# The Doctor's Home explained — The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

> Chapter companion for The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting.

## What happens

Tommy Stubbins, after delivering shoes to a rude Colonel, returns to Doctor Dolittle's house hoping to find him home. A sudden thunderstorm forces him to run, and he collides with a kind little man who turns out to be Doctor Dolittle himself. The Doctor takes Tommy to his home, where Tommy is overwhelmed by the noisy, chaotic welcome from the Doctor's many pets in the dark.

## Themes in this chapter

### Kindness and Compassion

Doctor Dolittle's immediate kindness to Tommy, a stranger, contrasts sharply with the Colonel's rudeness.

### Adventure and Exploration

Tommy's first entry into the Doctor's mysterious home feels like stepping into a dream, full of strange sounds and animals.

## Character check-ins

### Tommy Stubbins

Narrator and protagonist; delivers shoes, seeks help for his sick squirrel, and meets Doctor Dolittle.

### Doctor Dolittle

The kind, shabby little man who collides with Tommy in the storm and brings him home to dry off.

### Jip

The dog who guards the gate and joyfully greets the Doctor upon his return.

### Dab-Dab

The white duck who brings a candle down the stairs, lighting the dark hallway.

## Key lines

> I had often wondered, when I had looked in from the front gate, what Doctor Dolittle would be like and what the funny little house would have inside it. But I never imagined it would be anything like this.

Tommy had frequently speculated about the Doctor and his peculiar home from the gate, but the reality far exceeded his imagination.

_Tommy's wonder and surprise at the Doctor's extraordinary household._

> To my great surprise, instead of getting angry at being knocked down, the little man began to laugh.

Tommy was astonished that the man he collided with laughed instead of becoming upset.

_Highlights the Doctor's gentle and forgiving nature._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_voyages_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/part-i-iii-the-doctor-s-home
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_voyages_of_doctor_dolittle_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_voyages_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters