Critics commonly discuss Charles Dexter Ward as H. P. Lovecraft's representation of himself. This autobiographical interpretation emphasizes the physical description of Ward — "tall, slim, and bland, with studious eyes and a slight stoop, dressed somewhat carelessly, and giving a dominant impression of harmless awkwardness" — and Ward's obsession with antiquarian research as descriptions of Lovecraft, himself. When Ward is taken to be Lovecraft's persona, then his stumbling into evil may be seen as representing Lovecraft's own discovery that evil is a fundamental part of human experience.

When looked at as a character apart from Lovecraft, Ward is one of Lovecraft's most sophisticated creations.

Through most of the novel, young Ward teeters between good and evil, the present and the past. Knowledge in and of itself is good — something valuable for its own sake. Even so, knowledge of evil can be corrupting because knowledge becomes part of...