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Jessie
Ernie is the conductor of the train that Billy Luckett jumps when he runs away from home. Ernie treats Billy with kindness and compassion rather than calling the authorities on him. In this way, he—like Irene Thompson—contrasts with Billy’s abusive father and offers a pointed reminder that the truly valuable things in life are relationships with others.
Ernie Quotes in The Simple Gift
The The Simple Gift quotes below are all either spoken by Ernie or refer to Ernie. 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:
).
Chapter 1: Champagne Billy
Quotes
‘Hey kid,
get outta there.
You’ll freeze to death.
That’ll teach you
to hitch a ride with National Rail.
No free rides with this government, son.
Just kidding.
I hate the bloody government.
Get your bag
and come back to the guard’s van.
There’s a heater that works,
and some coffee.[’]
Related Characters:
Ernie (speaker), Billy Luckett
Related Symbols:
Food
Chapter 5: Work
Quotes
Because when I was
twelve years old
and my dad chased me
out of the house
with a strap,
I’d hidden in the neighbor’s
chook shed, waiting for night
when I could climb
through my bedroom window
and sleep,
hoping Dad wouldn’t wake angry.
After an hour,
our neighbor came out
and placed a bowl of soup
and some bread
on a tin
outside the chook shed door.
She left me dinner
and walked away.
I ate my fill
and waited till late.
A few weeks later
that neighbor moved away
and I never thanked her,
and that’s why I help Old Bill,
for no reason
other than he needs it.
Related Characters:
Billy Luckett (speaker), Caitlin Holmes, Old Bill, Dad, Ernie
Related Symbols:
Food
Get the entire The Simple Gift LitChart as a printable PDF.
Ernie Quotes in The Simple Gift
The The Simple Gift quotes below are all either spoken by Ernie or refer to Ernie. 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:
).
Chapter 1: Champagne Billy
Quotes
‘Hey kid,
get outta there.
You’ll freeze to death.
That’ll teach you
to hitch a ride with National Rail.
No free rides with this government, son.
Just kidding.
I hate the bloody government.
Get your bag
and come back to the guard’s van.
There’s a heater that works,
and some coffee.[’]
Related Characters:
Ernie (speaker), Billy Luckett
Related Symbols:
Food
Chapter 5: Work
Quotes
Because when I was
twelve years old
and my dad chased me
out of the house
with a strap,
I’d hidden in the neighbor’s
chook shed, waiting for night
when I could climb
through my bedroom window
and sleep,
hoping Dad wouldn’t wake angry.
After an hour,
our neighbor came out
and placed a bowl of soup
and some bread
on a tin
outside the chook shed door.
She left me dinner
and walked away.
I ate my fill
and waited till late.
A few weeks later
that neighbor moved away
and I never thanked her,
and that’s why I help Old Bill,
for no reason
other than he needs it.
Related Characters:
Billy Luckett (speaker), Caitlin Holmes, Old Bill, Dad, Ernie
Related Symbols:
Food
