Character Sketch of Schoolteacher in Beloved

Schoolteacher is Mr. Garner’s brother-in-law. After Mr. Garner’s death, schoolteacher takes charge of Sweet Home. He finds pleasure inflicting pain upon others; finding several ways to break the will of his slaves. His habits are extremely simple and frugal. He eats little, sleeps less, and works hard.

His arrival at Sweet Home is the trigger that forces the slaves to plan their escape but he aborts their attempts. He is cold and calculating; when he sees Sixo singing, he is convinced a mad slave is of no use and orders him to be killed. When he comes to capture Sethe and her children and Sethe kills her infant daughter, he goes away empty handed because Sethe is dangerous and unhinged, hence of no use to him.

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