WHEN They meet the burned man. What do we learn about their characters?

We learn that the boy is empathetic and a Christ-figure. The father and the son encounter a man on the road whose footsteps have left tracks in the road tar. The man has been struck by lightning and is heavily burnt. The boy wishes to stop and help the man, but his father refuses, insisting that they are unable to help him in any way. At last sight, the burnt man has collapsed on the road. This experience greatly upsets the boy, who does not talk to his father for a period of time due to their disagreement and the sad result.