# Bill — If I Had a Father character guide

> Bill in If I Had a Father by George MacDonald.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Bill Pigs, Bill Rags, Bill Lor, Bill Honour, Bill Timothy, Bill Green, Bill Dunnow, Bill Shoeblack

**First appearance:** 0000-act-i

## Snapshot

A sharp-tongued shoeblack with a three-legged stool, a weakness for the right word in the right place, and a fierce, unspoken devotion to Mattie that he defends with his fists.

## Who they are

Bill scrapes pennies from gentlemen's boots and squabbles with Jim and Jack over buns and ha'pennies, but he turns serious the moment anyone threatens Mattie, whom he calls a hangel and refuses to claim as his sister or sweetheart. He warns her about the swell with the ivory-handled cane and promises the man shan't touch her. His loyalty and quick fists make him the street-level guardian of Mattie's precarious safety.

## Relationships

### [Mattie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/mattie)

_family_

Bill is Mattie's father, and their relationship is central, marked by deep emotional conflict and a search for connection.

### [Gervaise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/gervaise)

_professional_

Bill employs Gervaise as a housekeeper, but their interactions go beyond professional, hinting at a deeper, unresolved history.

### [Jack](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/jack)

_family_

Jack is Bill's son, and their relationship is strained, with Bill's absence and emotional distance causing conflict.

### [Thomas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/thomas)

_professional_

Bill and Thomas have a working relationship, with Thomas often acting as Bill's right-hand man, though trust is limited.

### [Daddy Longlegs](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/daddy_longlegs)

_psychological_

Bill has an obsessive, almost paranoid fixation on Daddy Longlegs, viewing him as a rival or threat.

### [Mattie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/mattie)

_family_

Bill is Mattie's father, and their relationship is central, marked by deep emotional conflict and a search for connection.

### [Mattie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/mattie)

_family_

Bill is Mattie's father, and their relationship is central, marked by deep emotional conflict and a search for connection.

### [Gervaise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/gervaise)

_professional_

Bill employs Gervaise as a housekeeper, but their interactions go beyond professional, hinting at a deeper, unresolved history.

### [Thomas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/thomas)

_professional_

Bill and Thomas have a working relationship, with Thomas often acting as Bill's right-hand man, though trust is limited.

### [Jack](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/jack)

_family_

Jack is Bill's son, and their relationship is strained, with Bill's absence and emotional distance causing conflict.

### [Thomas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/thomas)

_professional_

Bill and Thomas have a working relationship, with Thomas often acting as Bill's right-hand man, though trust is limited.

### [Jack](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/jack)

_family_

Jack is Bill's son, and their relationship is strained, with Bill's absence and emotional distance causing conflict.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters/bill
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/if_i_had_a_father_se/characters