Mr. Pitcher

Mr. Pitcher is the elderly, trusted manservant at Misselthwaite Manor who has served Archibald Craven since childhood and acts as his gatekeeper, enforcing the master's reclusive wishes and managing the household in his absence.

Identity and Role

Mr. Pitcher is described as a "neat, thin old man" who stands near the manservant opening the door when Mary Lennox first arrives at Misselthwaite Manor. He is the only person besides Mrs. Medlock whom Archibald Craven allows to see him when he is at the Manor. Mrs. Medlock explains that Pitcher "took care of him when he was a child and he knows his ways," indicating a long-standing, intimate familiarity with the master's habits and temperament. This history gives Pitcher a unique position: he is not merely a servant but the one person who has known Craven since boyhood and who is permitted access to the master's private rooms in the West Wing.

Function as Gatekeeper

Pitcher's primary function in the narrative is to enforce Craven's desire for isolation. On the night of Mary's arrival, it is Pitcher who delivers the master's orders: "You are to take her to her room. He doesn't want to see her. He's going to London in the morning." He then instructs Mrs. Medlock that her duty is to "make sure that he's not disturbed and that he doesn't see what he doesn't want to see." This establishes Pitcher as the intermediary who translates Craven's reclusive commands into practical household management, ensuring that the master's wishes—particularly his wish to avoid contact with others, including his own niece—are carried out without question.

Narrative Significance

Though Mr. Pitcher appears only briefly, his presence establishes the atmosphere of secrecy and withdrawal that pervades Misselthwaite Manor. He is the visible embodiment of Archibald Craven's self-imposed exile, the human mechanism by which the master's refusal to engage with the world is implemented. His long service and intimate knowledge of Craven's character also hint at the depth of the master's grief and the extent to which he has constructed his life around avoiding reminders of his loss. Pitcher's role as the sole permitted attendant underscores the profound isolation that defines both Craven and, by extension, the entire household.