Fiela’s Child

by

Dalene Matthee

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Fiela’s Child makes teaching easy.

Emma Character Analysis

Emma is the youngest biological child of Fiela and Selling. Fiela is pregnant with her while Selling goes to jail for committing murder, and she takes the infant Emma with her while she secretly visits Selling at his forced labor camp. Later in life, Emma grows apart from her family, spending time with a preacher who has children with her but keeps putting off marriage.
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Emma Character Timeline in Fiela’s Child

The timeline below shows where the character Emma appears in Fiela’s Child. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
Race and Identity Theme Icon
...lives on a property in Wolwekraal in the Long Kloof with Dawid, Tollie, Kittie, and Emma. (full context)
Chapter 3
Race and Identity Theme Icon
Parenting Theme Icon
...their first child was born in 1856, then Dawid in 1857, Tollie in 1858, and Emma in 1860. Finally, after hesitating Fiela says Benjamin, who is about 12 years old, was... (full context)
Chapter 6
Parenting Theme Icon
Humanity vs. Nature Theme Icon
...up the yard and hen-coop, he can play in the river. She tells Kittie and Emma that today is the day she’s putting Kicker and Pollie together in the hopes of... (full context)
Chapter 11
Justice Theme Icon
...she approaches the magistrate is Selling’s past. Many years ago, while Fiela was pregnant with Emma, Selling committed a murder. (full context)
Race and Identity Theme Icon
Justice Theme Icon
...influence to get Selling’s hanging reduced to a life sentence. A few months later, after Emma is born, Petrus tells Fiela that he knows where Selling is working on a prison... (full context)
Race and Identity Theme Icon
Parenting Theme Icon
Justice Theme Icon
...elephant track, that might take her to where Selling is working. She needs to breastfeed Emma, so she brings Emma on the trip. She finally makes it to the prisoner work... (full context)
Race and Identity Theme Icon
Parenting Theme Icon
Justice Theme Icon
Fiela climbs up a gorge to try to be closer to Selling, fearing Emma will wake up and attract a guard’s attention with noise. She makes her way up... (full context)
Chapter 21
Parenting Theme Icon
...alive. Fiela’s other children have done their own things, with Kittie marrying a preacher, and Emma having a child and hoping to get married soon. In the present, Fiela decides she... (full context)
Chapter 27
Race and Identity Theme Icon
Parenting Theme Icon
...in Benjamin’s name so he can inherit it, but Benjamin insists it belongs to Tollie, Emma, and Kittie. Fiela disagrees, believing that women shouldn’t inherit property and that Tollie should only... (full context)