The picture given of the disintegration of Stephen's family (his loss of contact with his sister Gertrude, his brother John, and his son Absalom) shows the erosion of African society, the erosion symbolized in Chapter 1 by the erosion of the land.
The names of the characters have an importance in themselves. Stephen, the first name of this African minister, is also the name of the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen, who was stoned to death after being convicted of blasphemy. Absalom is the name of King David's son, who rebelled against his father. Absalom, in trying to escape, was caught in the branches of an oak tree and found there by Joab, who drove three darts into Absalom's heart. When King David heard of his son's death, even though that son had betrayed him, he was heartbroken and uttered the famous cry: "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee" (II Samuel 18:9-33). John, a cousin of Jesus, was the prophet of Christ's coming. In later chapters, the significance of these name parallels will be discussed.
The reader should be aware of the technique of the dialogue. Throughout the novel, there are virtually no long passages of dialogue; instead, there is the short pithy statement expressed with almost poetic overtones.
The nature of this society and the basic nature of the main character are captured in the dramatic scene involving the opening of the letter. There is a long delay before either Kumalo or his wife can face the task of opening this letter. In such a society, a letter occasions great news or bad news, and thus a ritual is connected with its opening.
In this chapter, we see how deeply sensitive Kumalo is. He feels strongly the disintegration of his family, and even though he does not express it in eloquent words, his repressing his emotions gives us an indication of how deeply he feels things. At the end of the chapter, when he thinks that he might have hurt his wife, he is repentant and apologetic.
