Chapter 15
1. Who comes to Mrs. Lithebe’s house to apologize to Kumalo? What does this man say?
2. Why does the young man believe that Kumalo must get a lawyer for Absalom?
3. How is Kumalo like the man sleeping in the grass? What moral lesson does the man sleeping in
the grass parable teach?
4. What is the metaphor Father Vincent uses to explain why sorrow is better than fear?
5. In the following passage do you think Kumalo is being sarcastic? Explain.
i. “Kumalo stood up. I trust that is so… but I have no hope anymore. What did you
say I must do? Yes pray and rest.”
6. What does Father Vincent tell Kumalo to pray for?
Chapter 16
1. Who does Kumalo go to see? Why?
2. Briefly describe the girl’s life up to this point.
3. Why do you think Kumalo tries to hurt Absalom’s girlfriend by asking her, “Have you had a
murderer before”?
4. What does Kumalo say to the girl that ultimately causes her to sob and him to cover his face in
shame?
5. Compare Gertrude’s response with the young girl’s response to Kumalo’s offer to take her back
home with him. Which of them do you think is more sincere?
6. What promise does Kumalo ask the girl to make? How does she respond?
7. What evidence is there in this chapter that Kumalo is beginning to see and believe in the hope of
building a new life for the natives?
Chapter 17
1. What does Mrs. Lithebe think of Gertrude? How is the pregnant girl different from Gertrude?
2. According to the text, support the following statement: Absalom cannot truthfully say that he
turns to crime because of bad companions.
3. What evidence suggests that Absalom is coming out of his emotional paralysis and may be ready
to face himself, his father, and the crime he has committed?
4. Briefly describe Absalom’s lawyer, Mr. Carmichael. When he first meets with Kumalo, what does
he do that is unusual for a white man meeting a black man?
5. What does it mean to take a case pro deo? Why does this action make Kumalo weep?