First, the main characters in The Octoroon have no complex qualities, but all are unidimensional and stereotypical stock-characters. For example, the character McClosky simply represents the purely villainous “yankee” who only wishes to commit malice in order to advance his own selfish desires. In addition, McClosky does not wish to conceal his villainy; rather, he assumes the archetype of an unsubtle and unhesitant trickster. This can be seen most evidently when McClosky finds a judgement (worth 40,000 dollars) on half of the plantation against Judge Peyton (owner of the plantation in Terrebonne) which would invalidate the “free papers” of Zoe (Peyton’s illegitimate daughter with his slave-woman) (I. 492-495). While Judge Peyton could use
