The Landlady

by

Roald Dahl

Billy Weaver Character Analysis

Billy Weaver, the story’s protagonist, is an enthusiastic and innocent seventeen-year-old boy. When Billy arrives in the city of Bath—keen to make his way in the business world—his first task is to find lodgings for the night. He happens upon a charming Bed and Breakfast, and is welcomed inside by the friendly landlady there. Feeling very pleased with himself for finding such comfortable and cheap lodgings, Billy misses important clues and warnings about the landlady’s true nature. Billy is curious but naïve. He finds it strange, for example, that there are no other guests staying at the Bed and Breakfast, but trusts the landlady’s peculiar explanation. He also notices that there have only been two previous entries in the visitors’ book—Christopher Mulholland and Gregory W. Temple—and, curiously, he recognizes both names. Although he is very keen to determine why, he is easily fooled and distracted by the landlady during his search for truth. Ultimately, the sweet-looking landlady is able to take advantage of poor Billy because his innocent and trusting nature prevents him from suspecting that things might not be as they seem. Although the story’s cliffhanger does not explicitly reveal Billy’s fate, it is implied that the landlady poisons his tea so that she can kill Billy and stuff him, just as she does to her pets.

Billy Weaver Quotes in The Landlady

The The Landlady quotes below are all either spoken by Billy Weaver or refer to Billy Weaver. 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:
Appearances and Deception Theme Icon
).
The Landlady Quotes

But the air was deadly cold and the wind was like a flat blade of ice on his cheeks.

Related Characters: Billy Weaver, The Landlady, Christopher Mulholland, Gregory W. Temple
Page Number: 164
Explanation and Analysis:

Animals were usually a good sign in a place like this, Billy told himself; and all in all, it looked to him as though it would be a pretty decent house to stay in.

Related Characters: Billy Weaver
Related Symbols: The Stuffed Pets
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:

Each word was like a large black eye staring at him through the glass, holding him, compelling him, forcing him to stay where he was....

Related Characters: Billy Weaver
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:

After all, she not only was harmless—there was no question about that—but she was also quite obviously a kind and generous soul.

Related Characters: Billy Weaver, The Landlady
Page Number: 168
Explanation and Analysis:

“Well, you see, both of these names—Mulholland and Temple—I not only seem to remember each one of them separately, so to speak, but somehow or other, in some peculiar way, they both appear to be sort of connected together as well.”

Related Characters: Billy Weaver (speaker), The Landlady, Christopher Mulholland, Gregory W. Temple
Page Number: 169
Explanation and Analysis:

He noticed that she had small, white, quickly moving hands, and red finger-nails.

Related Characters: Billy Weaver, The Landlady
Page Number: 170
Explanation and Analysis:

Now and again, he caught a whiff of a peculiar smell that seemed to emanate directly from her person. It was not in the least unpleasant, and it reminded him—well, he wasn't quite sure what it reminded him of. Pickled walnuts? New leather? Or was it the corridors of a hospital?

Related Characters: Billy Weaver, The Landlady
Related Symbols: The Tea
Page Number: 170
Explanation and Analysis:

“Left?” she said, arching her brows. “But my dear boy, he never left. He's still here. Mr. Temple is also here. They're on the fourth floor, both of them together.”

Related Characters: The Landlady (speaker), Billy Weaver, Christopher Mulholland, Gregory W. Temple
Page Number: 171
Explanation and Analysis:

“I stuff all my little pets myself when they pass away. Will you have another cup of tea?”

Related Characters: The Landlady (speaker), Billy Weaver, Christopher Mulholland, Gregory W. Temple
Related Symbols: The Stuffed Pets, The Tea
Page Number: 172
Explanation and Analysis:

The tea tasted faintly of bitter almonds, and he didn't much care for it. “You did sign the book, didn't you?”

Related Characters: The Landlady (speaker), Billy Weaver
Related Symbols: The Stuffed Pets, The Tea
Page Number: 172
Explanation and Analysis:
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Billy Weaver Quotes in The Landlady

The The Landlady quotes below are all either spoken by Billy Weaver or refer to Billy Weaver. 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:
Appearances and Deception Theme Icon
).
The Landlady Quotes

But the air was deadly cold and the wind was like a flat blade of ice on his cheeks.

Related Characters: Billy Weaver, The Landlady, Christopher Mulholland, Gregory W. Temple
Page Number: 164
Explanation and Analysis:

Animals were usually a good sign in a place like this, Billy told himself; and all in all, it looked to him as though it would be a pretty decent house to stay in.

Related Characters: Billy Weaver
Related Symbols: The Stuffed Pets
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:

Each word was like a large black eye staring at him through the glass, holding him, compelling him, forcing him to stay where he was....

Related Characters: Billy Weaver
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:

After all, she not only was harmless—there was no question about that—but she was also quite obviously a kind and generous soul.

Related Characters: Billy Weaver, The Landlady
Page Number: 168
Explanation and Analysis:

“Well, you see, both of these names—Mulholland and Temple—I not only seem to remember each one of them separately, so to speak, but somehow or other, in some peculiar way, they both appear to be sort of connected together as well.”

Related Characters: Billy Weaver (speaker), The Landlady, Christopher Mulholland, Gregory W. Temple
Page Number: 169
Explanation and Analysis:

He noticed that she had small, white, quickly moving hands, and red finger-nails.

Related Characters: Billy Weaver, The Landlady
Page Number: 170
Explanation and Analysis:

Now and again, he caught a whiff of a peculiar smell that seemed to emanate directly from her person. It was not in the least unpleasant, and it reminded him—well, he wasn't quite sure what it reminded him of. Pickled walnuts? New leather? Or was it the corridors of a hospital?

Related Characters: Billy Weaver, The Landlady
Related Symbols: The Tea
Page Number: 170
Explanation and Analysis:

“Left?” she said, arching her brows. “But my dear boy, he never left. He's still here. Mr. Temple is also here. They're on the fourth floor, both of them together.”

Related Characters: The Landlady (speaker), Billy Weaver, Christopher Mulholland, Gregory W. Temple
Page Number: 171
Explanation and Analysis:

“I stuff all my little pets myself when they pass away. Will you have another cup of tea?”

Related Characters: The Landlady (speaker), Billy Weaver, Christopher Mulholland, Gregory W. Temple
Related Symbols: The Stuffed Pets, The Tea
Page Number: 172
Explanation and Analysis:

The tea tasted faintly of bitter almonds, and he didn't much care for it. “You did sign the book, didn't you?”

Related Characters: The Landlady (speaker), Billy Weaver
Related Symbols: The Stuffed Pets, The Tea
Page Number: 172
Explanation and Analysis: