Michael Schatteleyn Character Analysis

Overview

Michael Schatteleyn is the master of Zwartwater, Sarah’s husband, and a central antagonist in Blood on Her Tongue. Though he initially appears as a grieving father and a concerned husband, his actions reveal a controlling, self-pitying man who uses his social position to manipulate the women around him. His affair with Lucy and his determination to have Sarah committed to an asylum ultimately seal his fate when Lucy kills him to protect her sister. Michael embodies the period’s patriarchal authority and the moral compromise that enables violence within domestic spaces. For a broader view of the novel’s conflicts, see the plot overview.

Plot Role

Michael functions as the primary obstacle to Sarah’s survival and Lucy’s agency. He is the reason Lucy first arrives at Zwartwater—Sarah’s letter mentions the bog body found on his estate—and his presence forces Lucy into a double life: nurse to her sister and secret mistress to her brother-in-law. When Sarah’s madness worsens, Michael decides to commit her to an asylum, which triggers the novel’s climax. Lucy murders him to prevent that commitment, and his death precipitates the final bloody confrontation with Arthur. In the story’s resolution, Not-Sarah (the entity inside Sarah) drinks Michael’s blood, and the three women disappear, leaving his body behind.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Michael’s motivations are revealed primarily through his words and his treatment of Lucy and Sarah. He claims to act out of concern—for Sarah’s safety, for Lucy’s welfare—but his actions consistently serve his own comfort.

• Self-righteous control: When Lucy begs him not to send Sarah away, Michael insists that “wives must submit to their husbands” (chapter 24). He frames his decision as a mercy, but Lucy recognizes it as a power grab. He uses the language of reason and responsibility to mask his desire to be rid of a troublesome wife.

• Sexual entitlement: Michael treats Lucy as a source of comfort on his own terms. After announcing his plan to commit Sarah, he kisses Lucy and says, “I have a need of your comfort tonight” (chapter 24). His pet name “my sweet little fuck” reduces her to a physical object. Lucy recalls that their affair began partly because she wanted to feel desired, but Michael never offered her genuine love or respect.

• Jealousy and resentment of Sarah: In chapter 14, Michael tells Lucy that Sarah “has many faults” and that “a desire to rule isn’t normal in a woman.” He resents Sarah’s intelligence and autonomy. He also admits that he lost interest in Lucy once he met Sarah, suggesting he was attracted to the challenge of capturing the dominant twin.

• Cowardice in cruelty: Michael never physically strikes Lucy or Sarah—yet his emotional manipulation is systematic. He waits until Sarah is incapacitated to announce his plan, and he uses his authority as a husband and landowner to override any objection. Lucy observes that his touch, which once inflamed her, now “merely stoked the fires of her hatred.”

Chronological Arc

Michael’s arc is told mostly through Lucy’s memory and immediate experience.

1. First meeting: Lucy meets Michael at a university library while chaperoning Sarah. He kisses her hand and flirts with her, but when he meets Sarah, his attention shifts entirely. Lucy feels “like a shadow” (chapter 14).

2. Courtship and marriage: Michael pursues Sarah, neglecting Lucy. Lucy later recalls that Michael married Sarah and that the wedding tore her apart. She nonetheless becomes Sarah’s loyal sister and, eventually, Michael’s mistress—a secret she keeps for years.

3. Affair during Sarah’s pregnancy and after: The exact timeline is ambiguous, but Lucy’s internal monologue in chapter 20 reveals she “lifted her skirts and bent over for a man again and again.” She partly blames Michael for her unhappiness, though she also admits she chose the affair.

4. Sarah’s illness: When Sarah falls ill, Michael is present but helpless. He donates blood for a transfusion (chapter 6), but his frustration grows as Sarah’s condition deteriorates. Lucy feels “hatred” toward him.

5. Decision to commit Sarah: In chapter 24, Michael tells Lucy he will send Sarah to an asylum. He presents it as mercy, but Lucy sees it as murder. Her resolution forms: “I shall kill you first.”

6. Murder: In chapter 25, Lucy gouges Michael’s eyes and slits his throat. The act is premeditated—she recalls advice about eye-gouging as self-defense—and carried out when he tries to kiss her. She then kills Arthur when he attempts to frame Sarah.

7. Aftermath: Not-Sarah drinks Michael’s blood and proposes to consume his body to erase evidence. Lucy agrees, and the women disappear.

Relationships

• With Sarah: Michael sees Sarah as a wife who should submit. He never understands her scientific passion or her bond with Lucy. His plan to commit her is the ultimate betrayal of his marriage vow.

• With Lucy: Their relationship is built on unequal power. Michael uses Lucy for sex and emotional support but never offers her the status or love she craves. Lucy’s attraction was genuine, but over time it curdles into hatred. The affair is a key component of Lucy’s moral compromise, explored in the theme of moral compromise and violence.

• With Arthur: Michael and Arthur are friends, but Michael dismisses Arthur’s medical advice when it conflicts with his own plans. Arthur later tries to save Lucy by framing Sarah, which Michael’s death prevents.

• With Katje: Michael is barely aware of Katje, treating her as a servant. He is oblivious to Sarah’s intimate relationship with her.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Michael’s inability to see Lucy as anything other than a comfort object leads him to misread her completely. He never suspects she is capable of murder until it is too late.

Theme and Symbol Connections

• Patriarchal authority and social control: Michael represents the institutional power that controls women in the 19th century. His threat to commit Sarah is an example of madness and social control. By invoking his husband’s right, he becomes the antagonist not just of one woman but of female autonomy.

• Parasitism and identity: Lucy compares Michael to a parasite that feeds on her and Sarah. The theme of parasitism and identity applies to Michael as well as to Not-Sarah: he drains Lucy’s emotional energy and her sense of self. Only by killing him does Lucy reclaim her identity as Sarah’s protector.

• Female desire and agency: Lucy’s affair with Michael is a fraught expression of female desire and agency. She wanted him, but she was also using him to feel equal to Sarah. The novel critiques the limited outlets for women’s desire—marriage or secrecy—and shows how desire can be weaponised by a man.

• Sisterhood and codependency: Michael is the wedge that threatens the sisterhood and codependency between Lucy and Sarah. He tries to sever their bond by sending Sarah away, but instead he strengthens it: Lucy chooses murder over separation.

• Moral compromise: Lucy’s decision to kill Michael is not presented as purely good or evil. The novel invites readers to question whether violence can ever be justified to protect a loved one. The ending leaves this ambiguity open.

Questions and Answers

1. What draws Lucy to Michael?
Lucy is drawn to Michael from their first meeting at the library. She finds his face strange and memorable, and his flirtatious kiss on her hand thrills her. Over time, she wants him to love her and prefer her over Sarah. However, Michael is attracted to Sarah, and Lucy becomes his mistress partly out of a desire to feel desired and to share an experience with her twin. The relationship is built on unequal power and unreciprocated love.

2. Does Michael love Lucy or Sarah?
Michael’s love is conditional and self-serving. He pursues Sarah because she is brilliant and socially superior; he uses Lucy for comfort and sex. He never sacrifices anything for either woman. In the author’s words, Michael is a “man who uses his authority as a husband” to control Sarah (reading group guide). His affection is genuine only when it serves his needs.

3. Why does Michael decide to commit Sarah?
Michael claims Sarah is a burden and a danger to herself and others. He argues that sending her to an asylum is a mercy, and that keeping her alive would be cruel and selfish. Lucy believes his real motives are to be rid of a wife he no longer wants and to assert dominance. The novel leaves open the possibility that he also fears the supernatural, but his primary motive is control.

4. Could Michael have been saved or redeemed?
The novel offers no redemption for Michael. Lucy considers his death necessary to protect Not-Sarah. Arthur’s attempt to save Lucy by framing Sarah shows that Michael’s survival would have condemned an innocent woman. Michael’s own actions—the affair, the threat of asylum—make him irredeemable within the story’s moral framework.

5. How does Michael’s death affect the other characters?
Michael’s death liberates Lucy, allows Not-Sarah to feed, and removes the obstacle to the women’s escape. It also forces Arthur to confront his own desire to control Lucy, leading to his murder. In the aftermath, Lucy, Not-Sarah, and Katje flee together, leaving behind the patriarchal world Michael represented. For further discussion on moral choices, see the questions and answers page.