

SIR ROBERT: What are my instructions, Miss Winslow?

CATHERINE: (In a flat voice.) Do you need my instructions, Sir Robert? Aren’t they already on the Petition? Doesn’t it say: Let Right be done?

Related Characters: Catherine Winslow (speaker), Sir Robert Morton (speaker), Arthur Winslow, John Watherstone, John’s Father/Colonel Watherstone
Page Number: 72
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Winslow Boy PDF

John Watherstone Quotes in The Winslow Boy

The The Winslow Boy quotes below are all either spoken by John Watherstone or refer to John Watherstone. 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:
Principles and Sacrifice Theme Icon
).
Act 1 Quotes

JOHN: The annoying thing was that I had a whole lot of neatly turned phrases ready for him and he wouldn’t let me use them.

CATHERINE: Such as?

JOHN: Oh – how proud and honoured I was by your acceptance of me, and how determined I was to make you a loyal and devoted husband – and to maintain you in the state to which you were accustomed – all that sort of thing. All very sincerely meant.

CATHERINE: Anything about loving me a little?

JOHN: That I thought we could take for granted. So did your father, incidentally.

Related Characters: Catherine Winslow (speaker), John Watherstone (speaker), Arthur Winslow, John’s Father/Colonel Watherstone
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2  Quotes

DICKIE: Suppress your opinions. Men don’t like ‘em in their lady friends, even if they agree with ‘em. And if they don’t – it’s fatal. Pretend to be half-witted, then he’ll adore you.

CATHERINE: I know. I do, sometimes, and then I forget. Still, you needn’t worry. If there’s ever a clash between what I believe and what I feel, there’s not much doubt about which will win.

Related Characters: Catherine Winslow (speaker), Dickie Winslow (speaker), John Watherstone
Page Number: 32
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3 Quotes

JOHN: But people do find the case a bit ridiculous, you know. I mean, I get chaps coming up to me in the mess all the time and saying: “I say, is it true you’re going to marry the Winslow girl? You’d better be careful. You’ll find yourself up in the front of the House of Lords for pinching the Adjutant’s bath.” Things like that. They’re not awfully funny –

CATHERINE: That’s nothing. They’re singing a verse about us in the Alhambra.

Related Characters: Catherine Winslow (speaker), John Watherstone (speaker)
Page Number: 72
Explanation and Analysis:

SIR ROBERT: What are my instructions, Miss Winslow?

CATHERINE: (In a flat voice.) Do you need my instructions, Sir Robert? Aren’t they already on the Petition? Doesn’t it say: Let Right be done?

Related Characters: Catherine Winslow (speaker), Sir Robert Morton (speaker), Arthur Winslow, John Watherstone, John’s Father/Colonel Watherstone
Page Number: 72
Explanation and Analysis: