A Monster Calls

by

Patrick Ness

The Apothecary Character Analysis

One of the characters in the monster’s second tale, who is described as greedy and very disagreeable. The Apothecary is a healer, and asks the parson to harvest the yew tree that grows in his parsonage. The parson refuses, and even preaches sermons against the Apothecary. But when the parson’s daughters fall ill, he begs the Apothecary to cure them, saying that he will give up the yew tree and essentially all he believes in. The Apothecary refuses, and the parson’s daughters die as a result.

The Apothecary Quotes in A Monster Calls

The A Monster Calls quotes below are all either spoken by The Apothecary or refer to The Apothecary. 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:
Death, Denial, and Acceptance Theme Icon
).
The Second Tale Quotes

The yew tree is the most important of all the healing trees, it said. It lives for thousands of years. Its berries, its bark, its leaves, its sap, its pulp, its wood, they all thrum and burn and twist with life. It can cure almost any ailment man suffers from, mixed and treated by the right apothecary.

Related Characters: The Monster (speaker), Conor O’Malley, Conor’s Mother, The Parson, The Apothecary
Related Symbols: The Yew Tree
Page Number: 105
Explanation and Analysis:
Life After Death Quotes

You were merely wishing for the end of pain, the monster said. Your own pain. An end to how it isolated you. It is the most human wish of all.

“I didn’t mean it,” Conor said.

You did, the monster said, but you also did not.

Conor sniffed and looked up to its face, which was as big as a wall in front of him. “How can both be true?”

Because humans are complicated beasts, the monster said. How can a queen be both a good witch and a bad witch? How can a prince be a murderer and a saviour?

Related Characters: Conor O’Malley (speaker), The Monster (speaker), Conor’s Mother, The Evil Queen, The Parson, The Young Prince, The Apothecary
Page Number: 191
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Apothecary Quotes in A Monster Calls

The A Monster Calls quotes below are all either spoken by The Apothecary or refer to The Apothecary. 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:
Death, Denial, and Acceptance Theme Icon
).
The Second Tale Quotes

The yew tree is the most important of all the healing trees, it said. It lives for thousands of years. Its berries, its bark, its leaves, its sap, its pulp, its wood, they all thrum and burn and twist with life. It can cure almost any ailment man suffers from, mixed and treated by the right apothecary.

Related Characters: The Monster (speaker), Conor O’Malley, Conor’s Mother, The Parson, The Apothecary
Related Symbols: The Yew Tree
Page Number: 105
Explanation and Analysis:
Life After Death Quotes

You were merely wishing for the end of pain, the monster said. Your own pain. An end to how it isolated you. It is the most human wish of all.

“I didn’t mean it,” Conor said.

You did, the monster said, but you also did not.

Conor sniffed and looked up to its face, which was as big as a wall in front of him. “How can both be true?”

Because humans are complicated beasts, the monster said. How can a queen be both a good witch and a bad witch? How can a prince be a murderer and a saviour?

Related Characters: Conor O’Malley (speaker), The Monster (speaker), Conor’s Mother, The Evil Queen, The Parson, The Young Prince, The Apothecary
Page Number: 191
Explanation and Analysis: