The Girl on the Train

by

Paula Hawkins

Tom Watson is the lying, conniving, murderous antagonist of the novel. Tom disguises himself as a loving husband doing his best to make ends meet for his family—but as Rachel and Anna discover toward the end of the novel, Tom’s entire life and persona is built on a fragile and disturbing web of secrets and lies. While Tom was married to Rachel (before the events of the novel begin to unfold), he made a habit of portraying himself as a victim to her drunken rages. As Rachel’s drinking, fueled by her sadness over her inability to conceive a child, began spiraling out of control, Tom told Rachel morning after morning that she’d blacked out and verbally or physically abused him. But in reality, it was Tom who brutally abused Rachel, taking advantage of Rachel’s inability to form memories while intoxicated. When the novel begins, Tom is already remarried to Anna, the real estate agent with whom he cheated on Rachel and with whom he now has a one-year-old daughter, Evie. When Anna and Tom hire Megan to look after Evie, Tom and Megan begin an affair—yet when Megan becomes pregnant with a child who may or may not be Tom’s, Tom attacks and brutally murders Megan. As Rachel struggles to unspool Tom’s lies, she nearly loses her mind in the process as she reckons with the extent to which Tom has abused, gaslit, and deceived everyone in his life. Eventually, when Tom attacks Rachel and implies that he plans to kill her, Rachel kills him in self-defense using a corkscrew. Tom’s lies are exposed, and Rachel is able to begin repairing her memories, her life, and her sense of self—all of which Tom systematically sought to ruin. Tom is sly, magnetic, and deceptive—it’s impossible to fully know what motivates his violent behavior throughout the story.

Tom Watson Quotes in The Girl on the Train

The The Girl on the Train quotes below are all either spoken by Tom Watson or refer to Tom Watson. 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:
Women and Society Theme Icon
).
Rachel: One Quotes

I have lost control over everything, even the places in my head.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Tom Watson, Cathy
Page Number: 9
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Two Quotes

Something happened, I know it did. I can't picture it, but I can feel it. The inside of my mouth hurts, as though I've bitten my cheek, there's a metallic tang of blood on my tongue. I feel nauseated, dizzy. I run my hands through my hair, over my scalp. I flinch. There's a lump, painful and tender, on the right side of my head. My hair is matted with blood.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Tom Watson
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Three Quotes

Maybe it was then. Maybe that was the moment when things started to go wrong, the moment when I imagined us no longer a couple, but a family; and after that, once I had that picture in my head, just the two of us could never be enough. Was it then that Tom started to look at me differently, his disappointment mirroring my own? After all he gave up for me, for the two of us to be together, I let him think that he wasn't enough.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Tom Watson
Related Symbols: Trains
Page Number: 51
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Four Quotes

The thing about being barren is that you're not allowed to get away from it. […] My friends were having children, friends of friends were having children, pregnancy and birth and first birthday parties were everywhere. I was asked about it all the time. […] When was it going to be my turn? […] I was still young, there was still plenty of time, but failure cloaked me like a mantle, it overwhelmed me, dragged me under, and I gave up hope. […] I was wrong to suggest that we should share the blame; it was all down to me.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Tom Watson
Page Number: 78
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Five Quotes

I'm thinking about her now. I have to convince Scott that I knew her—a little, not a lot. That way, he'll believe me when I tell him that I saw her with another man. If I admit to lying right away, he'll never trust me. So I try to imagine what it would have been like to drop by the gallery, chat with her over a coffee. Does she drink coffee? We would talk about art, perhaps, or yoga, or our husbands. I don't know anything about art, I've never done yoga. I don't have a husband. And she betrayed hers.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Megan Hipwell / “Jess”, Anna Watson, Tom Watson, Scott Hipwell / “Jason”
Page Number: 107
Explanation and Analysis:
Anna: One Quotes

When I wake again, Tom's not at my side, but I can hear his footfalls on the stairs. He's singing, low and tuneless, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. . ." I hadn't even thought about it earlier, I'd completely forgotten; I didn't think of anything but fetching my little girl and getting back to bed.

Related Characters: Anna Watson (speaker), Tom Watson, Evie
Page Number: 108
Explanation and Analysis:
Anna: Two Quotes

We need to get away from here. We need to get away from her.

Related Characters: Anna Watson (speaker), Rachel Watson, Tom Watson, Scott Hipwell / “Jason”, Evie
Page Number: 140
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Ten Quotes

It's different, the nightmare I wake from this morning. In it, I've done something wrong, but I don't know what it is, all I know is that it cannot be put right. All I know is that Tom hates me now, he won't talk to me any longer, and he has told everyone I know about the terrible thing I've done, and everyone has turned against me: old colleagues, my friends, even my mother. They look at me with disgust, contempt, and no one will listen to me, no one will let me tell them how sorry I am. I feel awful, desperately guilty, I just can't think what it is that I've done.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Tom Watson, Rachel’s Mother
Page Number: 179
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Thirteen Quotes

“Every time I passed that hole in the wall I thought about it. Tom said he was going to patch it up, but he didn't, and I didn't want to pester him about it. One day I was standing there […] and I […] remembered. I was on the floor, my back to the wall, sobbing and sobbing, Tom standing over me, begging me to calm down, the golf club on the carpet next to my feet, and I felt it, I felt it. I was terrified. The memory doesn't fit with the reality, because I don't remember anger, raging fury. I remember fear."

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Megan Hipwell / “Jess”, Tom Watson, Dr. Kamal Abdic
Page Number: 230
Explanation and Analysis:
Anna: Six Quotes

I'm doing the things she did: drinking alone and snooping on him. The things she did and he hated. But recently—as recently as this morning—things have shifted. If he's going to lie, then I'm going to check up on him. That's a fair deal, isn't it?

Related Characters: Anna Watson (speaker), Rachel Watson, Tom Watson
Page Number: 242
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Fifteen Quotes

Everything is a lie. I didn't imagine him hitting me. I didn't imagine him walking away from me quickly, his fists clenched. I saw him turn, shout. I saw him walking down the road with a woman, I saw him getting into the car with her. I didn't imagine it. And I realize then that it's all very simple, so very simple.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Megan Hipwell / “Jess”, Tom Watson
Page Number: 271-272
Explanation and Analysis:
Anna: Nine Quotes

"I don't believe you," I say. "Why would he lie about that?"

"Because he lies about everything."

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Anna Watson (speaker), Megan Hipwell / “Jess”, Tom Watson
Page Number: 279
Explanation and Analysis:
Megan: Nine Quotes

"Did you hear what I just said?” he snaps, turning his back on me and striding back up the path towards the car. "You'd be a terrible mother, Megan. Just get rid of it."

I go after him… […] I’m yelling at him, screaming, trying to scratch his fucking smug face, and he’s laughing… […] It’s not even rejection, it's dismissal. […]

He's not laughing anymore.

He's coming towards me. He has something in his hand.

I've fallen. I must have slipped. Hit my head on something. I think I'm going to be sick. Everything is red. I can’t get up. […] Someone is speaking to me. Now look. Now look what you made me do.

Related Characters: Megan Hipwell / “Jess” (speaker), Tom Watson (speaker)
Page Number: 304
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Nineteen Quotes

Tom's lips are moving, he's saying something to me, but I can't hear him. I watch him come, I watch him, and I don't move until he's almost upon me, and then I swing. I jam the vicious twist of the corkscrew into his neck.

His eyes widen as he falls without a sound. He raises his hands to his throat, his eyes on mine. He looks as though he's crying. I watch until I can't look any longer, then I turn my back on him. As the train goes past I can see faces in brightly lit windows, heads bent over books and phones, travellers warm and safe on their way home.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Megan Hipwell / “Jess”, Anna Watson, Tom Watson
Related Symbols: Trains
Page Number: 317
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Girl on the Train LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Girl on the Train PDF

Tom Watson Quotes in The Girl on the Train

The The Girl on the Train quotes below are all either spoken by Tom Watson or refer to Tom Watson. 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:
Women and Society Theme Icon
).
Rachel: One Quotes

I have lost control over everything, even the places in my head.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Tom Watson, Cathy
Page Number: 9
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Two Quotes

Something happened, I know it did. I can't picture it, but I can feel it. The inside of my mouth hurts, as though I've bitten my cheek, there's a metallic tang of blood on my tongue. I feel nauseated, dizzy. I run my hands through my hair, over my scalp. I flinch. There's a lump, painful and tender, on the right side of my head. My hair is matted with blood.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Tom Watson
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Three Quotes

Maybe it was then. Maybe that was the moment when things started to go wrong, the moment when I imagined us no longer a couple, but a family; and after that, once I had that picture in my head, just the two of us could never be enough. Was it then that Tom started to look at me differently, his disappointment mirroring my own? After all he gave up for me, for the two of us to be together, I let him think that he wasn't enough.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Tom Watson
Related Symbols: Trains
Page Number: 51
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Four Quotes

The thing about being barren is that you're not allowed to get away from it. […] My friends were having children, friends of friends were having children, pregnancy and birth and first birthday parties were everywhere. I was asked about it all the time. […] When was it going to be my turn? […] I was still young, there was still plenty of time, but failure cloaked me like a mantle, it overwhelmed me, dragged me under, and I gave up hope. […] I was wrong to suggest that we should share the blame; it was all down to me.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Tom Watson
Page Number: 78
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Five Quotes

I'm thinking about her now. I have to convince Scott that I knew her—a little, not a lot. That way, he'll believe me when I tell him that I saw her with another man. If I admit to lying right away, he'll never trust me. So I try to imagine what it would have been like to drop by the gallery, chat with her over a coffee. Does she drink coffee? We would talk about art, perhaps, or yoga, or our husbands. I don't know anything about art, I've never done yoga. I don't have a husband. And she betrayed hers.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Megan Hipwell / “Jess”, Anna Watson, Tom Watson, Scott Hipwell / “Jason”
Page Number: 107
Explanation and Analysis:
Anna: One Quotes

When I wake again, Tom's not at my side, but I can hear his footfalls on the stairs. He's singing, low and tuneless, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. . ." I hadn't even thought about it earlier, I'd completely forgotten; I didn't think of anything but fetching my little girl and getting back to bed.

Related Characters: Anna Watson (speaker), Tom Watson, Evie
Page Number: 108
Explanation and Analysis:
Anna: Two Quotes

We need to get away from here. We need to get away from her.

Related Characters: Anna Watson (speaker), Rachel Watson, Tom Watson, Scott Hipwell / “Jason”, Evie
Page Number: 140
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Ten Quotes

It's different, the nightmare I wake from this morning. In it, I've done something wrong, but I don't know what it is, all I know is that it cannot be put right. All I know is that Tom hates me now, he won't talk to me any longer, and he has told everyone I know about the terrible thing I've done, and everyone has turned against me: old colleagues, my friends, even my mother. They look at me with disgust, contempt, and no one will listen to me, no one will let me tell them how sorry I am. I feel awful, desperately guilty, I just can't think what it is that I've done.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Tom Watson, Rachel’s Mother
Page Number: 179
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Thirteen Quotes

“Every time I passed that hole in the wall I thought about it. Tom said he was going to patch it up, but he didn't, and I didn't want to pester him about it. One day I was standing there […] and I […] remembered. I was on the floor, my back to the wall, sobbing and sobbing, Tom standing over me, begging me to calm down, the golf club on the carpet next to my feet, and I felt it, I felt it. I was terrified. The memory doesn't fit with the reality, because I don't remember anger, raging fury. I remember fear."

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Megan Hipwell / “Jess”, Tom Watson, Dr. Kamal Abdic
Page Number: 230
Explanation and Analysis:
Anna: Six Quotes

I'm doing the things she did: drinking alone and snooping on him. The things she did and he hated. But recently—as recently as this morning—things have shifted. If he's going to lie, then I'm going to check up on him. That's a fair deal, isn't it?

Related Characters: Anna Watson (speaker), Rachel Watson, Tom Watson
Page Number: 242
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Fifteen Quotes

Everything is a lie. I didn't imagine him hitting me. I didn't imagine him walking away from me quickly, his fists clenched. I saw him turn, shout. I saw him walking down the road with a woman, I saw him getting into the car with her. I didn't imagine it. And I realize then that it's all very simple, so very simple.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Megan Hipwell / “Jess”, Tom Watson
Page Number: 271-272
Explanation and Analysis:
Anna: Nine Quotes

"I don't believe you," I say. "Why would he lie about that?"

"Because he lies about everything."

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Anna Watson (speaker), Megan Hipwell / “Jess”, Tom Watson
Page Number: 279
Explanation and Analysis:
Megan: Nine Quotes

"Did you hear what I just said?” he snaps, turning his back on me and striding back up the path towards the car. "You'd be a terrible mother, Megan. Just get rid of it."

I go after him… […] I’m yelling at him, screaming, trying to scratch his fucking smug face, and he’s laughing… […] It’s not even rejection, it's dismissal. […]

He's not laughing anymore.

He's coming towards me. He has something in his hand.

I've fallen. I must have slipped. Hit my head on something. I think I'm going to be sick. Everything is red. I can’t get up. […] Someone is speaking to me. Now look. Now look what you made me do.

Related Characters: Megan Hipwell / “Jess” (speaker), Tom Watson (speaker)
Page Number: 304
Explanation and Analysis:
Rachel: Nineteen Quotes

Tom's lips are moving, he's saying something to me, but I can't hear him. I watch him come, I watch him, and I don't move until he's almost upon me, and then I swing. I jam the vicious twist of the corkscrew into his neck.

His eyes widen as he falls without a sound. He raises his hands to his throat, his eyes on mine. He looks as though he's crying. I watch until I can't look any longer, then I turn my back on him. As the train goes past I can see faces in brightly lit windows, heads bent over books and phones, travellers warm and safe on their way home.

Related Characters: Rachel Watson (speaker), Megan Hipwell / “Jess”, Anna Watson, Tom Watson
Related Symbols: Trains
Page Number: 317
Explanation and Analysis: