The Teacher

Eve is the protagonist of The Teacher. She is an unhappy wife and math teacher who has a fascination with shoes. She is aware that her marriage appears perfect to the people around her but understands that the happy façade is a lie. Eve, feeling like her husband has lost interest in her, both searches for ways to reignite the passion in their marriage and seeks ways to end it. She seems confused about what she really wants. She thinks that the perfect pair of shoes will make Nate want her, but she falls into an affair with a shoe salesman. The seeming contradiction represents her conflicted feelings about her husband.

There are a lot of contradictions to Eve’s personality. She is hateful toward Addie before she ever meets her because of Eve’s loyalty to fellow teacher and former mentor Art Tuttle. Eve’s dislike colors her every interaction with Addie. However, when she sees her husband kissing Addie, Eve quickly determines that Nate has been right about Addie; she is a troubled girl who has been calling out for help. Eve realizes that Addie is not to blame for Nate’s actions. This quick change in opinion seems out of character for Eve, who has spent the entire novel blaming Addie for ruining Art’s reputation and career.