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Yarnell Poindexter
Mattie’s mother, who is a relatively absent character. In the wake of Frank Ross’s death, Mattie’s mother stays at home in Little Rock with her two youngest children, sending Mattie and Yarnell to take care of family business in Fort Smith. Throughout her journey, Mattie knows that her mother must be worried about her, but this does nothing to stop her from pursuing Chaney. When Mattie has to get her arm amputated at the end of her adventure, her mother sits by her side despite the fact that she’s not usually able to stomach such gruesome sights.
Mattie’s Mother Quotes in True Grit
The True Grit quotes below are all either spoken by Mattie’s Mother or refer to Mattie’s Mother . 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:
).
Chapter 3 Quotes
“I cannot make an agreement with a child. You are not accountable. You cannot be bound to a contract.”
“Lawyer Daggett will back up any decision I make. You may rest easy on that score. You can confirm any agreement by telegraph.”
“This is a damned nuisance!" he exclaimed. “How am I to get my work done? I have a sale tomorrow.”
“There can be no settlement after I leave this office,” said I. “It will go to law.”
He worried with his eyeglasses for a minute and then said, “I will pay two hundred dollars to your father’s estate when I have in my hand a letter from your lawyer absolving me of all liability from the beginning of the world to date. It must be signed by your lawyer and your mother and it must be notarized.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mattie’s Mother Character Timeline in True Grit
The timeline below shows where the character Mattie’s Mother appears in True Grit. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...Accompanied by Frank’s employee Yarnell Poindexter, she sets off on the train, leaving behind her mother and two younger siblings. When she and Yarnell arrive, they go to the sheriff’s office...
(full context)
Chapter 3
...him that Lawyer Daggett will help convince any jury that she does. “Where is your mother?” Stonehill asks, saying he doesn’t like negotiating with children, though Mattie assures him he won’t...
(full context)
...to Daggett, telling him the terms of the deal and asking him to inform her mother that she’s all right. Then—after taking a short nap—she goes to the courthouse, where she...
(full context)
Chapter 4
...of a fancy cowboy, and he guesses Mattie’s name, telling her that he saw her mother two days earlier. “I would like to have a confidential conversation with you,” he says,...
(full context)
...matters about which she knows nothing, suggesting that she should go back home to her mother. As a retort, Mattie pokes fun of the fact that LaBoeuf hasn’t caught Chaney even...
(full context)
Chapter 5
Rooster says Mattie will be “crying” for her mother if she comes with him, but she argues, saying, “I have left off crying, and...
(full context)
Chapter 7
...balloons up and turns black, the doctor amputates it “just above the elbow” while Mattie’s mother sits by her side. “I very much admired my mother for sitting there and not...
(full context)
