Thomas and the stranger are an important pair of characters to consider when attempting to bring this novel into a kind of clarity. The mysterious man with a guitar is a kind of archetypal visitor, because he is perplexing to Thomas, because Thomas hosts him as a guest, and because Thomas understands Robert's quest. He points Robert, the mystery man, to Big Mom, the mountain-dwelling woman. Together they sojourn up the mountain.
This is a metaphor for divine enlightenment, which is very common in literature, going as far back as Moses climbing the mountain of Sinai, all the way to Egyptian mythology about manmade temple mountains (pyramids) and their potential value in the deification of kings. The point is simply this: it is very, very difficult to climb a mountain, and it's even harder to complete the quest toward "Big Mom," because that means they will have to endure trials, like the violence of Victor and Junior.
The mystery of music is a wise solution for this violence problem which Victor and Junior symbolize. Another brilliant tool on this upward journey of these unlikely friends is chess. Chess is an alternative to warfare, because although chess is competitive, the nearly infinite math of the game and the fun of seeing tactics and checkmates—it speaks of ethical strategy. The rules of chess are clear, but the game is still difficult, just like life, just like climbing a mountain. The types of divinity the book offers are personal mastery, calculation, and instinctual wisdom.
