Mr. James Wilde (Titch’s Father) Character Analysis in Washington Black

Titch and Erasmus’s father, James Wilde, is a famous scientist who works in the Arctic. Titch works on the Cloud-cutter in order to impress his father, who drew up plans for the Cloud-cutter but who could never successfully launch it. When Philip visits Faith Plantation and reveals to Titch that his father died, Titch is devastated, and he sets out to find his father (alongside Wash) to determine what happened. There, he discovers that his father is actually alive, but his father is somewhat dismissive of Titch’s accomplishments and unwilling to set the record straight about his death so that he can continue with his research uninterrupted. Soon after arriving in the Arctic, Titch walks out into a snowstorm alone, and Titch’s father searches for days for him with no sign, devastated. Titch’s father subsequently falls ill and dies.

Mr. James Wilde (Titch’s Father) Quotes in Washington Black

The Washington Black quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. James Wilde (Titch’s Father) or refer to Mr. James Wilde (Titch’s Father). 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:

But my true study remained, I understand now, the curious person of Titch. He was, I feared, becoming increasingly lost within himself. I suppose there must have been a deep love between him and his father, a love I could get no sense for because of its reticence. But as with most loves, it was shadowy, and painful, and confusing, and Titch seemed to me overly eager and too often hurt.

I could see a sadness coming over him, a kind of slow despair. I understood he was anguished over his father—over his failure to ever impress the man, over how to explain that Philip had killed himself and that we were now in hiding.

Related Characters: George Washington “Wash” Black (speaker), Philip, Erasmus Wilde, Mr. James Wilde (Titch’s Father), Christopher “Titch” Wilde

Page Number and Citation: 193-194

Explanation and Analysis:

When Wash is in the Arctic, he accompanies Titch and his father, Mr. Wilde, on their daily scientific explorations. In this passage, Wash recognizes both the complicated dynamic between Titch and his father and Titch’s difficulty reconciling with his past. In the case of Titch and his father, Wash sees that their father-son relationship is complex. While he recognizes that there must be a “deep love” that they share, it is also “shadowy, and painful, and confusing.” This description of Titch’s relationship with his father illustrates how family relationships, while containing the deepest love, can also be painful—particularly when that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus.

Mr. James Wilde (Titch’s Father) Character Timeline in Washington Black

The timeline below shows where the character Mr. James Wilde (Titch’s Father) appears in Washington Black. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Racism, Humanity, and Cruelty Theme Icon

...have in England. Erasmus grows frustrated, annoyed that the man is as judgmental as their father. Wash is surprised to hear that the second man is related to Erasmus. The two... (full context)

...Black, was his uncle. When Black passed away, Erasmus took over the plantation, as their father, Mr. Wilde, is a man of science and didn’t want to run the estate. At... (full context)

...same time, they start to assemble the Cloud-cutter, and Titch is especially excited knowing his father swore it could never be made. Philip calls it a foolish venture, but Wash whispers... (full context)

...Philip to confirm, but Philip quickly changes the subject. He tells the brothers that their father has passed away due to an accident in the Arctic. He says that this was... (full context)

...a light on in the study. He leaves Titch to his grief, knowing that his father meant everything to him. In the morning, Wash finds Titch still slouched in a chair... (full context)

...arrives at Titch’s house, and they sit together to drink and laugh over their late father’s memory. The next day, they go hunting together along with Philip and Wash, and Titch... (full context)

...approaching, and Titch won’t be able to continue working. Titch mumbles his disappointment about his father not being able to see the Cloud-cutter, and he tells Wash that someone should travel... (full context)

...miles west. Titch and Wash walk together, and Titch says that the man is his father’s old associate. But Titch warns Wash that in addition to being a man of the... (full context)

...St. John’s, and when Edgar answers the door, Titch introduces himself, saying that he is James Wilde ’s son. Edgar straightens and asks where Titch’s Cloud-cutter is. Titch explains their experience with... (full context)

...hear Titch talk so openly about all of this. Edgar suggests that Titch tell his father about what’s happening so he can intervene, but Titch explains that his father passed away. (full context)

Hearing this, Edgar leaves the room and returns with an envelope—a letter from Titch’s father that references Titch having been nearly a year at Faith, meaning that the letter is... (full context)

...his life—Titch plans to go to the Arctic to find out what happened to his father. (full context)

...and Wash bid the ship goodbye. Titch asks the trader at the outpost about his father’s camp, and the trader points out a man who can take them. The man is... (full context)

...Wash notices Titch’s increasing uneasiness, as though Titch is not yet ready to address his father. (full context)

...and Wash enter the third igloo. And there, out of a fire’s smoke, Wash glimpses James Wilde . He is short, fat, and brutally ugly, peering out from his hard, round face... (full context)

Titch hugs his father desperately, and his father leads him out to the fifth igloo. Mr. Wilde understands that... (full context)

As Titch and his father talk in the smoky warmth, Wash drifts off. When he wakes, he and Titch receive... (full context)

...it’s like what Titch has with Wash, but Titch contradicts him. Titch asks why his father hasn’t learned the Esquimau language and histories, but his father ignores him. (full context)

Titch then tells his father that they improved upon his Cloud-cutter and got it to fly, and his father asks... (full context)

The days pass, and daylight is short. Titch and his father don’t speak of the Cloud-cutter again. Instead, they talk about their family travels to Paris,... (full context)

In the mornings, Mr. Wilde works on his experiments and specimens in the fourth igloo. One day, Wash sketches a... (full context)

...with Mr. Wilde and Titch, and Wash can see that Titch is eager with his father but often gets hurt as a result. He also sees Titch’s anguish over not impressing... (full context)

The next day, Wash lets Titch go with his father alone and sketches the igloos. When Titch returns, he says angrily that Wash doesn’t know... (full context)

...arm drags him back through the snow, and he awakens later in a smoky warmth. Mr. Wilde tells Wash that he’ll get to keep his fingers and toes. When Wash asks about... (full context)

The days pass and there is no sign of Titch. One morning, Mr. Wilde is fed up, and he goes out in search of Titch himself. Peter follows to... (full context)

Mr. Wilde says that Wash will be all right, putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder. But... (full context)

What Titch tried to prevent is now reality: Mr. Wilde ’s fake death is now real. Wash realizes then that he doesn’t want to stay... (full context)

...because she didn’t know if they enjoyed English food. Tanna explains that she is English—her father, Geoffrey Goff, is a zoologist. Mrs. Wilde says that Mr. Wilde was interested in science,... (full context)

Mrs. Wilde then asks Wash if he was with Mr. Wilde when he died, and Wash says yes. Wash realizes that she wants to know about... (full context)

...Wash is deeply disappointed at having traveled for nothing. But the man says that his father is also Peter Haas, and when Wash asks if his father worked with James Wilde,... (full context)

...happened at the camp after his disappearance. Titch said he knew Wash was present at Mr. Wilde ’s death. Wash doesn’t understand, noting that Titch is a man of science. Peter confirms... (full context)

...to choose the happiness granted to them. Wash asks where Titch went after he left Mr. Wilde ’s camp in the Arctic—a search party was sent out, but they never found him.... (full context)

Titch says he was glad that Wash was with Mr. Wilde as he died. He notes that Erasmus died two years earlier as well, and he... (full context)

Mr. James Wilde (Titch’s Father) Character Analysis

Mr. James Wilde (Titch’s Father) Quotes in Washington Black

Part 2, Chapter 7 Quotes

Mr. James Wilde (Titch’s Father) Character Timeline in Washington Black