Merchant Lyte Character Analysis in Johnny Tremain

Merchant Lyte is one of the wealthiest and most successful men in Boston. The patriarch of the powerful Lyte family, he lives with only his adult daughter, Miss Lavinia (most other family members in Boston are deceased). He has a face like melting tallow, something Johnny later learns is because Merchant Lyte is extremely ill. Johnny has reservations about Merchant Lyte from their first meeting, but Merchant Lyte soon proves himself to be classist, selfish, and greedy—he wrongfully accuses Johnny of stealing a silver cup with the Lyte family crest on it and, in court, asks the judge for the death penalty to send a message to impertinent apprentices everywhere. Though Merchant Lyte loses his case, he later steals Johnny’s cup from him anyway. After this, Johnny sees little of the old man except when he returns to Boston from his country home, gravely ill after a Whig mob attempted to murder him. Much later, Miss Lavinia tells Johnny the truth (that Johnny’s cup truly is his, and that Johnny is a family member) and insists that Merchant Lyte didn’t genuinely want to trick or hurt Johnny. Johnny, however, is unconvinced, despite her promise to get this in writing so Johnny can pursue property claims after the war is over.

Merchant Lyte Quotes in Johnny Tremain

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

Rab was obviously a Whig. ‘I can stomach some of the Tories,’ he went on, ‘men like Governor Hutchinson. They honestly think we’re better off to take anything from the British Parliament—let them break us down, stamp in our faces, take all we’ve got by taxes, and never protest. […] But I can’t stand men like Lyte, who care nothing for anything except themselves and their own fortune. Playing both ends against the middle.’

Related Characters: Rab (speaker), Johnny Tremain, Merchant Lyte, Governor Hutchinson

Related Symbols: Johnny’s Cup

Page Number and Citation: 82-83

Explanation and Analysis:

Johnny liked the old woman all the better that in the end she had been unable to see a considerate master, whom she had served for thirty years, a young woman whom she had taken care of since she was a baby, humiliated, tossed about, torn by a mob. Sam Adams might respect her the less for this weakness. Johnny respected her more.

Related Characters: Johnny Tremain, Cilla Lapham, Miss Lavinia Lyte, Merchant Lyte, Mrs. Bessie, Samuel Adams

Page Number and Citation: 188

Explanation and Analysis:

‘It’s no good to me. We’ve… moved on to other things.’

‘But it isn’t stealing to take back what Mr. Lyte stole from you.’

‘I don’t want it.’

‘What?’

‘No. I’m better off without it. I want nothing of them. Neither their blood nor their silver… I’ll carry that hamper for you, Cil. Mr. Lyte can have the old cup.

‘But your mother?’

‘She didn’t like it either.’

Related Characters: Johnny Tremain (speaker), Cilla Lapham (speaker), Merchant Lyte, Johnny’s Mother/Vinny

Related Symbols: Johnny’s Cup

Page Number and Citation: 188

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:

Merchant Lyte Character Timeline in Johnny Tremain

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

When Cilla asks, Johnny reveals his middle name: Lyte. He suspects he’s related to wealthy Merchant Lyte (they also share the same first name), but he’s not sure. To entertain Isannah, Johnny... (full context)

...her forehead. Despite being the one who sets fashions in Boston, she throws herself in Merchant Lyte ’s arms like any country girl. Johnny reminds himself to be unimpressed; she’s skinny, bad-tempered,... (full context)

Patriotism and the Revolutionary War Theme Icon

...almost hear his mother telling him that if all else fails, he should go to Mr. Lyte . (full context)

1. Johnny wakes up after dawn, feeling entirely at peace. Will he be calling Merchant Lyte “Grandpa” later? Mrs. Lapham will be shocked when Johnny drives up in the Lytes’ coach.... (full context)

Johnny slips into the office. Mr. Lyte would be handsome, except his skin is yellow and sags like tallow. Johnny says that... (full context)

...stop and see Rab, and he tells Rab the entire story. Rab warns Johnny that Merchant Lyte is “crooked”; he signed the agreement not to import goods until the Stamp Act was... (full context)

...isn’t sure whether to go around back or to go to the front door of Merchant Lyte ’s house. Feeling bold thanks to his borrowed clothes, he uses the fancy brass knocker.... (full context)

...suggest that Johnny stole his coat too, so the sheriff agrees to speak to Rab. Mr. Lyte announces that he sent Sewall to the Laphams’ earlier; Johnny was signed to Mr. Lapham... (full context)

...if Johnny showed his cup to anyone prior to when someone stole the cup from Merchant Lyte . Johnny says he showed it to Cilla on July 3rd, and though he’s sure... (full context)

...Johnny huddles close to Mr. Quincy, watching Mr. Justice Dana deal with case after case. Mr. Lyte and Sewall arrive first, followed by Miss Lavinia. Rab and Cilla slip in soon after.... (full context)

...and Isannah to the Afric Queen. Several Whigs stop to laugh about how Quincy embarrassed Merchant Lyte earlier, though Quincy also warns Johnny to watch out for proud Mr. Lyte. Isannah goes... (full context)

Johnny slips into Mr. Lyte ’s office. The man is clearly furious with Johnny, especially when Johnny offers to sell... (full context)

...estate for a while, but they’ll be back soon: the Whigs are trying to tempt Mr. Lyte to go so they can tar and feather him. She assures Johnny that Cilla and... (full context)

...and drag the Lytes’ coach, now missing a wheel, through the gates. An officer helps Mr. Lyte out of the coach; the old man is clearly gravely ill. Miss Lavinia asks for... (full context)

Miss Lavinia clearly doesn’t care about the silver, but Johnny approaches Cilla. Cilla explains that Mr. Lyte had a fit when the mob came earlier than Mrs. Bessie said it would. Johnny... (full context)

...it's been abandoned for years. As Cilla gathers the silver, Johnny wanders the house. In Mr. Lyte ’s office, Johnny can tell where Mr. Lyte had his fit. He finds a book... (full context)

...France, but none of this makes sense. If this is Johnny’s mother, then Johnny is Mr. Lyte ’s grandnephew. He cuts the pages out, in case he needs them later. Cilla calls... (full context)

Calling him Jonathan Lyte Tremain, Miss Lavinia says that Merchant Lyte honestly thought Johnny tried to swindle him out of the cup—but he also never mentioned... (full context)

...name was Latour, not Tremain, as he was ashamed of being a prisoner of war. Merchant Lyte also wants Johnny to know that he didn’t try to cheat Johnny; the cup was... (full context)