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Chapter 14
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Fiela’s Child, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race and Identity
Parenting
Justice
Humanity vs. Nature
Summary
Analysis
Fiela has been back in Wolwekraal for two days, and she’s full of sadness for everyone. Selling worries that Benjamin will die in the Forest because he isn’t used to it, but Fiela tells him not to worry and just keep working, even though she herself is reluctant about working.
Although Fiela is devastated about losing Benjamin, she nevertheless holds on to her pragmatic side and realizes that since there may be nothing she can do to help Benjamin at this time, she’ll just have to trust that she’s already given Benjamin the skills he needs to survive on his own.
Themes
Meanwhile, while Kicker and Pollie haven’t fought, Kicker still has no interest in the hen. Fiela plans to make the ostriches a nest anyway. Meanwhile, Fiela has been having her children look through the Bible to find a specific passage. Eventually, she asks for help from Petrus, who informs her that the passages she’s thinking about is the Judgement of Solomon in Kings, which also dealt with identifying the real mother of a child.
King Solomon is a biblical figure who is famous for having good judgment. In perhaps the most famous story about him, two women were in a dispute about which of them was the mother of a baby. Solomon decreed that since they couldn’t agree, he would cut the baby in half, splitting it between each woman. The false mother agreed to this arrangement, while the baby’s real mother didn’t want her child to die and so offered to let the baby go to the other woman. Solomon in turn, realized that the woman who willingly gave up the baby in order for it to live must be the real mother. In this case, Fiela is like true mother in that Biblical passage, willingly giving up Benjamin to someone else in the hopes that it will be best for him.
Themes
Petrus asks Fiela if anything’s wrong with her family—he thinks Selling looks unhealthy. Fiela doesn’t want to tell Petrus or anyone else in Kloof about Benjamin, so she avoids his questions. Selling, however, is angry when he hears she didn’t tell Petrus the truth, since he thinks maybe Petrus could help. She explains that she distrusts Petrus because he wanted to take Benjamin away earlier.
Fiela’s more skeptical opinion about Petrus compared to Selling reflects her pragmatism and perhaps also a better understanding of racial dynamics in their society. She knows that even if Petrus wants to help, he might ultimately feel an even greater sense of loyalty to people of his own race than he would to Fiela and Selling.
Themes
Fiela comes back to Knysna, determined not to be meek this time and instead to hold her head high. She walks up the magistrate’s office and says she wants to see “Solomon.” She complains that this “Solomon” only invited one woman when he decided the child’s fate. The man at the door warns her she could be arrested for what she’s saying. Fiela says she understands. She also says she left the previous time she came to Knysna without actually seeing the magistrate, but this time she is determined to see him in person. The man at the door reveals he is the magistrate.
Although Fiela was pragmatic the first time she approached the magistrate’s office, recognizing how her status as a Coloured woman might make her vulnerable, her character is also proud and not afraid to speak her mind. Particularly since her polite approach didn’t work the first time, she hopes that being more forceful will. With her references to the Biblical figure of Solomon, she tries to appeal to the magistrate’s sense of morality. The magistrate’s refusal to engage with Fiela’s argument, shows how Fiela’s race biases the South African legal system against her.
Themes
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Fiela tells the magistrate that she has a way to prove Benjamin’s parentage. They can bring in Barta and ask her what Lukas was wearing on the day he disappeared. Fiela knows exactly what Benjamin was wearing the day she found him, so this could prove it. The magistrate refuses to listen to her logic, saying there are many ways Fiela could lie. The man calls for the constable, and he warns Fiela to leave and never attempt to see Benjamin again or risk arrest.
After making a moral argument for why Benjamin is her son, Fiela moves on to a logical one, perhaps hoping to use the legal language of a courtroom in her favor. But the magistrate has an easy response: maybe Fiela is lying. In this way, he further demonstrates the court’s bias against Coloured people..
Themes
Fiela goes back home to Wolwekraal. The next day, Petrus comes by and asks her again, this time in front of Selling, if anything is wrong with her family. Fiela tries to hide it again, but Petrus begs her not to be too proud, and Selling joins in. At last, Fiela admits that the census-takers took Benjamin away.
This scene illustrates Fiela and Selling’s different viewpoints toward white authority figures like Petrus. Selling is more trusting, particularly after the things Petrus has done for him personally, but particularly after just getting back from the magistrate’s office, Fiela sees how even someone as seemingly well-intentioned as Petrus nevertheless benefits from a racist system.
Themes
Petrus wishes Fiela had told him sooner so that he could help, although he thinks it inevitable that the government would eventually come to take Benjamin away because he’s a foundling. Fiela clarifies that the government only cares because Benjamin is a white foundling. Petrus warns her that the Forest is dangerous, especially for people who don’t know it well—he suspects Fiela will try to find Benjamin’s new family.
By adding that Benjamin is white, Fiela shows that she has a greater understanding of the racial dynamics in South Africa that Petrus, whose privileged status seems to give him more faith in the government and legal system. Petrus can afford to be cautious because he already benefits from the status quo, whereas the disadvantaged Fiela has to take risks, like potentially going to the Forest to see Benjamin.
Themes
Petrus advises Fiela not to do anything more on her own so that he himself has a chance to go talk to the magistrate. This idea seems to temporarily bring some life back to Selling. Fiela doesn’t admire Petrus quite as much as Selling, but she nevertheless feels hopeful for the first time in a long time. After a good night’s sleep, in the morning, Fiela hears Kicker make the sound of an ostrich getting ready to mate.
The progress of Fiela’s ostriches often parallels the events in the main story. Kicker’s willingness to mate suggests a new beginning, and this reflects Fiela’s new, cautiously hopeful attitude as she awaits word from Petrus about Benjamin.
Themes
