▁and ▁reach ▁the ▁liber ation ▁army ▁sooner . ▁The ▁slaves ▁from ▁the ▁house ▁remain , ▁afraid ▁to ▁undert ake ▁a ▁journey ▁with ▁a ▁baby . ▁Es dan ▁and ▁Met oy ▁remain ▁with ▁them , ▁expecting ▁the ▁re bell ion ▁to ▁reach ▁them ▁too . ▁ ▁Th emes ▁" Old ▁Music ▁and ▁the ▁S lave ▁Women " ▁shares ▁both ▁characters ▁and ▁them atic ▁links ▁with ▁the ▁stories ▁of ▁Four ▁W ays ▁to ▁F org iveness , ▁which ▁together ▁describe ▁revolution ▁and ▁reconst ruction ▁in ▁slave ▁society . ▁Le ▁Gu in ▁herself ▁described ▁the ▁story ▁as ▁a ▁" fif th ▁way ▁to ▁forg iveness ". ▁The ▁tort ure ▁under g one ▁by ▁Es dan ▁is ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁experiences ▁of ▁Sol ly ▁in ▁" F org iveness ▁Day ", ▁the ▁first ▁story ▁of ▁Four ▁W ays ▁to ▁F org iveness . ▁Both ▁their ▁experiences ▁bring ▁them ▁a ▁better ▁understanding ▁of ▁themselves ▁and ▁those ▁around ▁them . ▁Es dan ' s ▁development ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁is ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁Hav zh iva ▁in ▁" A ▁Man ▁of ▁the ▁People ". ▁Both ▁protagon ists ▁under go ▁jour ne ys ▁through ▁the ▁" w ilder ness " ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁story ; ▁in ▁Es dan ' s ▁case , ▁the ▁w ilder ness ▁is ▁a ▁planet ▁he ▁has ▁lived ▁on ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁while , ▁that ▁has ▁been ▁torn ▁apart ▁by ▁war . ▁As ▁with ▁Hav zh iva , ▁the ▁isol ation ▁caused ▁by ▁this ▁journey ▁helps ▁him ▁find ▁companion ship ▁among