# Slade — Roughing It character guide

> Slade in Roughing It by Mark Twain.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** J. A. Slade

**First appearance:** 0001-roughing-it

## Snapshot

A stagecoach driver whose bland smile is a death warrant, he rules the Montana road through calculated terror and a fearsome reputation.

## Who they are

Feared and whispered about along the Overland route, Slade is the desperado whose name alone can silence a stagecoach full of passengers. His peculiar tension lies in the way he can let an enemy alone for weeks, apparently patient, before settling the account with cold ceremony. He matters because he embodies the lawless power that shadows every mile of the narrator's journey and gives the West its most chilling legend.

## Relationships

### [The Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/characters/narrator)

_psychological_

The Narrator is fascinated and horrified by Slade's violent, unpredictable nature, viewing him as a legendary but dangerous outlaw.

### [The Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/characters/narrator)

_psychological_

The Narrator is fascinated and horrified by Slade's violent, unpredictable nature, viewing him as a legendary but dangerous outlaw.

### [The Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/characters/narrator)

_psychological_

The Narrator is fascinated and horrified by Slade's violent, unpredictable nature, viewing him as a legendary but dangerous outlaw.

## In the story

### [Roughing It](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/roughing-it)

A notorious desperado whose violent reputation exemplifies the lawlessness of the West.

### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/ix)

Mentioned as a feared and bloody division-agent on the Overland, whose name sparks the narrator's fascination.

### [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/x)

Slade is the central figure, a feared desperado who kills many, including his rival Jules, and is described as both ruthless and gentlemanly.

### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/xi)

The condemned desperado, arrested and hanged by the Vigilance Committee; shown as tearful and pleading for his life despite his notorious bravery.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/characters/slade
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/characters