# Mitchell — While the Billy Boils character guide > Mitchell in While the Billy Boils by Henry Lawson. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Jack Mitchell, Jack Drew, Jacky, Enter Mitchell **First appearance:** 0004-enter-mitchell ## Snapshot A laconic, philosophical swagman whose dry yarns and sudden flashes of rough tenderness make him the bush's most memorable travelling companion. ## Who they are Mitchell tramps the long, dry stretches of the outback with the narrator, rolling out his swag on the sand and covering his face with calico against the moonlight. He can curse a grieving mother like a larrikin one moment, then lay a work-roughened hand on a dead boy's forehead and mutter 'Poor little cove!' the next. His blend of hard-bitten humour and buried compassion shapes the collection's vision of mateship and hardship. ## In the story ### [While the Billy Boils](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/while-the-billy-boils) Appears in multiple stories as a swagman and storyteller, embodying the bush worker's wit and resilience. ### [Enter Mitchell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/enter-mitchell) Introduced as a short, stout, bowlegged swagman with red hair and a comedian's expression, arriving at Redfern station with his dog and swag. ### [When the Sun Went Down](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/when-the-sun-went-down) Jack Drew, the younger brother, quarrels with Tom but apologizes and descends the shaft. He is trapped in a cave-in and rescued by Tom, but Tom dies after the rescue. ### [The Man Who Forgot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/the-man-who-forgot) The goat of the shed, skeptical and sarcastic, who suggests the man might be a lord or a thief. ### [Hungerford](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/hungerford) The narrator's mate, who sits with him on their swags to discuss matters. ### [A Camp-Fire Yarn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/a-camp-fire-yarn) Tells the yarn about his proposals to two ugly girls, reflecting on his own appearance and the consequences of his jokes. ### [A Day on a Selection](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/a-day-on-a-selection) One of the younger children at the dinner table, scolded for misbehavior. ### [Going Blind](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/going-blind) Jack Gunther asks the narrator if he knows a drover named Joe Scott, who is his half-brother; this connects to Mitchell's alias Jack Drew. ### [On the Edge of a Plain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/on-the-edge-of-a-plain) Mitchell recounts his return home after being thought dead, and his subsequent departure. ### [Another of Mitchell’s Plans for the Future](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/another-of-mitchell-s-plans-for-the-future) Narrates his elaborate plan to settle down with a cocky's daughter, shear sheep, and secure a farm through marriage. ### [Remailed](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/remailed) Referred to as 'Jack' who asks for the paper after Bill. ### [Mitchell Doesn’t Believe in the Sack](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/mitchell-doesn-t-believe-in-the-sack) Mitchell explains his resolve to never accept the sack again and describes his strategy to outlast any employer who tries to dismiss him. ### [Shooting the Moon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/shooting-the-moon) The narrator of the yarn, who planned to 'shoot the moon' from a pub and was caught by the landlord. ### [“Dossing Out” and “Camping”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/dossing-out-and-camping) Implied as the old mate who collected the food parcels left by the man-whose-name-doesn't-matter. ### [The Drover’s Wife](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/the-drover-s-wife) One of the younger children, who complains about being crowded and is taught to swear by Tommy. ### [Some Day](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/some-day) Reveals a deeply personal memory of a lost love, Edie Brown, and expresses regret and bitterness over his wasted years and inability to return home. ### [Mitchell: A Character Sketch](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/mitchell-a-character-sketch) The protagonist who uses wit and diplomacy to secure rations for himself and his mates. ### [Our Pipes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/our-pipes) Tells the story of his first smoking experiences and his mother's opposition, later bonding with his father over the habit. ### [Coming Across—A Study in the Steerage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/coming-across-a-study-in-the-steerage) Likely one of the shearers or bushmen involved in the drunken arguments and storytelling in the cabin. ### [Two Dogs and a Fence](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/two-dogs-and-a-fence) Mitchell narrates the extended analogy about dogs and fences, drawing parallels to human nature and conflict. ### [For Auld Lang Syne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/for-auld-lang-syne) Jack, the narrator's 'especial chum,' is among the push; he pauses during 'Auld Lang Syne' to note the police sergeant joining in, and later is the last mate to leave, described as 'perhaps the most irreclaimable of us all.' ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/characters/mitchell - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/characters