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Chapter 6
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Johnny Tremain, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Coming of Age
Pride vs. Humility
Patriotism and the Revolutionary War
Violence
Moral Integrity and Class
Summary
Analysis
1. The “fiddler’s bill” is so heavy that it enrages even moderates in Boston—and the other 12 colonies, who hadn’t much cared about Boston before this. London votes to close Boston’s port to all but British warships until the tea is paid for. Boston will starve. It’s now June 1, 1774. Johnny and Rab join everyone else wandering around, swearing angrily. This, everyone agrees, is tyranny. First the merchants and sailors are out of work; then, tailors, silversmiths, and everyone else has no work, either. As he and Johnny stare at the harbor, Rab says that Uncle Lorne is sending the Webb twins home, but Uncle Lorne is going to continue printing a half-size paper until he’s hanged.
Again, to “pay the fiddler” is to accept repercussions for one’s actions. Now, all of Boston is having to pay for the boys dumping thousands of pounds of tea into the harbor. In addition to closing Boston’s harbor, England also ended Massachusetts’s system of self-government. Together, these consequences were known as the Intolerable Acts—and as the narration notes, the Acts made people extremely angry and galvanized the Patriots’ cause. Even timid men like Uncle Lorne realize that now is the time to be brave and prioritize their principles over anything else.
Themes
Hanging is on everyone’s mind. The crown orders Governor Hutchinson to England and General Gage is now in charge. Mr. Hancock, Mr. Adams, and Dr. Warren would all be the first to hang if their roles became known. Regiments of British soldiers arrive to quell sedition. There’s little work to do now; Rab can set the paper in a day, and Johnny can deliver the Boston papers in a few hours. When they’re not working, Rab and Johnny watch the British soldiers drill. Rab focuses on their muskets. Like many men and boys, Rab has begun drilling to fight the British. But Rab’s only gun is an old duck-hunting gun, and his inadequate weapon bothers him.
Putting Gage in charge is part of ending Massachusetts’s system of self-government; now, the colony is essentially under military rule. Not having as much to do gives Rab and Johnny more time to loiter—and it allows Rab to begin drilling for a potential military conflict. Rab believes that a musket like what the British soldiers have would make him a fearsome soldier, capable of fighting for what he believes in. Wanting a real musket symbolizes his burgeoning maturity. Meanwhile, that Johnny doesn’t entertain such dreams shows that he isn’t quite there yet.
Themes
So, one day, Rab does a foolish thing and reaches out and touches a British musket. An officer swoops over, hits Rab on the head, and knocks him unconscious. Johnny stays by Rab’s side as a British medical officer tends to Rab. The officer laughs when Rab says he wasn’t going to steal the musket, but that it’s not a bad idea. The officer insists that if they all stay calm, soon this will all be over. As he often does, Johnny finds that he likes this medical officer. The British soldiers are, on the whole, friendly and civil. With Rab’s encouragement, Johnny begins carrying notes for the British. Though Whigs tease him for being disloyal, Johnny soon uncovers double agents and feels great about himself.
While Johnny finds the medical officer kind and shockingly generous, it’s also worth noting that the officer clearly doesn’t take Rab seriously. He seems to believe that the colonists are the harmless “yokels and farmers” described earlier, not principled people willing to fight for what they believe in. However, their friendliness also gives Johnny an opportunity to spy on them and ferry information to the Observers. The fact that they seem not to suspect Johnny of foul play, however, again strengthens the possibility that the British don’t take the colonists seriously, or believe them capable of having worthwhile spy networks.
Themes
2. Johnny charges British officers a fortune for carrying letters and gives it all to Aunt Lorne. General Gage, meanwhile, tries to keep things civil and doesn’t stop men like Uncle Lorne from publishing. And Boston doesn’t starve, as towns and villages send shipments of food by land. By now, it’s been three weeks since Johnny last saw Cilla. He’s been too busy watching Rab and the other Minute Men drill on Sundays to meet her. So, he's shocked when he comes back to the Observer’s office to find her sitting and laughing with Rab. She looks extremely happy and explains that she’s drawing a political cartoon for Rab. Johnny insults her drawing, but she knows it’s actually a compliment. He can’t figure out when she got so pretty.
Though the novel doesn’t get into it much, General Gage was very concerned that arresting people like Uncle Lorne, Mr. Hancock, or Mr. Adams would cause a revolt. With this added information, General Gage looks politically savvy, as though he’s thinking critically about the situation he's in and is doing his best to avoid causing any damage. Meanwhile, Johnny has problems of his own: Rab and Cilla seem far too close to each other for comfort. Unable to maturely express his feelings, Johnny behaves rudely to hide what he really feels.
Themes
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When Cilla gets up to leave, Johnny begs her for news. She explains that Dorcas ran off with Frizel, Junior just when Mr. Tweedie expressed interest in her—so now, Mr. Tweedie wants to marry Cilla. Johnny protests that Cilla is only 15, but Cilla continues her story. Mrs. Lapham didn’t like the idea of Cilla marrying Mr. Tweedie, so when Miss Lavinia Lyte stopped by for some silver work, saw Isannah, and insisted on taking her, the women decided that Cilla would go work for the Lytes for a year. Johnny asks to see Cilla at the Lytes’ sometime, but Cilla suggests he talk to Mrs. Bessie, the cook and her friend. Rab then walks Cilla home. Cilla clearly isn’t going to wait for Johnny anymore. Though Johnny is wildly jealous, he decides to forgive Rab and cook them both eggs for supper. But Rab doesn’t return on time—he returns late, having eaten at the Lytes’.
Cilla only grudgingly gives Johnny what he wants—she may be done putting up with his rudeness. Her story, though, highlights how entitled Miss Lavinia is: she insisted on taking Isannah like one might ask to take an inanimate object, not a living, breathing child. Things have worked out for Cilla, though: she’s out of Mr. Tweedie’s reach, and she seems to have more freedom than she did at home. When Rab leaps to walk Cilla home, it enrages Johnny—but it shows Johnny what he should be doing, if he wants to win Cilla for himself. Johnny’s attempt to forgive Rab is noteworthy, as it shows that Johnny is trying to change. Still, Johnny just isn’t quite there yet.
Themes
3. These days, Johnny tries to see Cilla on Thursdays and spends most of his time at the stable. The Afric Queen, which owns the stable, has been taken over by British officers, led by Colonel Francis Smith. Goblin is now the only horse in the stable not owned by the British. Johnny mostly ignores the British horse boys, but once when he has to fight a bully, he’s surprised that most of the boys demand fair play and congratulate Johnny when he wins. Things take a turn for the worse, though, when Colonel Smith gets a new horse boy: Dove. Dove wants to be friends, but Johnny insults him. Johnny doesn’t come to Dove’s rescue, either, when the English boys wrestle Dove to the ground and make him swear loyalty to the King—mostly because Dove says that Johnny is a Whig.
Johnny finds the British horse boys to be overwhelmingly civil, much like the British soldiers he encountered earlier. This humanizes the enemy and gives Johnny a chance to get to know the people he and his allies might one day fight. Having Dove reenter Johnny’s life like this is difficult, as Johnny now seems to want to leave Dove and his old life at the Laphams’ behind. And Dove, he realizes, is just as selfish as Johnny is: he wants to look out for himself, and is willing to throw potential friends under the bus if it means he experiences less pain himself.
Themes
Johnny has a letter to deliver for Colonel Smith, so he tacks Goblin up and lets him prance in the courtyard. But Colonel Smith tells Johnny to wait and sends his orderly officer, Lieutenant Stranger, outside. Stranger says he wants to commandeer Goblin for Colonel Smith and would like to ride him. Johnny dismounts and as Stranger—whom Johnny likes—rides Goblin out of the yard, Johnny goes to help Lydia, the Afric Queen’s enslaved woman, hang sheets. He asks for her help, and when Stranger and Goblin return to the yard, they let a sheet billow in the wind. Goblin leaps away, dumping Stranger into a puddle.
The British soldiers had the power to take any animal they wanted, so Johnny realizes he doesn’t have many options to keep ownership of Goblin in this situation. It shows how far Johnny has come, though, when his method for getting back at Stranger involves helping Lydia. Helping an enslaved woman is something that Johnny would’ve deemed unthinkable prior to hurting his hand. But now, he sees Lydia as a valid ally, and sure enough, his plan works.
Themes
Stranger pretends to be angry, but he really isn’t. Johnny confesses to setting him up to fall off, and Stranger orders two beers from the kitchen. They drink to Goblin and discuss that Goblin will never be a gentle, safe horse—but Stranger would happily teach Johnny to jump the horse if he’d like. After this, Johnny has no more trouble with the British stable boys; they even let Johnny use their oats sometimes. Despite being a Tory, Dove has become the target of the British boys’ bullying. He clings to Johnny and soon, Johnny begins protecting him. Rab encourages Johnny to keep up the friendship, as Dove might someday have useful information.
Stranger’s respect for Johnny and for Goblin is exceptional; he clearly chooses not to abuse his power here and so earns Johnny’s respect in return. And though Johnny’s situation with the British stable boys improves, Johnny is developing more of a conscience—it no longer feels good to him to watch the boys beat and bully Dove. So, part of the reason why Johnny protects Dove is to make himself feel like a better person, and the other half is that (as Rab notes) Dove might be able to pass on tidbits of information.
Themes
4. One day, Johnny realizes how much things have changed since he burned his hand. He can barely remember how it felt to hate Dove so strongly. Mr. Lapham recently died. Johnny remembers the man fondly, and even Mrs. Lapham doesn’t seem so bad now. These days, Johnny realizes that she wasn’t mean—she was just trying to look out for those in her house. Johnny’s feelings about Cilla have changed, too. Suddenly, he looks forward to seeing her every Thursday (and he sometimes sees Lavinia Lyte too). He doesn’t think highly of Isannah, though: she’s becoming snobbish and cold.
Johnny is beginning to come of age: his hatred of Dove has dissolved, and he now thinks highly of deceased Mr. Lapham. And with some distance, he even finds that he respects Mrs. Lapham, though he hated her while he lived under her roof. Essentially, he’s learning to see all of these people as people, with their own quirks and good qualities. Isannah, however, grows increasingly distant as Miss Lavinia teaches her to look down on people of lower classes.
Themes
After riding back in through Boston’s gates, Johnny decides to stop in and visit the Laphams. He proudly asks Mr. Tweedie to mend his spur and then walks into the backyard, where he finds Madge in a tiny British sergeant’s arms. Madge laughs (she’s glad Johnny isn’t Mrs. Lapham) and introduces Johnny to Sergeant Gale. Johnny takes a seat as Madge explains that despite her mother’s insistence that she marry Mr. Tweedie, she’s going to marry Sergeant Gale. Then, Johnny pays Mr. Tweedie for his work and rides Goblin home. It was a nice visit, but Johnny won’t visit again. His old life is over.
Johnny and Mr. Tweedie’s relationship has changed dramatically: now, Johnny has more power because he’s the customer. However, note that he doesn’t really seem to lord his power over Mr. Tweedie—he's learning. Madge seems far more open to speaking with Johnny than she once was, and she even seems to view him as an ally. In every way, Johnny’s relationship with the Laphams is changing. This reflects Johnny’s growing maturity and the quickly-changing times.
Themes
5. When Johnny gets to the Lytes’ on Thursday, Mrs. Bessie says that Cilla is busy: Miss Lavinia has lots of officers in the parlor. Johnny knows that Mrs. Bessie isn’t loyal to Miss Lavinia, and Cilla seems to know what’s wrong with her now, too. Johnny doesn’t. But as Mrs. Bessie is explaining that everyone in the parlor is going to a costume party tonight and Isannah—Izzy—is going too, Cilla rushes in. She says they need someone to make a tin scepter, so Johnny should come through. The parlor is a mess, but what catches Johnny’s eye is how happy Miss Lavinia is—and that Isannah is wearing only her undershift. Knowing Mr. Lapham would be spinning in his grave, Johnny tells Isannah to get dressed; she was raised better than this.
It’s clear from the start of this passage that there’s something deeply wrong with Miss Lavinia; in some way, she’s not a good or kind mistress. As Johnny enters the parlor and sees what’s going on, he thinks he realizes what’s going on: she’s not raising Isannah to be a proper lady and is perhaps even sexualizing a tiny child for her own amusement. Now that Johnny can recall old Mr. Lapham fondly, he feels more loyalty to the man and his beliefs. This justifies him to command Isannah to get dressed.
Themes
Isannah, however, says she’s “too young to be lascivious,” clearly parroting what she’s heard others say. Johnny slaps her, sending her flying and exposing her body further. Everyone laughs as Lieutenant Stranger picks the girl up. Miss Lavinia laughs so hard she calls for Cilla, who waves smelling salts too close to the lady’s nose. For this, Miss Lavinia calls Cilla “stupid.” Isannah hides her face in Miss Lavinia’s lap, clearly loving the attention, while Cilla stands aside like a servant. Johnny is angry. He tells Cilla to leave the Lytes, including “Izzy.” Miss Lavinia scolds Johnny for speaking this way, argues with Cilla about whether she asked for Johnny or not, and then sends them both away.
If Isannah has heard this phrase enough times to repeat it so offhandedly, it makes it seem like she gets this critique a lot—suggesting that indeed, Miss Lavinia is encouraging Isannah to behave in an inappropriately mature manner. Indeed, the way that Johnny throws around Isannah’s new nickname suggests that Izzy is seen as too mature, low-class, and sexy a name for a little girl. But what really disturbs Johnny here is how cruel Miss Lavinia is to Cilla, and how Miss Lavinia treats Isannah as though she can do no wrong.
Themes
In the kitchen, Mrs. Bessie gives Johnny brandy and says that Cilla is mostly happy. She knows Isannah is a lost cause, but it doesn’t bother her much anymore. Then, Mrs. Bessie says the household is moving to the country estate for a while, but they’ll be back soon: the Whigs are trying to tempt Mr. Lyte to go so they can tar and feather him. She assures Johnny that Cilla and Isannah won’t get hurt; she’s an ally of Sam Adams and will protect them.
Mrs. Bessie essentially says there’s little to be done for Isannah. She’s Miss Lavinia’s pet now, and she’ll only continue to get more unpleasant as time goes on. However, things then get serious as Mrs. Bessie explains what will happen to Mr. Lyte. She makes it very clear that she’s on Johnny’s side and has a moral compass: she won’t allow young girls to get hurt just because they work for a powerful Tory family.
Themes
