Maynard Straker In John Harwood's The Asylum

Authors create a large array of characters with different personalities and traits. Some of these characters are meant to be relatable and establish strong connections with the readers, while others are meant to do the opposite. In the novel The Asylum by John Harwood, Maynard Straker has many secrets and commits misdeeds that cause physical and mental harm to others, ultimately contradicting his position as the superintendent and chief medical officer at the Tregannon Asylum. Maynard Straker is a character whose contradictory behaviour as a medical officer leads to a weak connection with the reader because he hides his past and intentions from everyone, proving he is not as trustworthy as someone of his position should be. To begin, Straker is a secretive character whose hidden past and intentions cause the reader to believe he is suspicious because doctors are generally trusted with the lives of their patients. Straker conceals the extremely unethical nature of his experiments and prohibits entry to his personal workspace in order to hinder any suspicions. After discussing the experiment done on Isaiah Gadd, Frederic says, “He has

This man is a secretive character whose past and intentions are obscure, but is eventually found to be an evil character with a bad past that has wrongly caused harm to others. For these reasons, the reader would not find this character to be relatable or honest, something that particularly stands out due to Straker’s medical profession. However, having characters who are villainous and establish weak connections with the reader are still important, as they are meant to allow the reader to pick a side and distinguish between the good and bad. Though Straker may not be a trustworthy person, he has great significance in the