A Pair of Blue Eyes · Character
William Worm
The Swancourts' servant who hears frying fish in his head, grumbles about esquires, and lends the vicarage its comic, fatalistic undertone.
supporting
Also known as Worm, William
First appearance: Chapter II
As a supporting figure in A Pair of Blue Eyes, William Worm is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Servant who shows Stephen in through the back door; speaks in a rustic dialect.
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Worm is the vicar's long-suffering man-of-all-work, trailing behind the household with a deafness he describes as a perpetual sizzle of fish in a pan. He grumbles about social pretension and his own decline, yet stays…
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The fuller portrait of William Worm sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.
See William Worm in Chapter IICharacter Web
15 connectionsA slice of how William Worm sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Primary Character Network
- Secondary & Background Figures
+10 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because Elfride’s desperate, unannounced arrival at Knight’s chambers repr…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingIn the story
William Worm appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for William Worm unlock in the free preview.
See William Worm in Chapter II