Rev. Jerrod Brown Character Analysis in Petals of Blood

Rev. Jerrod Brown is a rich, influential Black Anglican minister and a friend of Munira’s father Ezekieli. When Joseph gets sick on the way to the city, Ilmorog’s delegation approaches Rev. Jerrod Brown’s house seeking shelter and aid. Assuming the delegation members are beggars, Rev. Jerrod Brown gives a strained, unconvincing reading of a Bible passage to argue that God hates begging and sends them away. After MP Nderi wa Riera kickstarts the exploitative economic development of Ilmorog, Rev. Jerrod Brown becomes the minister at a new, large church there, All Saints Church, and buys several stores. After Munira is charged with murdering Mzigo, Chui, and Kimeria, Rev. Jerrod Brown visits Munira together with Munira’s family and claims he would have given Munira help and spiritual guidance if Munira had sought it; Munira reminds the Reverend how he turned away Ilmorog’s delegation, of which Munira was a member, when they did come asking him for help. Rev. Jerrod Brown emphasizes how in post-Independence Kenya, Christianity is a tool hypocrites use to get rich and bolster their social status.

Rev. Jerrod Brown Character Timeline in Petals of Blood

The timeline below shows where the character Rev. Jerrod Brown appears in Petals of Blood. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Religion, Hypocrisy, and Delusion Theme Icon

...hope he’ll help them because he's a Christian. When Karega, Munira, and Abdulla approach the Reverend’s house, two Alsatians start barking. A security guard and a cook come out to ask... (full context)

The cook goes inside, and the Reverend comes out. They see that, counter to their assumptions, the Reverend is Black—and Munira recognizes... (full context)

Munira is about to explain to the Reverend their social connection when the Reverend pulls out a Bible and reads a passage about... (full context)

...MP may give them “a little charity.” Munira says they wouldn’t mind charity—on their journey, Reverend Brown and Chui treated them horribly uncharitably. (full context)

...Karega “Good Samaritans” and publicizes Ilmorog’s trouble in sensational language. As a result, clergymen, including Rev. Jerrod Brown , organize a church committee to see what can be done; later, they pray for... (full context)

...frequently visits, though that’s more for his shop than the school. Nderi wa Riera and Rev. Jerrod also own shops in Ilmorog. Karega asks what happened to Joseph; Munira says he went... (full context)

...and an impoverished neighborhood called New Jerusalem. In the middle of these two neighborhoods are Rev. Jerrod Brown ’s church and Wanja’s Sunshine Lodge. (full context)

...to him the same as church before Independence. He wanted to stand and accuse the Reverend of having turned him away as a starving traveler and demand spiritual food from him,... (full context)

Munira stopped going to church, feeling an abrupt loathing for the Rev. Jerrod Brown . The next Sunday, he went walking—and came upon a religious group, dressed in white... (full context)

...Mau oath but later took the KCO oath. Then he tells Rev. Jerrod that the Reverend once turned away a hungry traveling group that included a cripple and Munira himself. Munira,... (full context)

Munira’s visitors leave and go to church to pray for him. Rev. Jerrod says the evangelical sects should be illegalized. Ezekieli agrees but momentarily wonders whether he’s being... (full context)