Stowe’s decision to make Simon Legree the novel’s main villain psychologically persuades readers to hate slavery, even if they choose not to act on it. Simon Legree enters the story approximately two-thirds of the way through the novel. Therefore, it is interesting that he is portrayed at the book’s main villain rather than the people who were chasing Eliza and Henry who were followed throughout. The conscious decision for him to be the predominant villain increases his efficiency in turning readers against slavery. An essay by Jens Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, a researcher who focuses on the psychology behind villains and heroes in stories, explains why people hate villains. Villains are mysterious and foreign to us, so while we are somewhat drawn
