“One of the things they had in common, at that time, was a vague and mysterious fear of the old man called the Professor. Just what was so dangerous about the Professor was uncertain, like everything else about him, but his appearance undoubtedly had something to do with the rumors.”

All the children in the neighborhood fear the Professor. Unlike other adults in the area who offend the children, the Professor is not aggressive. He exists physically but fails to engage emotionally with anyone. He is a walking mystery. His vague behavior also generates vagueness from others: They are afraid of him, but don’t know why. The professor is a round character; he will change by the novel’s end, revealing his mysterious nature and connecting with the community.

“The ‘I see’ said nothing at all. It wasn’t friendly, or angry, or curious, or even bored. In fact, there was something about the absolute nothingness behind it that was a little bit frightening, like putting out your hand to touch something that wasn’t really there.”

April has just had a brief conversation with the Professor after meeting him for the first time. Her reaction echoes that of the other children. April has been brave enough to engage the Professor verbally while her peers have not. One might assume that talking to him would elicit some sense of who he is. The Professor’s words are just as vague as his physical demeanor and a further indication of his disengagement. In the above quote, Snyder uses a simile, where something is compared to something else using “like” or “as.” The Professor’s detachment is likened to reaching out and touching absence.