Atkins is a schoolmaster who, at the end of the story, discusses Niggle with Councillor Tompkins. He is more sympathetic towards Niggle and disagrees with Tompkins when he suggests that Niggle was useless before going to the Workhouse. Atkins finds more to appreciate in Niggle’s painting than Tompkins does, and he even frames a corner of the painting and donates it to the Town Museum. Atkins’s relative gentleness and thoughtfulness suggest that there were people around Niggle who saw him for more than an odd little man. Atkins thus stands in stark contrast to Tompkins, and through him, Tolkien suggests that gentleness and sympathy are qualities also found in someone who finds value in art.
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Atkins Character Timeline in Leaf by Niggle
The timeline below shows where the character Atkins appears in Leaf by Niggle. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Leaf by Niggle
...discuss the importance of his life. Councillor Tompkins thinks Niggle was worthless and useless, while Atkins, a schoolmaster, questions what Tompkins means by the word “use.” Tompkins replies, “No practical or...
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...impending argument. When he asks who they’re talking about, Tompkins tells him it’s someone unimportant—but Atkins points out that Niggle’s old house is now Tompkins’s second residence, so perhaps Niggle does...
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