Mrs. Bessie Character Analysis in Johnny Tremain

Mrs. Bessie works in the kitchen at the Lytes’ house. She and Cilla are the only Whig servants. Aside from her divergent political leanings, Mrs. Bessie isn’t particularly loyal to the Lytes—she finds Miss Lavinia in particular to be cruel and attention-seeking. However, she nevertheless doesn’t want anything bad to happen to the Lytes, which is why she helps the family flee their country estate before a Whig mob can tar and feather Mr. Lyte. Mrs. Bessie often helps Johnny, supplying him with citrus for the Boston Observers and dispensing sage advice.

Mrs. Bessie Quotes in Johnny Tremain

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

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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:

Mrs. Bessie Character Timeline in Johnny Tremain

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

...Johnny asks to see Cilla at the Lytes’ sometime, but Cilla suggests he talk to Mrs. Bessie , the cook and her friend. Rab then walks Cilla home. Cilla clearly isn’t going... (full context)

5. When Johnny gets to the Lytes’ on Thursday, Mrs. Bessie says that Cilla is busy: Miss Lavinia has lots of officers in the parlor. Johnny... (full context)

Patriotism and the Revolutionary War Theme Icon

In the kitchen, Mrs. Bessie gives Johnny brandy and says that Cilla is mostly happy. She knows Isannah is a... (full context)

...Cilla. Cilla explains that Mr. Lyte had a fit when the mob came earlier than Mrs. Bessie said it would. Johnny finds he admires Mrs. Bessie even more for making sure the... (full context)

...punch he ever has. As only British soldiers and well-connected Tories have citrus, Johnny visits Mrs. Bessie for the fruit. She happily fills his bag. They discuss disapprovingly how Izzy pretty much... (full context)

...goes to the Lytes’ in search of Pumpkin’s uniform and finds the Lytes moving out. Mrs. Bessie and Cilla, though, are sitting idly in the kitchen. Mrs. Bessie says the Lytes are... (full context)

5. Pushing aside all this new information, Johnny asks Mrs. Bessie for Pumpkin’s uniform. She refuses: Johnny will get shot, and she and Cilla need a... (full context)