The Water-Babies · Character
Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby
A gentle fairy who tends the water-babies and rewards kindness with kindness, teaching Tom that the golden rule is not a slogan but a way of moving through the world.
supporting
Also known as dear Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby
First appearance: iv
As a supporting figure in The Water-Babies, Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
She appears on Sunday, cares for the water-babies, and tells them stories.
She belongs to the fairy hierarchy that governs the river world, the counterpart to the stern Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid, and her name is her law: treat others as you would be treated. Where Tom arrives raw from chimney-sweeping, expecting blows and giving them, she offers the patient affection that quietly exposes how much he still has to learn. Her tenderness matters because it gives the middle of the book its moral center, showing what Tom is being shaped toward rather than merely what he is running from.
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- Other
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- Satirical and moral exemplars
- Protagonist
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Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of Tom’s moral crisi…
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Chapter companion notes
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See Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby in iv