Matthew Antoine

Matthew Antoine was Grant’s teacher in the days when he was learning at school. He was the first person that encouraged him to change the life he had. Matthew Antoine is sure that the place where all of them live is not good for the comfort happy life. He does not see the bright future for black people in this place. Discrimination and contempt in behavior white people towards black ones are deeply rooted, and there is no hope for a better condition. Matthew Antoine highly recommended all Grant’s pupils to leave their community and move away.

Matthew becomes a cynic and does not believe that education can improve something. His beliefs were broken by the bitter experience in life, and he concludes in the end that learning finishes with nothing. He comes to the conclusion that there is no other choice but to run. The old teacher was full of hatred to himself and others. He does not believe that there could be something better and does not see the light in life. He used to say his learners that they would die in an awful way one day. Matthew Antoine was too disappointed with the unchangeable condition but lost all the beliefs to change something.