Farmer's life is on full display in this book. Through Kidder's writing, the reader gets a chance to see what it is about Farmer that makes him so unique. His opinions are sharp, and his bravery to say the truth is admirable, but are those what set him apart as a "saint" in his community (which is what they call him)? Kidder suggests that actually, it was this one fact that makes Farmer such a pillar: Farmer believes that all lives are precious, and that makes him empathetic to the plight of the Haitians.
Farmer's political opinion is scathing. He feels that the US government and other world powers have been guilty of weakening Haiti as a nation by exploit it of its resources and by aligning themselves with military dictatorships. This conspiratorial view is one that he elaborates with convincing logic, and his power is part of that convincing, no doubt. His character makes him confident, and that makes people agree with him, but it seems that his character is the first piece of the puzzle, not the last one.
In regard to Farmer's character, the reader knows that he comes from a difficult life of abject poverty, but by luck and passion, and hard work, he found his way to ivy league schools. As an educated person, he ends up giving back to his community. He has suffered, and he tells the story of his broken heart, when Ophelia Dahl refuses his marriage proposal. Interestingly, she still works closely with him throughout the story.
