Elisha plays an important role in this part of the book. John has resisted religion for so long because he believes that it would be Gabriel who would act as his intermediary to God. Instead, it is Elisha who stands in Gabriel's place beside John, helping him through his ordeal. It is Elisha whom John first sees upon opening his eyes after his visions. It is Elisha who helps John up from the threshing floor while Gabriel refuses to acknowledge that his stepson is saved. It is Elisha who rejoices that John has been reborn while Gabriel resents the fact that it is his stepson and not his son who has been redeemed.
Gabriel parents through power, not through love or example. When Florence asks Gabriel if he will help John live a holy life, Gabriel does not respond as one might expect a loving father to. Gabriel can only react to situations as they pertain to him: "The Lord done put his soul in my charge — and I ain't going to have that boy's blood on my hands." His sullen, authoritarian answer is "I am going to see to it. . . . " Gabriel is loath to help John on his journey of righteousness.
Elisha, on the other hand, rejoices for John and the opportunity to help him. He reassures John that, "I ain't going to stop praying for the brother what the Lord done give me." He cements their brotherhood with a "holy kiss" to John's forehead. Elisha promises to be something that Gabriel never has been and never will be: a positive role model who leads through example.
John's recollection of the story of Ham reflects his concern that he is cursed for having seen Gabriel naked and alludes to the often-cited biblical justification for slavery. The biblical Ham was the youngest son of Noah. After the great flood, Noah planted a vineyard, made wine, and became drunk. He fell asleep naked in his tent. Ham saw his father and mockingly told his brothers. Unlike Ham, his brothers — good sons — walked backwards into the tent which housed their father. Not looking at his nudity, the two brothers covered their father and departed. When Noah awoke and learned what had happened, he cursed Ham and Ham's descendants to be the slaves of his filial brothers ("servants of servants"). In a meager attempt to justify slavery biblically and morally, some contended that the Africans used as American slaves were descendants of Ham. No doubt Baldwin intends both of these references.
