Desmond Swarts Character Analysis

The Dean of the Engineering department, and one of the colleagues sitting on the disciplinary committee that hears David’s case. When David starts digging a hole for himself by refusing to review Melanie’s allegations, Swarts kindly encourages him to stop and consider whether or not he’s acting in his own best interest. Furthermore, he goes out of his way to avoid the “coldly formalistic” manner of addressing David that the rest of the committee has adopted, saying, “David, are you sure you don’t want a postponement to give yourself time to reflect and perhaps consult?” He then points out that David might lose his job, saying, “That is no joke in these days.” Nevertheless, David continues to behave stubbornly.