John's Reputation
Because of his Western-focused upbringing, John is celebrated by everyone in the village and held up as an inspiration to other young men. Even Wamuhu's mother argues that John is different from other Christian men in the village, suggesting that he might ignore his father's wishes and marry Wamuhu after all. However, John fails to live up to this expectation as he crumbles under the pressure to choose sides. Instead, his biggest fear – that he will disappoint his father and his community – comes true when he loses control of himself and kills Wamuhu.
Stanley's Past
The narrator provides some context for why Stanley might be such a fervent Christian follower. Because John was conceived out of wedlock, Stanley feels a constant sense of guilt and wrongdoing that he must make up for. As such, he believes he must act strictly with John in order to make sure he ends up on the right path. Ironically, however, John himself conceives a child out of wedlock, suggesting that Stanley's stern parenting was not what John needed to succeed.
Two Lives
John's father and Wamuhu's father represent the two vastly different paths that John could take: adhering to the white, Christian tradition and continuing his education in Uganda, or remaining in the village and committing to a traditional tribal way of life. While the story does not necessarily endorse one perspective over the other, it is critical of the extent to which both Stanley and Wamuhu's father are unwavering in their own perspectives. It is this staunch separation of the two worlds that ironically leaves John unable to make a decision and pushes him toward self-destruction.
