While Kumalo and Jarvis both hail from the same area, Paton makes clear that the two men approach South Africa from very different perspectives; they both wish for the natives of Ixopo to stay in the area, but while Kumalo does so for their religious and moral health, Jarvis sees these natives as mere workers, worth little more than mere commodities. The story of James Jarvis will nevertheless parallel Stephen Kumalo's, as both men use the tragedy and murder concerning their respective sons to take a new perspective on the problems of South Africa.