The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Anna is an important secondary character who often functions as a sidekick to help Aiden in his quest to solve the murder. Anna has a consistent physical presence since she occupies the same body even as the days repeat. She is a petite, unremarkable looking young woman who “can’t be more than twenty-three, small enough to tuck into a pocket” (42). Her physical appearance, combined with her disguise as a maid, allows Anna to often go unnoticed, which is an asset as she avoids the Footman and tries to learn more about the crime. Anna’s unimposing physical appearance also juxtaposes her shocking and violent past.

Anna is clever, quick-thinking, and loyal, all of which contribute to her being helpful to Aiden as he works to solve the crime. She is, however, hampered by lacking some of the advantages Aiden has: She can’t move between bodies, so she doesn’t get to see events from different perspectives. At various points, Anna also reveals some cold and ruthless aspects to her character, which foreshadow the eventual reveal that she has been a violent criminal. When Aiden learns the truth about her history, he muses that “this doesn’t feel like a revelation, more the voicing of facts I’ve long been familiar with. Anna’s fierce and fearless, even brutal when she needs to be” (385). Anna most directly reveals her loyal and caring character when she attempts to sacrifice herself in the final confrontation with Evelyn, telling Aiden “Don’t you dare come back for me” (424) before lunging at Evelyn while knowing that she will almost certainly die.

The Plague Doctor is a secondary character who functions as a confidante and guide to Aiden during Aiden’s quest to solve the crime. The Plague Doctor is a partially omniscient figure who knows everything about the rules of the game, Aiden and Anna’s past lives (from before they entered Blackheath), and also about the previous loops that Aiden has unsuccessfully completed. Interestingly, the Plague Doctor also has some limitations: He doesn’t actually know who killed Evelyn because, as he explains to Aiden, “it’s not my place to know. I watch you, and you watch Evelyn” (151). The Plague Doctor does intervene in the events of the game, giving Aiden the best odds of success by doing things like choosing the sequence of hosts and allowing him to move through different host, but the Plague Doctor cannot free Aiden unless Aiden actually completes the task of solving the crime.

The Plague Doctor’s depiction as an enigmatic and secretive character is heightened by his physical appearance. Throughout the novel, he wears a costume that almost entirely obscures his face and body with “a black greatcoat, the beak belonging to a porcelain mask” (29). In medieval times, a plague doctor would have had some ability to move amongst individuals infected with disease without falling ill himself, and likewise, the Plague Doctor exists outside of the rules of the game and can move around without being impacted by the game. The Plague Doctor’s costume also hints at the thematic role played by his character, as he attempts to heal Aiden by giving Aiden the opportunity to redeem himself and become a better person.

While he is partially a supernatural figure, the Plague Doctor also experiences an interesting minor conflict as an employee working within a larger system. When Silver Tear comes to Blackheath, she references “what our superiors will do to you if Annabelle escapes Blackheath” (366). The Plague Doctor is accountable to some sort of larger system, and like Aiden, he also has to make complex ethical choices. Silver Tear argues that it would be irresponsible and unethical to allow Anna to leave, but the Plague Doctor sticks to a more objective ethical standard, insisting that “the rules of Blackheath are very clear, and I’m beholden to them […] if she brings me the name of Evelyn Hardcastle’s murderer, I can’t refuse to hear her case” (366). By ultimately honoring the rules of the game and allowing both Anna and Aiden to leave Blackheath, the Plague Doctor shows himself to be a fair and compassionate individual who acts with integrity and good judgement.