In one of Miss Ophelia's first appearances in the book, she is asking Augustine St. Clare why he keeps slaves even though he knows that it is wrong to have them. She constantly reminds him of his christian duty. She is brought to St. Clare's home to take care of his daughter Eva while his wife is "ill". Miss Ophelia is an abolitionist from the North, though that doesn't hide the fact that she is racist towards African Americans. Stowe uses Miss Ophelia's character to represent the fact that Northerners constantly told the South that slavery is wrong even though they would rather keep a distance from the slaves. When St. Clare gives Miss Ophelia a slave of her own, Topsy, she quickly discovers her racism. She tries her best to teach Topsy but her racism won't even let her be in physical contact with Topsy. After Eva dies, Miss Ophelia admits to Topsy that she will learn to love her and to not be harsh to her. Soon after, the duo move to Virginia.