Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Mrs. Gorf

A few antagonists show up over the course of the book—bank robbers in Todd's chapter; mysterious suited men in Jenny's; plus Sammy, the dead rat, who tries to masquerade as a kid in Mrs. Jewls' class—but Mrs. Gorf, who seems more like a witch than a teacher, has the only recurring villainous role.

Called "the meanest teacher we ever had" (29.29) by Rondi, Mrs. Gorf teaches the class on the thirtieth floor before Mrs. Jewls arrives, although Mrs. Gorf's version of teaching is more like transforming kids into fruit. Menacing and nasty, Mrs. Gorf is eventually foiled by Louis, who accidentally eats her.

She returns in Chapter 29 though, when two plus two no longer equals four, and steps through the chalkboard as a ghost to threaten the children again. Thankfully Mrs. Gorf's ghost can't stand displays of affection, so when Stephen hugs her, she vanishes.