Mr. Pendanski is the counselor for the boys in Group D. He has a shaved head and a “thick, curly black beard.” The boys call him “Mom,” and he calls each boy by his given name rather than by a nickname. He talks to the boys about their goals and dreams and about the importance of taking responsibility for their behaviors and actions. He wants the boys to become “useful and hardworking members of society.” Mr. Pendanski, however, is morally ambiguous. He attempts to instill values and morality in the boys and then turns around and does the opposite. Whatever the Warden tells him to do, even if it means committing an illegal act (destroying Zero’s file), he does it without question. Mr. Pendanski is a follower and not a leader.
