The Uncalled · Character

Miss Hester Prime

A stern spinster who takes in the orphaned Freddie as a matter of dooty, Miss Prime raises him with iron discipline and an unbending sense of righteousness.

major

Also known as Miss Prime, Hester Prime, Hester

First appearance: I

As a major figure in The Uncalled, Miss Hester Prime is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A stern, duty-bound woman who stays to prepare Margaret's body despite her disapproval of Margaret's life.

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Miss Hester Prime is the woman who, amid the gossip and grudges of Margaret Brent's deathbed, astonishes her neighbors by claiming the child as her own burden. She spars openly with women like Mandy Warren, defending her charity while refusing to soften her judgment of Margaret's life, and she shapes Freddie after a pattern of her own devising. Her fierce, unyielding love — expressed as duty rather than tenderness — becomes the anvil against which Fred's ambitions and rebellions are beaten.

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See Miss Hester Prime in I

Character Web

19 connections

A slice of how Miss Hester Prime sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Romantic
Family
Friendship
Other

Character groups

Fred's family and caretakers
Protagonist
Community members and acquaintances

+14 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where Frederick Bren…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Fred Brent
romantic · positive
Fred is deeply in love with Hester, but their relationship is complicated by social… How this plays out →
Eliphalet Hodges
family · ambivalent
Mrs. Hester Hodges
family · ambivalent
Melissy Davis
friendship · positive
Elizabeth Simpson
rivalry · negative
Fred Brent
romantic · positive
Fred is deeply in love with Hester, but their relationship is complicated by social… How this plays out →
Mrs. Hester Hodges
family · ambivalent
Eliphalet Hodges
family · ambivalent
Eliphalet Hodges
family · ambivalent
Fred Brent
romantic · positive
Fred is deeply in love with Hester, but their relationship is complicated by social… How this plays out →
Melissy Davis
friendship · positive
Mrs. Hester Hodges
family · ambivalent

Fred Brent
Fred is deeply in love with Hester, but their relationship is complicated by social pressures and his internal conflicts.
Eliphalet Hodges
Eliphalet is Hester's uncle and guardian, exerting strict religious authority over her life.
Mrs. Hester Hodges
Hester is the daughter of Mrs. Hester Hodges, sharing a close but strained bond due to family secrets.
Melissy Davis
Melissy is Hester's close friend and confidante, offering her support and gossip.
Elizabeth Simpson
Elizabeth sees Hester as a rival for Fred's affections, leading to jealousy and coolness between them.
Fred Brent
Fred is deeply in love with Hester, but their relationship is complicated by social pressures and his internal conflicts.
Mrs. Hester Hodges
Hester is the daughter of Mrs. Hester Hodges, sharing a close but strained bond due to family secrets.
Eliphalet Hodges
Eliphalet is Hester's uncle and guardian, exerting strict religious authority over her life.
Eliphalet Hodges
Eliphalet is Hester's uncle and guardian, exerting strict religious authority over her life.
Fred Brent
Fred is deeply in love with Hester, but their relationship is complicated by social pressures and his internal conflicts.
Melissy Davis
Melissy is Hester's close friend and confidante, offering her support and gossip.
Mrs. Hester Hodges
Hester is the daughter of Mrs. Hester Hodges, sharing a close but strained bond due to family secrets.

Relationship notes

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In the story

Miss Hester Prime appears across 10 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
+2 more

I
A stern, duty-bound woman who stays to prepare Margaret's body despite her disapproval of Margaret's life.
II
Moves about the death chamber with solemn face and quiet tread, arranging things with maidenly neatness; attends the funeral in the procession.
III
A stern spinster who volunteers to take Fred out of a sense of religious duty, despite the women's surprise and her own lack of experience with children.
IV
Takes Freddie into her home; struggles with how to care for a child; reflects on her own disciplined life.
V
Takes charge of Freddie after his mother's death, asserting her intention to raise him strictly and piously.
VI
Fred's guardian who enforces a strict, repressive upbringing; takes Fred to church and forces him to apologize to Willie Tompkins.
VII
Scolds Fred for ruining his suit but shows affection; conspires with Rev. Simpson to bring Fred to religion; feels possessive of Fred's spiritual progress.
VIII
Announces her decision to make Fred a preacher; dismisses Eliphalet's romantic advances.
IX
Determined to make Fred a preacher; she arranges for him to work half-days at Mr. Daniels's store and attend the Bible Seminary the other half.
Chapter X
Referenced in the context of her harsh discipline that would have turned Fred to bitterness.

Chapter companion notes

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