Assignment of the religious practitioner1. Amasa Dempster From her professional career to her personal life, religion consumes every aspect of Amasa Dempster's life. He is known by the citizens of Deptford for imposing his view of religion on everyone and everything he encounters. When Mary was sick in bed after Paul's birth, her actions reveal that her feelings and religious beliefs often overcome reason. He knelt on the floor next to the bed where Mary lay and prayed feverishly that it would be easier for Paul if his mother accompanied him to heaven. Mrs. Dempster appeared to be unaffected by her ignorance and narrow-mindedness, but these character traits were important factors in her ostracism from the community. Amasa had a tendency to stoop at any moment and pray with "intense passion"; Dunstan thought this was indecent and found it disturbing because he was believed to walk with God. After discovering that he had taught Paul about cards, illusions, and, worst of all, Catholic saints, Amasa forbade Dunstan from speaking to Paul or to enter their home. Dunstan was angry that he had demeaned his talent by reducing it to mere cheating and gambling. He also seemed to hold a grudge against Amasa because of the way he treated Mary. I think Amasa Dempster is the strangest character in the novel. His actions demonstrate that he is neither intelligent nor articulate, further confirming the contrast between Baptist sentiment and Presbyterian common sense. I agree with Dunstan that his sporadic prayers are disturbing, but I also think his character is generally disturbing; he is quiet and soft-spoken, but every experience the reader is exposed to conveys his disturbing nature. The fact that his wife is much younger than him makes him seem even creepier. He acts as if he loves his wife; even when he found her in the pit with a tramp he didn't question her, he only helped her. Tying your wife to a rope is inhumane and scary and makes her seem like a pet instead of your life partner. I understand his anger at Dunstan regarding the card game, it goes against his religious morals, but Dunstan was still a child and spoke to him as if he should have known better. I find his character very disturbing.2. Donald PhelpsDonald Phelps is the Presbyterian minister in Deptford who replaced Andrew Bowyer. From Dunstan's few meetings with Phelps it is evident that he is a much more contemporary minister than Amasa Dempster.