The short story “The Palace Thief”, by Ethan Canin, is about William Hundert, a history teacher at St. Benedict’s a prestigious private school, and his interactions with the Bell family. Infact his interactions with the Bells and one of his colleges, develops the central idea that one should not judge a book by it’s cover. This idea is exemplified by the characters Sedgewick Bell, Senator Bell, and Charles Ellerby. Sedgewick Bell, one of Hundert’s most troublesome students, shows that one should not judge a book by it’s cover. For example, when he is first introduced into the story, Sedgewick is described by Hundert as “a dull boy”(pg.156). But this is shown to be false when Sedgewick demonstrates his aptitude for leading and manipulation.
