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The Magistrate
Selling Komoetie is the husband of Fiela and the biological father of her children. Selling used to be a strong and relatively wealthy “Coloured” (multiracial) man. Many young women in his community wanted to marry him, but he was always most interested in Fiela. He admired the white man Petrus, who in turn helped Selling get started in his new married life with Fiela. But after a dispute over a sheep leads Selling to kill Kies Laghaan, Selling ends up in prison, narrowly avoiding execution but getting a life sentence. Selling spends many years doing back-breaking forced labor, possibly only surviving due to the food that Fiela risks her own welfare to bring him. Eventually, with some help from Petrus, Selling manages to obtain a pardon, but he is never the same and remains sickly for the remainder of the book.
Selling Quotes in Fiela’s Child
The Fiela’s Child quotes below are all either spoken by Selling or refer to Selling. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 6
Quotes
‘You’re making a mistake, Fiela, wait another week or two.’
‘No. I’ve kept them apart long enough, I had them out at pasture for weeks, I’ve put paraffin into their ears so that there wouldn’t be a single tick to worry them, I’ve let Kicker starve—I’m not waiting any longer.’
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Chapter 10
Quotes
‘I’m going to Knysna,’ she announced.
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Chapter 11
Quotes
Petrus drove the wedding-cart himself and gave them five pounds as a start. It was a lot of money. But on the other hand, Petrus had been afraid that he would lose Selling for Selling had hear from a man by the name of Barrington near the Knysna River who was looking for a good harness-maker.
Chapter 17
Quotes
In fact Petrus did not come riding up the Kloof until late on Thursday. Alone. A sugar-cake was waiting on the kitchen table.
Chapter 21
Quotes
She had to give up Benjamin to the forest people, Dawid to the grave. There was little difference in the bitterness within her. The question she put to God was the same: Why, God, why?
Get the entire Fiela’s Child LitChart as a printable PDF.
Selling Quotes in Fiela’s Child
The Fiela’s Child quotes below are all either spoken by Selling or refer to Selling. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 6
Quotes
‘You’re making a mistake, Fiela, wait another week or two.’
‘No. I’ve kept them apart long enough, I had them out at pasture for weeks, I’ve put paraffin into their ears so that there wouldn’t be a single tick to worry them, I’ve let Kicker starve—I’m not waiting any longer.’
Related Characters:
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10
Quotes
‘I’m going to Knysna,’ she announced.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11
Quotes
Petrus drove the wedding-cart himself and gave them five pounds as a start. It was a lot of money. But on the other hand, Petrus had been afraid that he would lose Selling for Selling had hear from a man by the name of Barrington near the Knysna River who was looking for a good harness-maker.
Chapter 17
Quotes
In fact Petrus did not come riding up the Kloof until late on Thursday. Alone. A sugar-cake was waiting on the kitchen table.
Chapter 21
Quotes
She had to give up Benjamin to the forest people, Dawid to the grave. There was little difference in the bitterness within her. The question she put to God was the same: Why, God, why?
