Character Sketch of Mr. Oliver in the Story A Face in the Dark
Introduction
Mr. Oliver is an Anglo-Indian teacher who has been teaching in an English Public School, located three miles away from Simla, for several years. As he is a bachelor, he is staying alone on the school premises. He is a man of a strong personality and easily shoes away from the gossips of ghosts and devils. As a man of a strong personality, he staunchly dwells on individualism.
His Visiting the Simla Bazaar
Simla Bazaar is three miles away from the public school. It is a chirpy market full of high standard shops, restaurants and cinema halls. As Mr. Oliver is a bachelor, he feels lonely in his leisure time. Hence he usually visits the Simla Bazaar and spends a nice time there and returns to his school when it is dark.
A Courageous and Adventurous Person
We can in no way say that he is a nervous and imaginative person. Rather, he is a daring and adventurous person who is not scared to pass through the pine forest in the dark of the night while returning from Simla. It is obvious that the forest was haunted in the dark as not many people dare to pass by the forest at night.
Moreover, not only the boy has a featureless face, but the watchman is also the same which is enough evidence that Mr. Oliver really sees the faces and rushes towards his school. If he were a really nervous person, the shock of coming across two ghosts would have been enough for him to faint and succumb to the frightening situation.
His Showing Concern for the Children
As a teacher, he shows his concern for the children. When, in the pine forests, he sees a boy sitting on a rock and crying, he asks the boy why he is there at night and why he is crying. The boy does not respond and continues to sob. Oliver again enquires what is troubling him and asks him to look up.
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