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Charisse Gomolinski
Richard is Henry’s father. He is a professional violinist who was happily married to famous vocalist Annette Lyn Robinson (Henry’s mother) prior to her sudden death, and he never gets over his grief; Annette’s death marks the beginning of his ongoing struggle with alcoholism as well as his tense relationship with Henry. Richard becomes aware of Henry’s time traveling soon after Annette’s death. Instead of supporting his son, he regards him as selfish and volatile. Henry believes that his resemblance to his mother only exacerbates his father’s resentment because he is always reminded of his wife when he looks at his son. Richard’s initial introduction to Clare is fraught—he is brutally honest with her about the emotional numbness he has experienced since Annette’s death and his disapproval of Henry as he attempts to dissuade Clare from marrying him. But when Clare asserts that she’s marrying Henry because he’s good at sex, Richard’s amusement overrides his concern. The severity of Richard’s alcoholism changes throughout the novel, but he’s propelled toward sobriety when Henry brings Clare into the family and later when Alba is born. By the end of the novel, Henry and Richard’s relationship is largely repaired, and Richard acts as a supportive, present father and grandfather.
Richard DeTamble Quotes in The Time Traveler’s Wife
The The Time Traveler’s Wife quotes below are all either spoken by Richard DeTamble or refer to Richard DeTamble. 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 6
Quotes
“My mother dying…it’s the pivotal thing…everything else goes around and around it…I dream about it, and I also—time travel to it. Over and over. […] if you had enough time to really look at everything, you would see me. I am in cars, behind bushes, on the bridge, in a tree. I have seen it from every angle, and I am even a participant in the aftermath: I call the airport from a nearby gas station to page my father with the message to come immediately to the hospital. I sat in the hospital waiting room and watched my father walk through on his way to find me. […] I walked along the shoulder of the road, waiting for my young self to appear, and I put a blanket around my thin child’s shoulders.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11
Quotes
“You were very lucky.”
He smiles, still shielding his face in his hands. “Well, we were and we weren’t. One minute we had everything we could dream of, and the next minute she was in pieces on the expressway.” Henry winces.
“But don’t you think,” I persist, “that it’s better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?”
[…] “I’ve often wondered about that. Do you believe that?”
I think about my childhood, all the waiting, and wondering, and the joy of seeing Henry walking through the Meadow after now seeing him for weeks, months […] “Yes,” I say, “I do.”
Mr. DeTamble nods. “Henry has chosen well.”
Get the entire The Time Traveler’s Wife LitChart as a printable PDF.
Richard DeTamble Quotes in The Time Traveler’s Wife
The The Time Traveler’s Wife quotes below are all either spoken by Richard DeTamble or refer to Richard DeTamble. 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 6
Quotes
“My mother dying…it’s the pivotal thing…everything else goes around and around it…I dream about it, and I also—time travel to it. Over and over. […] if you had enough time to really look at everything, you would see me. I am in cars, behind bushes, on the bridge, in a tree. I have seen it from every angle, and I am even a participant in the aftermath: I call the airport from a nearby gas station to page my father with the message to come immediately to the hospital. I sat in the hospital waiting room and watched my father walk through on his way to find me. […] I walked along the shoulder of the road, waiting for my young self to appear, and I put a blanket around my thin child’s shoulders.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11
Quotes
“You were very lucky.”
He smiles, still shielding his face in his hands. “Well, we were and we weren’t. One minute we had everything we could dream of, and the next minute she was in pieces on the expressway.” Henry winces.
“But don’t you think,” I persist, “that it’s better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?”
[…] “I’ve often wondered about that. Do you believe that?”
I think about my childhood, all the waiting, and wondering, and the joy of seeing Henry walking through the Meadow after now seeing him for weeks, months […] “Yes,” I say, “I do.”
Mr. DeTamble nods. “Henry has chosen well.”
