Fiela’s Child

by

Dalene Matthee

Aunt Malie Character Analysis

Aunt Malie lives in the small Forest community of Barnard’s Island where Elias, Barta, and their family also live. She suspects from the very beginning that Benjamin is not in fact Elias and Barta’s lost son Lukas, providing yet another example of a character who causes suffering by going along with authority and refusing to challenge the status quo.
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Aunt Malie Character Timeline in Fiela’s Child

The timeline below shows where the character Aunt Malie appears in Fiela’s Child. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
Parenting Theme Icon
...Willem tells Elias that Lukas isn’t anywhere in the house. Elias says to check with Aunt Malie , but Lukas isn’t there either. (full context)
Parenting Theme Icon
...the women in the area start going out into the fog looking for the child. Aunt Malie scares everyone by telling a story her aunt heard about a child who froze to... (full context)
Chapter 8
Parenting Theme Icon
Justice Theme Icon
...as the magistrate wants and speak confidently to him. Barta is nervous because she borrowed Aunt Malie ’s shoes, which are too big, but Elias stuffs some grass into them so that... (full context)
Chapter 12
Race and Identity Theme Icon
Parenting Theme Icon
Aunt Malie comes over to check on Elias. He tells her about how he’s put both Nina... (full context)
Race and Identity Theme Icon
Justice Theme Icon
Humanity vs. Nature Theme Icon
Aunt Malie has more to say to Elias. She talks about how she, Elias, and the other... (full context)
Parenting Theme Icon
Humanity vs. Nature Theme Icon
Elias has heard this story from Aunt Malie before and isn’t impressed by it. Elias goes to check on Benjamin and Nina’s progress... (full context)
Chapter 31
Parenting Theme Icon
Justice Theme Icon
...left without saying anything. When he comes back to Elias, he says he feels like Aunt Malie seems to have always known about “Lukas.” She once argued with Nina that Benjamin wasn’t... (full context)