The Water-Babies characters

Appears from the start

A young chimney sweep employed by Grimes, unwashed and uneducated but energetic and capable of sympathy. After entering a great house to clean its chimneys, he becomes frightened and flees across the moors toward the water, beginning a moral and fantastical journey.

Appears from the start

Tom's brutal master, a chimney sweep who drinks heavily and treats the boy as labor rather than as a child. He takes Tom to Harthover House for a difficult cleaning job.

Appears from the start

A well-cared-for girl at Harthover House whom Tom sees while emerging from a chimney. Her cleanliness and innocence make him suddenly aware of his own neglected condition, and her alarm contributes to his flight from the house.

Also known as The Irishwoman

Appears from the start

A mysterious woman Tom meets on the road to Harthover. She speaks with the authority of someone who understands both his suffering and the larger world, and she quietly watches over his escape toward the stream.

First appears in chapter 3

A severe fairy who administers consequences according to conduct. She represents the principle that actions return upon the person who performs them and helps supervise Tom's moral education among the water-babies.

First appears in chapter 3

A nurturing fairy who gives each child the loving treatment that child ought to receive. Gentler in manner than her counterpart, she offers care while still expecting Tom to grow beyond selfish and cruel habits.

First appears in chapter 4

A learned gentleman interested in natural history who is confronted with evidence that does not fit his established classifications. His difficulty accepting the water-babies satirizes knowledge that becomes rigid and overconfident.

First appears in chapter 7

A powerful maternal presence associated with the life and order of the sea. Tom must seek her guidance when his education requires a difficult journey and an act of help toward someone who harmed him.