Selling Character Analysis in Fiela’s Child

Selling Komoetie is the husband of Fiela and the biological father of her children. Selling used to be a strong and relatively wealthy “Coloured” (multiracial) man. Many young women in his community wanted to marry him, but he was always most interested in Fiela. He admired the white man Petrus, who in turn helped Selling get started in his new married life with Fiela. But after a dispute over a sheep leads Selling to kill Kies Laghaan, Selling ends up in prison, narrowly avoiding execution but getting a life sentence. Selling spends many years doing back-breaking forced labor, possibly only surviving due to the food that Fiela risks her own welfare to bring him. Eventually, with some help from Petrus, Selling manages to obtain a pardon, but he is never the same and remains sickly for the remainder of the book.

Selling Quotes in Fiela’s Child

The Fiela’s Child quotes below are all either spoken by Selling or refer to Selling. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

‘You’re making a mistake, Fiela, wait another week or two.’

‘No. I’ve kept them apart long enough, I had them out at pasture for weeks, I’ve put paraffin into their ears so that there wouldn’t be a single tick to worry them, I’ve let Kicker starve—I’m not waiting any longer.’

Related Characters: Selling (speaker), Fiela (speaker), Benjamin

Related Symbols: Ostriches

Page Number and Citation: 50

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote features a disagreement between Selling and Fiela about when to put their two ostriches—Kicker and Pollie—together so that they can mate. The timing of the decision is important, since if the ostriches come together too early, they might attack each other and ruin their valuable feathers, and yet the harsh environment of Long Kloof means there are also consequences of waiting too long. While Fiela raised Benjamin as her “hand-child” and tries to nurture both her children and her land, she also has a bold streak in her personality, preferring to handle things herself when possible. Fiela knows Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus

‘I’m going to Knysna,’ she announced.

Related Characters: Fiela (speaker), Benjamin, The Magistrate, Selling

Related Symbols: Ostriches

Page Number and Citation: 99

Explanation and Analysis:

Fiela tires of waiting for the census-takers to return Benjamin to his family in Long Kloof, and so she decides that to go to the village where the magistrate holds court to retrieve him herself. Her husband, Selling, as usual recommends a more cautious approach, echoing the disagreement they had earlier about when to introduce the two ostriches (in that argument, Fiela wanted to take the riskier approach and mate the ostriches sooner rather than later). Fiela, however, has less faith in the magistrate and the institutions he represents. Fiela’s approach to getting Benjamin back reflects her own desire to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possim

Petrus drove the wedding-cart himself and gave them five pounds as a start. It was a lot of money. But on the other hand, Petrus had been afraid that he would lose Selling for Selling had hear from a man by the name of Barrington near the Knysna River who was looking for a good harness-maker.

Related Characters: Petrus, Kies Laghaan, Fiela, Selling

Page Number and Citation: 107

Explanation and Analysis:

This passage occurs during a flashback to when Selling and Fiela got married. In particular, this passage describes Petrus, a white neighbor of the Komoeties who employs Selling as a harness-maker and then gives Selling and Fiela money so that they can get married. While many people, including Selling himself, see Petrus’s act as one of generosity, the more pragmatic Fiela sees how Petrus might actually be trying to advance his own interests. Selling is a good worker for Petrus, and so it’s in Petrus’s interest to keep him around. This passage seems to imply that Petrus helped Selling marry Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. L

In fact Petrus did not come riding up the Kloof until late on Thursday. Alone. A sugar-cake was waiting on the kitchen table.

Related Characters: Fiela, Selling, The Magistrate, Benjamin, Petrus

Page Number and Citation: 185

Explanation and Analysis:

After promising to do everything in his power to return Benjamin to Fiela (the government ordered Benjamin to go Knysna to ensure that he would live with a white family) Petrus ultimately returns to Fiela and Selling alone, having failed to convince the magistrate to release Benjamin. The passage illustrates how even a relatively wealthy and influential white man like Petrus doesn’t have the ability to challenge the magistrate. It also reaffirms that Fiela’s skepticism toward Petrus is perhaps more justified than Selling’s admiration for him. The novel leaves it unclear if Petrus truly fought for Benjamin—whether he really did Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia

She had to give up Benjamin to the forest people, Dawid to the grave. There was little difference in the bitterness within her. The question she put to God was the same: Why, God, why?

Related Characters: Benjamin, Dawid, Selling, The Magistrate, Fiela

Page Number and Citation: 226

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote describes Fiela’s thoughts at the funeral for Dawid. Dawid’s death comes as a shock with no warning, and Fiela compares the unfairness of this event with the earlier injustice she suffered of having to give up Benjamin on the magistrate’s orders. Continuing the motif of the magistrate’s courtroom being like a church, this passage evokes how the magistrate sometimes acts as if he himself is God. Fiela’s bitterness at the magistrate’s decision reflects her frustration at her feelings of powerlessness, brought on by the racist legal system that the magistrate represents. Fiela ponders not only why a just Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut

Selling Character Timeline in Fiela’s Child

The timeline below shows where the character Selling appears in Fiela’s Child. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...sees some bad omens but only recognizes them as bad in hindsight. With her husband, Selling Komoetie, she watches her children, including Benjamin, as they herd an ostrich back home with... (full context)

...read and write, and Fiela says she can. She begins giving the census-takers information for Selling and then for herself, including approximately when they were born and when they got married... (full context)

Time passes. By April, Fiela begins to feel better when the census-takers don’t come back. Selling tries to reassure her the men are gone for good. The family names their new... (full context)

...begins to worry about how The ostrich Kicker doesn’t seem interested in mating with Pollie. Selling tells her to just be patient—it might take as long as a year. Fiela is... (full context)

Selling enters the kitchen, and when he hears that Fiela wants to put Kicker and Pollie... (full context)

...She instructs him to address the magistrate politely, not tell lies and not mention that Selling has been in jail before. She says he might need to show the magistrate how... (full context)

...Benjamin’s trial is going. She feels that her hand-lamb child is about to be slaughtered. Selling comes by to let Fiela know that the ostriches have been living together peacefully so... (full context)

...and Sunday passes too. On Monday, Fiela begins making plans to go to Knysna herself. Selling isn’t strong enough to come along, so he promises to take care of things at... (full context)

...Knysna. Still, she prefers walking to waiting around for news of Benjamin. Before Fiela left, Selling warned her not to get angry at the magistrate, since this might just cause him... (full context)

...to many years ago, when Fiela is still young, people begin to talk about how Selling, the richest “Coloured” man in town, seems to have chosen Fiela over all the other... (full context)

One Christmas Eve, Selling helps lock up Petrus’s property while he and his family are away. But a sheep... (full context)

On Christmas morning, two constables come to the property. They allege that last night Selling stabbed Kies Laghaan when he caught Kies skinning his lamb and claiming it was one... (full context)

Petrus returns and hears about Selling’s murder charge. He uses his influence to get Selling’s hanging reduced to a life sentence.... (full context)

...knows of a hidden route, an old elephant track, that might take her to where Selling is working. She needs to breastfeed Emma, so she brings Emma on the trip. She... (full context)

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... (full context)

A week later, Fiela finally manages to make contact with Selling. She smuggles him food this way for four years. At one point during those years,... (full context)

With the completion of the road that Selling’s gang is working on, Petrus comes to Fiela and promises her that he’ll go check... (full context)

...worrying about where Benjamin went and what will happen if the magistrate finds out about Selling. (full context)

...has been back in Wolwekraal for two days, and she’s full of sadness for everyone. Selling worries that Benjamin will die in the Forest because he isn’t used to it, but... (full context)

Petrus asks Fiela if anything’s wrong with her family—he thinks Selling looks unhealthy. Fiela doesn’t want to tell Petrus or anyone else in Kloof about Benjamin,... (full context)

...The next day, Petrus comes by and asks her again, this time in front of Selling, if anything is wrong with her family. Fiela tries to hide it again, but Petrus... (full context)

...go talk to the magistrate. This idea seems to temporarily bring some life back to Selling. Fiela doesn’t admire Petrus quite as much as Selling, but she nevertheless feels hopeful for... (full context)

Fiela tries to get Selling to walk, since his doctors have recommended regular exercise. Selling hasn’t wanted to do much... (full context)

As Fiela helps Selling walk, Selling asks about a man he sees in the distance. All of a sudden,... (full context)

...return spreads in the Kloof, Petrus and many others come by to visit. Fiela tells Selling that Benjamin has left the Forest for good, but Selling warns that there’s still a... (full context)

...Benjamin builds a real boat from wood. Fiela is worried about him using it, but Selling encourages him, giving him rowing tips based on Selling’s own experience when he was a... (full context)

...doesn’t know about his feelings for her. Fiela realizes this must be the sadness that Selling recognized in Benjamin earlier. Although a part of Fiela wants to tell Benjamin to forget... (full context)

...much for him. She leaves out, however, that Tollie is now in jail. Fiela lets Selling add to the letter, and he dictates almost a full page, much of it about... (full context)

Selling Character Analysis

Selling Quotes in Fiela’s Child

Chapter 6 Quotes

Chapter 10 Quotes

Chapter 11 Quotes

Chapter 17 Quotes

Chapter 21 Quotes

Selling Character Timeline in Fiela’s Child