Goblin Character Analysis in Johnny Tremain

Goblin is Johnny’s horse, though Uncle Lorne owns him. He’s a nervous, flighty horse with a light coat, blue eyes, and dark brown mane and tail. Johnny has never ridden before Rab teaches him to ride Goblin, and he finds Goblin is an exceptional teacher. Goblin teaches Johnny to be kind, sensitive, and caring—this is the only way to earn such a nervous horse’s trust. In this way, Goblin teaches Johnny lessons that the humans around him have struggled to impart. Because of Goblin’s striking appearance, he attracts a lot of attention; at one point, the British army even tries to take him. However, Sergeant Stranger decides that Goblin is too dangerous for the military.

Goblin Quotes in Johnny Tremain

The Johnny Tremain quotes below are all either spoken by Goblin or refer to Goblin. 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:

The idea that Goblin was more scared than he gave him great confidence and so did Rab’s belief in him and his powers to learn. […] But one day he overheard Uncle Lorne say to Rab, ‘I don’t know how Johnny has done it, but he is riding real good now.’

‘He’s doing all right.’

‘Not scared a bit of Goblin. God knows I am.’

‘Johnny Tremain is a bold fellow. I knew he could learn—if he didn’t get killed first. It was sink or swim for him—and happens he’s swimming.’

This praise went to Johnny’s head, but patterning his manners on Rab’s he tried not to show it.

Related Characters: Rab (speaker), Mr. Lorne/Uncle Lorne (speaker), Johnny Tremain, Goblin

Page Number and Citation: 108-109

Explanation and Analysis:

For the first time he learned to think before he spoke. He counted ten that day he delivered a paper at Sam Adams’s big shabby house on Purchase Street and the black girl flung dishwater out of the kitchen door without looking, and soaked him. If he had not counted ten, he would have told her what he thought of her, black folk in general, and thrown in a few cutting remarks about her master—the most powerful man in Boston. But counting ten had its rewards. […] ever after when Johnny came to Sam Adams’s house, he was invited in and the great leader of the gathering rebellion would talk with him […] [Adams] also began to employ him and Goblin to do express riding for the Boston Committee of Correspondence. All this because Johnny had counted ten. Rab was right. There was no point in going off ‘half-cocked.’

Related Characters: Johnny Tremain, Rab, Goblin, Samuel Adams

Page Number and Citation: 116-117

Explanation and Analysis:

Johnny knew he longed to own [Goblin] himself. He could, any moment, by merely saying ‘commandeer.’ And Johnny knew he never would say it.

From that day he and Johnny spent hours together jumping or exercising horses. Johnny almost worshiped him for his skill and almost loved him, because, ever and anon, he looked so much like Rab; but still it was only where horses were concerned they were equals. Indoors he was rigidly a British officer and a ‘gentleman’ and Johnny an inferior. This shifting about puzzled Johnny. It did not seem to puzzle the British officer at all.

Related Characters: Johnny Tremain, Rab, Merchant Lyte, Goblin, Lieutenant Stranger

Related Symbols: Johnny’s Cup

Page Number and Citation: 224

Explanation and Analysis:

Goblin Character Timeline in Johnny Tremain

The timeline below shows where the character Goblin appears in Johnny Tremain. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

2. Rab leads Johnny to the stables to meet Goblin, the horse. Rab assures Johnny that the trick to Goblin is to remember that he’s... (full context)

Patriotism and the Revolutionary War Theme Icon

...trip through surrounding towns is confusing at first, but Johnny comes to love it and Goblin—he loves galloping the flashy horse to inns to deliver papers. Before long, Johnny is also... (full context)

...supper with Aunt and Uncle Lorne and their infant, and Johnny also begins caring for Goblin himself. Soon, he’s spending the days he doesn’t deliver papers delivering post on Goblin. And... (full context)

...owns the stable, has been taken over by British officers, led by Colonel Francis Smith. Goblin is now the only horse in the stable not owned by the British. Johnny mostly... (full context)

Johnny has a letter to deliver for Colonel Smith, so he tacks Goblin up and lets him prance in the courtyard. But Colonel Smith tells Johnny to wait... (full context)

...up to fall off, and Stranger orders two beers from the kitchen. They drink to Goblin and discuss that Goblin will never be a gentle, safe horse—but Stranger would happily teach... (full context)

...going to marry Sergeant Gale. Then, Johnny pays Mr. Tweedie for his work and rides Goblin home. It was a nice visit, but Johnny won’t visit again. His old life is... (full context)

...on Colonel Smith and the other officers at the Afric Queen. Nobody suspects him since Goblin is still stabled there, and Paul Revere warns Johnny to remain close with Dove. Even... (full context)

...into the yard, Lieutenant Stranger lights up. Colonel Smith is ill, so if Johnny gets Goblin, Stranger will teach Johnny to jump. This only increases Johnny’s love and respect for Stranger.... (full context)

3. One Thursday, as Johnny tries to deliver his papers, Goblin is being especially frisky. Johnny takes him to the Common planning to work out his... (full context)

...the horses (General Gage has promised the Lyte house won’t be damaged). Johnny suggests that Goblin come to the Lytes’ and that Uncle Lorne and his family come and pretend he’s... (full context)