Kitty Jones

Kathleen "Kitty" Jones, is a fictional character in The Bartimaeus Trilogy book series written by Jonathan Stroud. Whilst her appearance in the first book is brief, by the second book she has become a main character, and a large portion of the final two books are told from her point of view.

In the trilogy, Kitty is a commoner who works against the magician-run government, first as a member of an underground association called the Resistance, and then on her own. Like other members of the Resistance she is resistant to the effects of magical attacks, and is able to withstand large-scale assaults from demons that would kill most normal humans.

Overview

Her father works as a salesman in the leather department of a shop and her mother is a cleaner.

A commoner who is one of the main characters of the trilogy, she appears in Book One, but only for a few scenes, with only about 2 pages for her and her fellow Resistance members. She has a very close friend, Jakob Hyrnek who along with her is attacked by a djinn, Nemaides, summoned by Julius Tallow. Nemaides used an attack known as the Black Tumbler which leaves the victim with diagonal gray stripes on the skin. Her friend Jakob unfortunately has to suffer the disastrous consequences of this attack but it does not affect her in any way at all. However in book two, The Golem's Eye she assumes a much larger role and some of the story is from her point of view. In book two she is duped into unleashing a terrible afrit (Honorius) onto the streets of London. In book three, Ptolemy's Gate, she assumes a more important role as she searches to look for an end to the human-djinni hatred, and delves into some of Bartimaeus's history.

Attributes

Appearance

Kitty has dark brown eyes, and straight, dark brown (veering on black) hair, which curls in an unruly fashion at the bottom. When she is young she wears her hair midway down her neck, and it is long by the end of The Golem's Eye. However in the third and final book she cuts it short as part of a disguise for her own protection. Tall for her age and slender, she is described as having smooth skin, freckled hands, and a small mole on the side of her nose. Additionally she is mentioned as having heavy black brows, and a very expressive face, which is "never the same twice". Little is made of her appearance in the first two books, but in Ptolemy's Gate she is called "very pretty".

When she first appears she wears flared trousers, and like the other Resistance members, she often wears a leather jacket.

Personality

Kitty is stubborn and determined, which makes for a useful member of the Resistance. Passionate in her beliefs of democracy, and in her fight to end what she sees as a reign of tyranny, she is hot-tempered and quick to defend her opinions. Sceptical and practical, she is often able to keep tight control of her emotions, and at several points resists crying because she does not want to "slump into self-pity." As a teenager it is said that she "did not waste words when a punch would do", however she remains brisk and business-like when on a job for the Resistance, keeping calm under pressure, and is a fan of careful strategy.

However, whilst pragmatic she is also idealistic. She has a strong moral compass and is very loyal to her friends, and even risks her life to save her enemy John Mandrake in The Golem's Eye. After the events of the second book she begins to view her goals in new lights, and strives for greater aims than simply overthrowing the government. Brave and intelligent despite a lack of education, she seems to mature as the series progresses, and whilst she becomes no less fervent she begins to use words more than violence. It is her act of placing blind trust in Bartimaeus that ultimately results in the failure of the Demon Revolt in the final book of the trilogy.

Role in the series

The Amulet Of Samarkand

There is very little information on Kitty during The Amulet of Samarkand. She is portrayed as an antagonist, or at least, someone hindering Nathaniel during his initial quest. Though readers are not led to think especially well of Nathaniel at this time, Kitty's attack on him comes at a time when there is possibility for him to reform from his mostly arrogant ways and this portrays Kitty in a bad light.

The Golem's Eye

After her brief mention in the first book, more of Kitty's character is revealed within the first few chapters, revealing a history as tragic as Nathaniel's. Kitty's friend, Jakob, was hit with a black tumbler by a magician. Kitty was unaffected because of her resilience to magic. Kitty is established as one of the main protagonists of the book, fighting against the oppressive nature of the magicians. In the book Kitty is betrayed and has to run for her life twice, ultimately proving herself when she saves Nathaniel’s life by killing the Golem, though Nathaniel gets the credit for this.

Ptolemy's Gate

Years later, under the cover of two false identities (Clara Bell and Lizzie Temple), Kitty begins to search for Bartimaeus after the enlightening conversation she had with the djinni in Book Two. Where previously Kitty had thought demons such as Bartimaeus soulless and willing servants to the magicians, her discovery that the spirits are in fact slaves sparks an idea that djinn and commoners can work together against the magicians. Though this idea is initially dismissed by Bartimaeus, who is too old and too worn out to think things can ever change, Kitty’s act of faith in him renews his bond and belief in Ptolemy's feeling that the world can change and the spirits will one day be free of their tyrannical oppressors.