The Blue Lagoon · Character

Paddy Button

The warm-hearted Irish tar whose yarns of pigs, babies, and Deal longshoremen keep two frightened children laughing through empty days at sea.

supporting

Also known as Pat, Paddy, Mr. Paddy, Croagh Patrick, Pawthrick

First appearance: I: Where the Slush Lamp Burns

As a supporting figure in The Blue Lagoon, Paddy Button is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Appears as a member of the ship's company, involved in the events.

In the storyBook IOpen this moment free

See Paddy Button in Book I Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

With Dick (family): Paddy Button is Dick's uncle, acting as a surrogate father figure on the island. With Mr. Button (family): Mr. Button and Paddy Button are brothers, sharing a familial bond. With Emmeline (family):…

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The fuller portrait of Paddy Button sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Paddy Button in I: Where the Slush Lamp Burns

Character Web

9 connections

A slice of how Paddy Button sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Other

Character groups

Primary castaways and guardians
Assorted minor characters
Protagonist

+4 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative 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 it marks the emotional and psychological peak where the protagonis…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Dick
family · positive
Paddy Button is Dick's uncle, acting as a surrogate father figure on the island. How this plays out →
Mr. Button
family · positive
Emmeline
family · positive
Captain Le Farge
social · ambivalent
Dick
family · positive
Paddy Button is Dick's uncle, acting as a surrogate father figure on the island. How this plays out →
Mr. Button
family · positive
Dick
family · positive
Paddy Button is Dick's uncle, acting as a surrogate father figure on the island. How this plays out →
Emmeline
family · positive
Emmeline
family · positive
Mr. Button
family · positive

Dick
Paddy Button is Dick's uncle, acting as a surrogate father figure on the island.
Mr. Button
Mr. Button and Paddy Button are brothers, sharing a familial bond.
Emmeline
Paddy Button is Emmeline's uncle, caring for her after her father's death.
Captain Le Farge
Captain Le Farge and Paddy Button have a passing acquaintance from sea voyages.
Dick
Paddy Button is Dick's uncle, acting as a surrogate father figure on the island.
Mr. Button
Mr. Button and Paddy Button are brothers, sharing a familial bond.
Dick
Paddy Button is Dick's uncle, acting as a surrogate father figure on the island.
Emmeline
Paddy Button is Emmeline's uncle, caring for her after her father's death.
Emmeline
Paddy Button is Emmeline's uncle, caring for her after her father's death.
Mr. Button
Mr. Button and Paddy Button are brothers, sharing a familial bond.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Paddy Button in I: Where the Slush Lamp Burns

In the story

Paddy Button appears across 10 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Book I
Appears as a member of the ship's company, involved in the events.
I: Where the Slush Lamp Burns
Referred to as 'Pawthrick' and 'Left-handed Pat,' he is the same as Mr. Button, a superstitious and seasoned sailor.
II: Under the Stars
Mentioned as the one who usually finds Emmeline's lost box, noted for his appeal to children despite often doing the wrong thing in adult eyes.
V: Voices Heard in the Mist
Mentions Paddy's earlier stampede of the crew, which Captain Le Farge resents, but Paddy is not present in the dinghy.
Story of the Pig and the Billy-Goat
Tells the story of the pig and the billy-goat, and later makes a tent with the sail for the children.
IX: Shadows in the Moonlight
Referred to as Paddy, he cares for the children and is lost in nostalgic thoughts of Connemara.
XVIII: The Rat Hunt
Suffers from delirium tremens after a week of heavy drinking, hallucinating rats and a horse.
XIX: Starlight on the Foam
Referenced as the same person as Mr. Button; his drunken swim is described.
XX: The Dreamer on the Reef
Absent at the start; his coat and tinder box are left on the sand; eventually spotted on the reef by Dick.
XXI: The Garland of Flowers
Found dead on the reef, his face partially destroyed by rock larvae, a crab emerging from his mouth.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Paddy Button unlock in the free preview.

See Paddy Button in I: Where the Slush Lamp Burns

See Paddy Button in Book I