her a present. Johnnie leaves David and Roy to be alone for a while. When Johnnie joins David and Roy at the riverside, it is time for them to leave. David is with Sylvia, Roy is with another girl and Johnnie is alone. Major themes of the story include adolescence and puberty; and religious faith in the African-American community. Characters Gabriel Grimes, Johnnie's stepfather Father James Johnnie Lois, Johnnie's nine-year-old sister. Roy, Gabriel's Son. Mrs Jackson, David and Lorraine's mother. David Jackson, John and Roy's friend Lorraine, David's elder sister. Sister McCandless Sylvia Sister Daniels, Sylvia's mother. Brother Elisha Reverend Peters 'Johnnie's unnamed mother The Man Child In a rural setting, young Eric lives on a large farm with his parents, who are friends with Jamie, a farmer who has lost his farm to Eric's father. Eric's parents are celebrating with Jamie his birthday. It is Jamie's thirty-fourth birthday and he is at Eric's parents' place to celebrate. Eric's father upbraids him for being alone, with no wife or children, only a dog and his mother. Then Eric and his father go for a walk, during which Eric learns that all the land around him is his, thanks to his father's self-discipline and the passing down of land from generation to generation. Jamie, on the other hand, has lost his land, the land of Eric's father has grown even larger because he bought Jamie's. Back at the house, Jamie blows out the candles. Later, after Eric's mother had a miscarriage Eric goes to wash his hands at the outdoor pump and runs into Jamie. The latter takes him into a barn and strangles him, while his mother in the kitchen. Jamie walks away with his dog. Themes in the story include father-son relationships; generational transference of property; white masculinity; white fatherhood; frontier mentality; jealousy; and loneliness. Characters Eric - 8 years old, blonde. Father - 32 years old. Mother - pregnant Sophie - Eric's would-be little sister, buried in the church courtyard Jamie - 34-year-old neighbor who goes to The Rafters, a local bar, with Eric's father every night. His wife left him. Eric's father bought his failing farm. Previous Condition (1948) Peter, an actor, is surreptitiously living in a white neighbourhood in New York. Back from Chicago where he was working, Peter is now in New York City. His friend Jules lets him stay in a room he is