The Thief of Always Characters
The main characters in The Thief of Always are Harvey, Mrs. Griffin, Wendell, Lulu, Rictus, and Mr. Hood.
- Harvey is the ten-year-old protagonist of the novel. He is initially an impatient and unappreciative boy, but he grows to become brave and selfless.
- Mrs. Griffin is the kind hostess of House, who is later revealed to be the first child taken in by Mr. Hood.
- Wendell is another boy at the House. He is more immature than Harvey.
- Lulu is a girl at the House who proves brave and useful in eradicating Mr. Hood.
- Rictus is Mr. Hood's sinister assistant.
- Mr. Hood is the devious illusionist who operates the House.
Characters
Harvey Swick
Harvey is a ten-year-old boy who lives in a small town called Millsap. He is the protagonist of the novel. In the beginning, Harvey is a typical boy, hating bad weather and using the word “bored” in every other sentence. His easily bored disposition and lack of appreciation for his life are precisely what spark his adventure. He craves fun but gets way more than he bargains for when he arrives at the Holiday House.
Harvey’s curious and strong-willed nature is recognized by those who live at the Holiday House. Though his inquisitive nature is what lands him at the House in the first place, his curiosity also saves him and all the children who have lost their souls. Harvey’s actions illustrate the importance of tenacity as well as the cost of ignoring one’s intuition.
By the end of the story, Harvey faces his fears and realizes he cares deeply for his family and regular life. After seeing the House steal away thirty-one years of the boring life he complained about at the beginning of the story, Harvey will stop at nothing to restore that same life. Harvey is a strong kid from the start, but his experiences with the Holiday House leave him a more grateful and patient person.
Mrs. Griffin
Mrs. Griffin is an old woman who helps run Holiday House, mainly by acting as cook for the guests. As time passes, she begins helping the children understand the true nature of the House, and she eventually uses Blue-Cat to help them escape.
The reader comes to learn that Mrs. Griffin was actually the first child at Holiday House. She ran away from home when her cat died, and Rictus used this information to lure her into the magical world of the House by offering her three cats and a new family. Mr. Hood promised her immortality and told her she would never cry again. However, Mrs. Griffin has come to see her immortality as a curse and now longs to die.
Though Harvey’s bravery releases Mrs. Griffin from her terrible fate by allowing her to die with the House, it is Mrs. Griffin’s strength and selflessness that allows Harvey to escape the veil around the House and defeat Mr. Hood once and for all. She gives Harvey and the other children a chance at getting their lives back, and she selflessly sacrifices her safety and life in the process.
Wendell Hamilton, III
Wendell is one of the children who is at Holiday House when Harvey arrives. His catchphrase is “who cares,” and he uses it when faced with anything that stands in the way of his perceived happiness or freedom.
While Wendell isn’t a bad kid, he is weak. For example, he sells Harvey out to the demons on Halloween night when Harvey plays a trick on him, and he doesn’t help Harvey defeat Mr. Hood when they return to the House after escaping. In his weakness, Wendell proves to be a foil to Harvey, forcing Harvey to step into his power as the hero of this story and come to realize how good life on the outside really is. Wendell ultimately serves as a reminder of the innocence and naivety of children.
Lulu
Lulu is a young girl who is at Holiday House when Harvey arrives. Wendell finds her odd, but Harvey likes her. They share a few intimate moments together talking about their lives, but their growing friendship leads Lulu to make a big mistake. When Harvey loses his ark in the lake, Lulu dives in to get it, which causes her to...
(This entire section contains 1044 words.)
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change into a hideous fish monster. However, her selflessness is matched by Harvey, who vows to save her from the House after he escapes.
Lulu proves her bravery again at the end of the story: while Harvey keeps Mr. Hood’s attention, she finds a weapon with which to dispatch him. Although Harvey gets most of the credit for saving the day, Lulu plays a key role by hitting Mr. Hood’s makeshift body with a piece of wood. She knocks him off balance, sending him into the vortex.
Rictus
Rictus is an evil being who lives at Holiday House. He is the one who visits Harvey and lures him with the House’s magical offerings. Essentially, it is Rictus’s job to bring young souls to the House for Mr. Hood to eat, allowing Mr. Hood to sustain the illusions of the House. However, Rictus’s arrogance backfires in the end when Harvey defeats him, Mr. Hood, the House by using their greed and pride against them.
Jive
Jive is a dark being who lives at Holiday House. He encourages Harvey to hurt Wendell and tries to persuade him to be a demonic vampire forever. However, Jive’s ignorance gets him killed when he refuses to believe that the food at the house is merely an illusion. When the food turns to dust, so does Jive.
Marr
Marr is a dark creature at Holiday House. She is an obese, slug-like being with no teeth who turns Harvey into a creature to help him scare Wendell. She is able to use a person’s wishes against them and take their soul in the process. Using this same logic, Harvey uses her magic against her to turn her into ash.
Carna
Carna is an evil being who lives on the roof of Holiday House. She is a hideous, bird-like creature that aims to destroy anyone or anything who tries to leave the property. She almost kills Harvey and Wendell when they escape the House the first time, but when Harvey returns to defeat Mr. Hood, he treats her with kindness, shocking her and causing her to explode.
Mr. Hood
Mr. Hood is the villain of the novel and the embodiment of the Holiday House. He is an ancient, evil, vampiric demon who steals children’s souls and uses magical illusions to keep them on his property. However, Mr. Hood’s powers prove too weak against Harvey, who has a pure soul and a keen mind. Harvey uses Mr. Hood’s own magic against him to destroy the House and his spirit by sending him into the water vortex.