Character Analysis
The Villain
Mr. Sharpe is basically our big, bad wolf in this book—heck, his name even brings fangs to mind (since they're sharp and all). He's the one who won't let Octavian read stories or let Cassiopeia buy nice dresses; he changes the College from pure scholarly pursuits to scholarly pursuit with a financial interest; and he's the one who drags Octavian back from his brief escape.
More to the point, Mr. Sharpe believes firmly in the need for slavery. Why? Because slavery is what keeps America running and anyone who says differently isn't being practical or realistic—according to him:
"It is easy for dreamers to speak of abolishing slavery," said Mr. Sharpe. "It is easy for women of leisure to sit in their mansions, singing harpsichord-tunes about slave-girls and reading sentimental novels of injustice. They have no knowledge of common realities—how the market works. They give no thought to the Africans themselves—to the chaos and riots which should ensue, the starvation, the burning of public buildings, the invasion of Indian tribes…" (4.12.42)
It's easy for us to see Mr. Sharpe's reasoning for what it is—racism—but back then (and even in some parts of America today), the economic argument for slavery was what allowed slavery to continue for as long as it did… even after the Patriots went on to create and sign the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing everyone's right to life, liberty, and happiness.
The Money Man
Though we may really dislike Mr. Sharpe (okay, we definitely dislike him, big time), his obsession with money and profit isn't always totally unreasonable. For instance, when he cuts Cassiopeia's dress fund because the College doesn't have enough money to go around (2.4.5), that just seems like good sense. Or when he tells the College that it needs to stop living in la-la-land and get with the times so that it can support itself, saying:
"You have been living in the turrets of a fairy-castle—which is a fine view—excellent prospect—until you realize that fairy-castles, my friends, consist in their architecture of tea-cake and icing. They are (a) frail; they are (b) sticky. And there are those below the battlements of this your confectionary keep who starve. It is time, sirs, madams, to become part of the world. It is time to enter the market, rather than feeding on your own stale flesh." (2.3.8)
It pains us to say this—since Sharpe's generally a jerk and we love sugar—but he's not totally wrong here. In fact, his argument is a lot like the argument your parents might make when you're debating whether to major in art history or in biology. One is a road to potential poverty (which is possibly every parent's worst fear for his or her child), and the other is a potential road to riches and job security.
His business-savvy is pretty much the only thing Sharpe's got going for him, though, so we'll stop here before it seems like we're singing his praises. Money isn't everything, after all, Shmoopsters, though it pretty much is to this penny-pinching, slavery-loving dude.