The Teacher

Addie is the deuteragonist of The Teacher. She is an insecure teenager who has faced personal challenges. During the prior school year, Addie was thought to have been involved in an inappropriate relationship with her math teacher, Art Tuttle. Had the allegations been true, Addie would have been the victim of an older, predatory authority figure, but so far, no one has seen her that way. The students and teachers at Caseham High School ostracize Addie because they see her as the perpetrator of the destruction of Art’s reputation and career. This ostracism leaves Addie vulnerable to Nate’s predatory attempts to seduce her.

Addie exemplifies several qualities that are stereotypically associated with teenage girls: She is naive, immature, impulsive, emotionally vulnerable, and romantic—the perfect target for Nate Bennett. Traumatized by her role in her father’s accidental death, she was too naive to understand that attaching herself to Mr. Tuttle could be misinterpreted and lead to his forced resignation. She initially has romantic fantasies about Nate and recognizes them as preposterous, but it’s too late. Nate has already identified Addie’s vulnerabilities and started to groom her by praising her writing and showing personal interest in her. The irony is that the Social Ostracism (compounded by loneliness and bullying) Addie experiences after Mr. Tuttle’s resignation pushes her into Nate’s path. Kenzie’s bullying further pushes her to her breaking point, and she uses the key she impulsively stole from Kenzie’s backpack to enter her house. Finally, Addie, dazzled by her naive belief that she and Nate could be together if only Eve understood, confronts Eve with the truth of her relationship with Nate. When Eve tries to help by suggesting they go to the principal, Addie’s temper flares, and she impulsively attacks Eve with a frying pan.

Nate is the antagonist of The Teacher. In the early chapters of the novel, he is viewed as mild-mannered and charming, a handsome man who appears oblivious to the power his presence has on those around him. Nate is a passionate poet with a special affinity for Edgar Allan Poe and the tragedy laced throughout his work. Nate seems to be an enthusiastic English teacher, using the romance and imagery of poetry and literature to inspire those around him.

Nate takes a special interest in Addie on the first day of school, perhaps inspired by the rumors that she had an inappropriate relationship with Mr. Tuttle. One of the Effects of Rumors and Scandal is that Addie is isolated and vulnerable because of the Social Ostracism created by Mr. Tuttle’s resignation. Nate takes advantage of her, showing her kindness where no one else does. His behavior with Addie begins to reveal his darker side, which is the manipulation he uses to get what he wants from people. However, this is revealed on a larger scale when Nate uses sex and charm to manipulate Eve into reducing Addie’s consequences for cheating on the midterm. Nate does this again when Eve sees Addie outside the house, using sex to distract Eve from her fear and anger.

It is clear from the beginning of Nate’s relationship with Addie that he is a sexual predator. However, the depth of this behavior is not revealed until the end of the novel when McFadden shows that Nate has groomed multiple girls—not just Addie but also Kenzie and Eve. McFadden prepares the reader for the revelation of his true character in the way in which he treats Eve. While the world sees Nate as a mild-mannered, charming husband, his interactions with Eve show him to be controlling, manipulative, and self-obsessed. These traits are consistent with the behavior Nate reveals at the end of the novel as well as the self-centered narration he provides in the few chapters written from his point of view.

Kenzie begins The Teacher as an antagonist but later redeems herself when she tells the secret she’s been keeping. Kenzie is the stereotypical cheerleader and popular girl at Addie’s school. She is among the students who judge Addie for the rumored sexual relationship she had with a favorite teacher who was seen more as a grandfatherly type. Kenzie shows her sense of entitlement from the very beginning of the novel by forcing Addie to walk out of her way to avoid Kenzie’s backpack on the stairs and when she forces Addie out of her seat in English class. Kenzie quickly becomes Addie’s bully, teasing her in gym for her hairy legs, harassing her in the cafeteria, and breaking into her locker.

Kenzie comes to Addie at the end of the novel to confess her own relationship with Nate. She explains that Nate had stopped their relationship after what happened to Mr. Tuttle because he didn’t want the same scrutiny, so Kenzie was angry with Addie before Addie even met Nate. However, her bullying behavior escalates at about the time Nate invites Addie to join the poetry magazine. Kenzie later sees Nate’s poem to Addie and realizes that it is the same poem he gave to her. Kenzie demonstrates how powerfully young girls can crave external validation and support. Nate first groomed Kenzie as a first-year student in high school when her brother was undergoing treatment for leukemia. She felt like her parents were ignoring, even though she later understands that they had to care for their son. Still, she was left feeling abandoned by her family and became the perfect target for Nate.

In the end, Kenzie becomes a sympathetic character because she was not only a victim of Nate but also the youngest one at 14. Without Kenzie coming forward, Addie might have continued in her fantasy that Nate truly did love her. Kenzie’s bullying behavior was key in making Addie vulnerable enough to fall under Nate’s spell, but her confession was instrumental in Addie’s journey toward maturity.