Thomas Wake

*"Should pale death with treble dread make the ocean caves our bed, God who hear'st the surges roll, deign to save the suppliant soul."*
―Thomas Wake[src]
**Thomas Wake** is an aging lighthouse keeper stationed at a lighthouse off the coast of New England.

## Biography

### Background

*"Ever married?"
"Thirteen Christmases at sea...little 'uns at home. She never forgave it."*
―Thomas Howard and Thomas Wake[src]
Thomas Wake claims to have been a sailor and that his wife left him after he spent thirteen Christmases at sea, leaving her alone with their children.

### Arrival at the Lighthouse

*"When the fog clears, you’ll work through the dog watch --"
"Doggin' it? Was 'spectin' I’d git up to the lantern."
"The rules is alternatin' shifts --"
"It's the mid watch that's to dread, lad: night to morning. My watch. Some new junior man I'm fixed with -- Y'act like y'never been to sea a'fore."
"I...Aye, sir."
"That uni'form don't fit ye."
"Well, sir, it's the one them establishment fellers gave me --"
"I'm meanin' y'ain’t fit fer the wearin' of it. See to yer duties. The light's mine."*
―Thomas Wake and Thomas Howard[src]

Thomas Howard travels by tender to the lighthouse with his younger assistant. They arrive on the island as the previous caretakers are leaving. Once they enter the living quarters, Wake urinates into a bedpan as his assistant sits down upon his bed. Wake farts in the assistant's face before walking away whistling.

Later that evening, Wake prepares supper for them. Before they eat, he toasts their upcoming four weeks of work. He invites the assistant to make a toast, but he declines. Wake tells him that it is bad luck to leave a toast unfinished and asks why he does not wish to drink. The young man states that he understands it to be against regulations from reading *Instructions to Light-Keepers*. Wake is surprised to learn that he is a reading man. The assistant states that he is not trying to make trouble and Wake advises him to follow his orders, which he points out is also in the manual.

The assistant gives in and pours himself some water, toasting the four weeks. Wake watches expectantly as the assistant takes a drink, laughing as he spits it out in disgust. Wake tells the assistant that sanitising the cistern is one of his duties. He then orders him to clean the brass and clockwork, tidy the quarters and do some mending outside. He asks if the assistant understands and he replies "yes, sir", to which Wake advises him to say "aye, sir" instead. Wake tells the assistant that he will work through the dog watch when the storm clears and the assistant replies that he had expected to see the lantern. Wake replies that he tends the light, with the assistant stating that the rules call for alternating shifts. Wake insists that tending the light is his duty alone.

Later that night, Wake stands before the light at the top of the tower. As he stares into it, he undresses and toasts it, declaring "to ye, me beauty".

### Observing his assistant

*"Now look here, I ain't never intended to be no housewife nor slave in takin' this job. It ain't right! These lodgings is more ramshackle than any shanty boy's camp I ever seen. The queen of England's own fancy housekeeper couldn't do no better than what I done, 'cause I tell you, I scrubbed this here place twice over, sir and -"
"And I say y'did nothin' o'the sort. I say, y'swab it again, and y'swab it proper-like this time, and then you'll be swabbin' it ten times more after that. And if I tells ye to pull up and apart every floorboard and clapboard of this here house and scour 'em down with yer bare, bleedin' knuckles, you'll do it. If I tells ye to yank out every single nail from every moulderin' nail-hole and suck off every spec of rust till all them nails sparkle like a sperm whale's pecker, and then carpenter the whole light station back together from scrap -- and then -- do it all over again -- you'll do it! And by God and by Golly, you'll do it smilin' lad, cause you'll like it, too. And you'll like it 'cause I says you will! Contree'dict me again I dock yer wages. Y'hear me, lad?"
"Aye, sir."
"Now swab, dog. Swab!"*
―Thomas Howard and Thomas Wake[src]

The next morning, Wake wakes his assistant and tells him to replace the shingles on the roof and fetch oil for the lamp after he has sanitised the cistern. He then lies down and goes to sleep. Later in the day, he stands atop the tower and sees his assistant throwing pieces of coal at a one-eyed seagull that blocks the entrance to the fog signal house, causing it to fly away. Later still, he catches the assistant, who has carried an oil drum to the top of the tower, trying to enter the top room. He tells him not to go in there and gives him a cannister to save him from having to carry heavy oil drums all the way up the stairs in future. He tells the assistant to catch his breath and bring the drum back to where he found it. He chides the assistant for being behind on his duties and asks him if he is a dullard. The assistant states that he is not, to which Wake states that he fooled him.

As they eat supper that evening, Wake encourages the assistant to cheer up and enjoy the chatter with him. The assistant states that he is not one for talking, to which Wake replies that he is not the first. Wake reminisces of his time on the *Chicopee* in 1864, telling the assistant of a mutiny that broke out, which was driven by boredom among the sailors. He tells him that the only medicine is drink, as it keeps men happy, agreeable and calm, to which the assistant replies that it keeps them stupid. Wake laughs, telling the assistant that he has an old tar spirit in him.

Wake encourages the assistant to ask the question that is on his mind. He asks why Wake's previous assistant left and Wake replies that he died. He elaborates that the assistant went mad, having raved about sirens, merfolk and bad omens. He states that the assistant believed that there was an enchantment in the light, that St. Elmo had cast his fire into it. The young man is amused, dismissing it as a tall tale. Wake tells the assistant he saw him sparring with the gull and tells him to leave it alone, as it is bad luck to kill a sea bird, which the assistant also dismisses as a tall tale. Wake gets angry, throws his cup at the assistant and repeats his warning. Seeing the shock in the young man's face, Wake comports himself and tells him to pay him no mind and to fix them some coffee. That night, he once again stands naked in front of the light and steps outside as he redresses.

The next day, Wake approaches the assistant and accuses him of neglecting his duties. He takes him to the living quarters and points out the floor. The assistant insists that he mopped and swept it twice over and Wake calls him a liar. The assistant asks if Wake gets a thrill out of molesting him and Wake tells him not to contradict him. The assistant states that he never intended to be a slave or housewife in taking the job and criticizes the condition of the quarters, stating that he did the best job he could under the conditions. Wake replies that he did nothing of the sort and orders him to swab it again and do a better job. He then tells him to follow his orders, no matter how demanding they are, and to do it with a smile. He threatens to cut the assistant's wages if he contradicts him again, at which point the assistant gives up and agrees. He then watches the assistant's work more closely, taking notes on his performance in his logbook.

Several days later, Wake stands atop the lighthouse and holds the assistant up with a harness while he whitewashes the outside. As Wake instructs him, the assistant states that sailors will be unable to see it in a storm. Wake advises him to keep his temper, as he is doing fine work and making high marks in his logbook. He suddenly lowers the assitant several feet, causing him to tell him to take it easy. Wake tells him to stop his flailing and keep still, but the harness breaks and sends him falling to the ground, knocking him unconscious.

Wake writes several comments in his logbook criticising the assitant's work. Among his criticisms are him sleeping late, working below standard, having a hostile attitude, going missing, engaging in habitual self-abuse in the supply shed, being drunk on duty, assaulting him and stealing. He recommends that he be dismissed without pay.

### Introduction

*"Ephraim Winslow. These last two weeks, I'd... well, I'd like it, sir, if you'd call me by my name."
"Listen to ye, giving orders, lad."
"Winslow."
"Alright, alright... suits me just as fine, Ephraim Winslow."*
―Thomas Howard and Thomas Wake[src]

As they sup to commemorate the completion of two weeks work, the assistant introduces himself to Wake as "Ephraim Winslow" and asks that he call him by his name for the remainder of their tenure. Wake is amused to hear him giving orders and at his urging agrees to his request. Wake asks Winslow what he brought someone like him to the island. Winslow asks what he means and Wake replies "pretty as a picture", but then laughs and tells Winslow that he is only joshing him. He asks Winslow what he worked as before and he replies that he was a lumberjack in the Hudson Bay outfit in Canada. Wake asks if it is true that there is forest up there as far as the eye can see and Winslow replies that it is.

Wake asks Winslow if he left because he had had enough of trees and when Winslow replies that he had. Wake states that he cannot blame him, as he heard that the work was very demanding. He affirms that the sea is the only life for him. Winslow asks if he misses it and Wake replies that he does, but his damaged leg has made it undesirable to return to it. He declares that he is a wickie and that he is wedded to the light, which has been a finer, truer, quieter wife to him than any alive blooded woman. Winslow asks if he was ever married and Wake replies that his wife left him and he left her at home with their children while he spent thirteen Christmasses at sea.

Wake asks Winslow why a lumberjack such as himself would want to become a wickie. Winslow tells him since he left his father, he has worked in many different professions, but never found one that was to his liking. Wake asks if he is on the run and Winslow replies that he is simply looking for a fresh start. He states that he had heard a man could earn a lot of money tending a lighthouse and hopes to save his earnings so that he can buy a home up country where he will not have to take orders from anyone. Later, Winslow asks why it is bad luck to kill a gull and Wake informs him that they are vessels for the souls of dead sailors. He asks Winslow if he is a praying man and Winslow replies that he does not pray as often as he could, but is God-fearing.

Wake continues to make his nightly visits to the light, masturbating as he stares into it.

### The Storm

*"This ain't funny."
"No, it ain't. And I ain't wantin' to be stranded here with some damned lunatic."
"Stranded?"
"That's what I said."
"I thought you said relief was comin'."
"If we can wait out this storm."
"The tender is comin'."
"In '75 'Ol Striker were marooned here for seven long months, he was. The storm died on the mainland but here, waters were too rageful neither to launch nor land."
"Yer just tryin' to scare me."
"Look at ye. Pretendin'. But ye well-know yer lot."*
―Thomas Howard and Thomas Wake[src]

The day before they are due to leave the island, Wake notices the wind beginning to change and informs Winslow, who thinks nothing of it. Wake warns him that it is the calm before the storm and that the North Easterly wind will soon blow like Gabriel's horn. He tells Winslow that they need to board up the signal house windows. Noticing Winslow's dismissive attidtude, Wake advises him not to start begrudging him just before they leave. At Winslow's request, Wake helps him board up the windows. Wake has Winslow pull the lobster trap out of the ocean and inside they find several live lobsters.

Wake cooks the lobsters for their supper and urges Winslow to drink with him on their last night together, insisting that he will not take no for answer. Winslow agrees and attempts to make Wake's toast, but cannot remember all of it and simply declares "to relief!". They spend the night drinking, singing, smoking and trading stories. Wake tells Winslow of a young woman he met in Salem when he broke his leg and was treated by Catholic nuns. Wake tells Winslow that he might miss him, as he his quickly becoming a true blue wickie in the making. He tells him that he will be working the lamp in no time and Winslow asks why he has not. An argument breaks out between them, but they quickly laugh it off. Winslow asks Wake his name and he finally introduces himself to him.

The next morning, Wake finds Winslow already at work when he awakes. Winslow later comes running into the lighthouse, which prompts Wake to ask him why he is running. Wake comments that he smells of shit and tells him to swab the mess they made the previous night before the tender arrives. Later, they wait outside in the pouring rain for the tender, but it never arrives.

Wake discovers that the damp has reached the provisions and informs Winslow, stating that they need to ration the food. Winslow is not worried, stating that it has only been one day since the tender failed to arrive, and suggests that he take the dory out. Wake tells him that it has been weeks since the tender did not arrive and that he has been telling Winslow to ration the food and Winslow has suggested taking the dory out for weeks. He tells Winslow of a man named Striker who was marooned their for seven months in 1875 due to a storm, warning him that they may now be in a similar situation.

### The Sea Curse

*"Let Neptune strike ye dead, Winslow! Hark, Triton, Hark! Bellow, and bid our father, the sea king, rise up from the depths, full-foul in his fury, black waves teeming with salt-foam, to smother this young mouth with pungent slime, to choke ye, engorging yer organs till ye turn blue and bloated with bilge and brine and can scream no more...only when, he, crowned in cockle shells with slithering tentacled tail and steaming beard, takes up his fell, be-finned arm -– his coral-tined trident screeches banshee-like in the tempest and runs you through the gullet, bursting ye, a bulging bladder no more, but a blasted bloody film now -- a nothing for the Harpies and the souls of dead sailors to peck and claw and feed upon, only to be lapped up and swallowed by the infinite waters of the dread emperor himself, forgotten to any man, to any time, forgotten to any god or devil, forgotten even to the sea... for any stuff or part of Winslow, even any scantling of your soul, is Winslow no more, but is now itself the sea."*
―Thomas Wake to Thomas Howard[src]

At Wake's urging, they dig up a crate filled with alcohol. As they drink, Wake tells Winslow that he and some fellow sailors were bitten by ship rats and contracted gangreen. They reached an island, but found only grass upon it, which they ate and got scurvy, which damaged his leg. Winslow informs Wake that he had previously told him a different story of how he injured his leg and Wake insists that he must have misheard him. They continue to drink and Winslow tells Wake of his time in Canada and a foreman named "Winslow" who was always ragging on him, which confuses the older man.

Winslow asks Wake how his fellow sailors ate the grass, having lost their teeth to scurvy. Wake replies that they ripped it out with their hands and swallowed it, causing both men to laugh. Sensing that there is something that Winslow wishes to say, Wake asks him "What?". Confused, Winslow repeats the question to him. They both repeat the question over and over, faster and faster as they go along, before Winslow explodes in frustration. Wake laughs as Winslow declares that he wants a steak and that if he had a rare, bloody steak he would fuck it. Wake takes this as a declaration that Winslow does not like his cooking and Winslow tells him not to be such an old bitch. Winslow calls his cooking "horse shit" and Wake replies that Winslow is only saying this because he is drunk. He states that Winslow is fond of his lobster and demands that Winslow admit it, but he refuses. Growing upset, Wake gets to his feet and declares that Neptune will strike Winslow dead. He calls upon Triton to rise from the depths and unleash his terrible fury upon Winslow. Terrified, Winslow gives in and states that he likes Wake's cooking.

The next day, Wake finds Winslow standing over him as he wakes up. He asks why Winslow is not weaing his shoes and Winslow replies that he did not want to wake him. Wake turns over to go back to sleep and tells Winslow to return to his duties. Winslow tells Wake that he has lost his humanity from being apart from others for so long and is only tolerable when he is drunk, but Wake is unmoved and tells him to get to work.

### Winslow's Confession

*"Thomas."
"Aye?"
"It's Thomas."
"Aye."
"No, I...I'm Thomas."
"I'm Thomas. You're Ephraim."
"I lied."
"Well, I'll be scuppered."
"I'm Thomas. Tommy."
"Tommy? Tommy Winslow."
"Tom Howard."
"What’s Winslow?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"It ain’t my fault...I...No."
"Can I trust you?"
"Don’t be spilling any of yer beans to me."*
―Thomas Howard and Thomas Howard[src]

As the nights go on, Wake and Winslow continue to drink heavily, which leads to them dancing and singing. They later have a slow dance as Wake sings softly. They almost kiss, but Winslow pushes Wake away and they end up engaging in fisticuffs. Afterwards, Winslow admits that his real name is "Thomas Howard", despite Wake telling him not to spill him beans and that he is bored of his guilty conscience. Wake grows angry at Winslow for spilling his beans.

Howard runs out to the boathouse and attemts to leave the island on the dory, but Wake arrives and smashes it up with an axe. Howard flees back towards the lighthouse and Wake chases after him. Once they return the lighthouse, Wake accuses Howard of abandoning his post and buries the axe in the table. He threatens to report Howard, but Howard threatens to report him, accusing him of killing his previous assistant. Howard states that Wake drove the assistant insane with a mermaid scrimshaw, informing him that he broke it as he produces the pieces. Howard giddily declares that he is free from Wake's designs as Wake watches him, bewildered.

Wake states that Howard has gone mad and that Howard was the one who smashed up the dory and chased him with an axe. Howard is confused and Wake tells him to hand over the dinner knife he pocketed, which he does. Wake sits down and asks Howard how long they have been on the island and suggests that it may all be a figment of his imagination, that he is still in the Canadian wildreness, hallucinating. Defeated, Howard sits and states that he could use a smoke, to which Wake replies that they are out of drink. Howard brews Thieves' Oil and they drink it. Driven into a state of manic delirium, they do not notice as the storm intensifies and the waves tear through the lighthouse.

### Found Out

*"I always win because yer less a man than I -- and them’s the rules of nature. Them’s truth. I am truth. I make the truth as I see fit. Me. And the truth is that yer a nothin’, Tommy-Tom-Tom. A nothing but a dog what thinks he’s the master when he pulls on his master’s leash. Well if you pull on my leash, I’ll choke ye, Thomas Howard, I’ll strangle ye, fer Winslow were right: You’re A DOG, THOMAS! A FILTHY DOG!! A DOG!!!"*
―Thomas Wake to Thomas Howard[src]

The men wake the next morning and Howard tells Wake that he wishes he could go for a walk. Wake invites him to be his guest, telling that he will drown. Wake tries to light his pipe, but is unable to light a match. Howard lights one and lights his pipe, but Wake notices Howard's hand bleeding and asks him what happened to it. He begins to explain tetanus to Howard, who angrily tells him to shut up. Howard accuses Wake of lying about being a sailor and injuring his leg before attacking his habits and his personal hygiene. Wake tells Howard he has a way with words and relieves him of his duties. Howard then opens his logbook and reads aloud the damning comments he has written.

Howard argues that he works as hard as any man and Wake states that he is lying, but lacks the self-awareness to realize it. Howard kneels and begs to be allowed into the light, but Wake refuses and accuses him of being entitled. He mocks Howard for crying and asks if he will kill him like he did the seagull. Howard denies it and Wake calls him a liar, accusing him of bringing the storm upon them and killing Winslow. He calls him a dog and the two men attack each other, wrestling each other to the floor. Howard eventually overpowers and subdues Wake and orders him to bark like a dog, which he does.

Howard ties a rope around Wake's neck and forces him outside on all fours. He leads him out to a hole in the ground and orders him into it. Wake gets into the hole and Howard begins to fill it with soil. Wake warns him of what awaits him when he sees the lantern, that he will be exposed to great beauty and horror that will ultimately drive him insane. Once Wake falls silent, Howard steals his keys and goes back inside. However, Wake soon rushes in with an axe, declaring the the light belongs to him. He buries the axe in Howard's shoulder, but Howard strikes him across the face with a kettle, knocking him to the floor. Howard then takes the axe and buries it in Wake's head, killing him.

### Post-Mortem

*"The light belongs to me!"*
―Thomas Wake's last words[src]

Immediately after killing him, Howard mockingly repeats Wake's toast and takes a drink of turpentine. He then enters the top room of the lighthouse and stares into the light. Wake's final warning is proven correct, for while Howard is initially overcome with bliss, he soon begins screaming in agony and horror. He loses his footing and falls all the way down the stairs. He later lies on the rocks, his body broken, as seagulls defecate on him and peck at his exposed organs.

## Personality

*"You ain't even human no more. Workin' apart from folks so long. What'd you lose? Yer only tol'rable when yer drunk."
"Get to work, says I!"*
―Thomas Howard and Thomas Wake[src]
Thomas Wake appears to be jovial and friendly, but is a deceitful and selfish man. He abandoned his family to travel at sea, becoming estranged from them in the process. During their tenure at the lighthouse, Wake is pleasant to Thomas Howard, attempting to encourage him to drink and engage in idle conversation with him, but makes unrealistic demands of him while he works. He forbids him access to the light while he himself tends it, doing no other work besides cooking their supper. Wake displays hypocrisy in his critiques of Howard's workmanship in his logbook, criticising him for drinking, masturbating and sleeping late during working hours despite doing the same himself. He also throws Howard's perception of reality into question, such as when he tells him conflicting stories of how he injured his leg.

## Religion

*"Y'wish to see what's in that lantern? So did me last assistant. Y'said yer a God fearin' man, Tommy? Them's truth, Tommy! O what Protean forms swim up from men's minds and melt in hot Promethean plunder scorching eyes with divine shames and horrors and cast them down to Davy Jones. And others, still blind, yet in it see all divine graces and to Fiddler's Green sent, where no man is suffered to want and toil, but is ancient, mutable and unchanging as the she who girdles 'round the globe. Them's truth. And you'll be punished."*
―**Thomas Wake** to Thomas Howard[src]
Wake appears to worship gods of the sea, as he invokes Neptune and Triton when he curses Howard. However, he later invokes Jesus Christ, Mary and Joseph when he tells Howard that he has gone mad. He also mentions deities of the Ancient Greek faith, such as Prometheus and Proteus, when he tells Howard what he will see within the light.

## Trivia

* Thomas Wake is referred to as "Old" in the script, with Thomas Howard being referred to as "Young".
* The plot of *The Lighthouse* is similar to the real story of a tragedy that took place at the Smalls Lighthouse in Wales in the early nineteenth century, which involved two lighthouse keepers named Thomas Howell and Thomas Griffith.
* Thomas Wake was the name of a pirate in the who lived sixteenth century and hailed from New England.
* The scene in which Wake appears naked to Thomas Howard with beams of light emittimg from his eyes is insired by the 1904 painting "Hypnosis" by Sascha Schneider.
* During their final showdown, Wake appears to Howard as a version of himself with a coral horn and tentacles. He is intended to be Proteus, a prophetic sea god from Greek mythology.

## Behind the Scenes

* Robert Eggers has stated that assistant editor Katrina Pastore created the sound of Thomas Wake's farts by jamming ramen noodles with a chopstick.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Eggers, Robert; Eggers, Max, *The Lighthouse*, A24, USA, May 19, 2019
2. ↑ ['The Lighthouse' Director Robert Eggers on Making the Most Bonkers Film of 2019 (vice.com) 'The Lighthouse' Director Robert Eggers on Making the Most Bonkers Film of 2019 (vice.com)
3. ↑ The Lighthouse director Robert Eggers on the movie’s ending, twists, and mermaid sex. (slate.com)
4. ↑ Who Farted? An Investigation Into ‘The Lighthouse’ Sounds (vulture.com)