The Magistrate Character Analysis in Fiela’s Child

The magistrate in Knysna (whose name is Mr. Goldsbury, though the book more often refers to him by his title) is an upper-class man who is the most powerful legal figure in the region where the Komoetie family and the van Rooyen family live. With his swift, authoritative judgment, the magistrate decides that Benjamin is not the rightful adopted son of Fiela and Selling. Instead, he claims that Benjamin is Lukas, the long-lost son of Elias and Barta. Despite the magistrate’s supposed commitment to justice, he rigs the trial in several ways, making it so that Fiela can’t attend the trial to plead her case, then afterward refusing to see Fiela in person and even threatening to throw her in jail if she keeps bothering him to get her son back. The magistrate represents how racism infiltrated the legal system of 19th-century South Africa.

The Magistrate Quotes in Fiela’s Child

The Fiela’s Child quotes below are all either spoken by The Magistrate or refer to The Magistrate. 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:

The day the child disappeared the fog came up early and by midday it seemed as if the Forest was covered in a thick white cloud.

Related Characters: Elias, Barta, Benjamin, The Magistrate, Lukas

Page Number and Citation: 3

Explanation and Analysis:

This sentence begins the novel. It describes the disappearance of Lukas, the toddler-aged son of Elias and Barta van Rooyen who seems to die in the heavy fog, although his fate remains ambiguous for much of the novel. This passage also introduces the isolated settlement in the woods where the van Rooyens live, which is based on the real-life Knysna forest where author Dalene Matthee spent a lot of time, but which most characters simply call “the Forest.” Although the novel’s opening lines don’t establish this specifically, the story takes place in 19th-century South Africa, and so this passage helps 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. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tem

‘Listen here, woman, you know as well as I do that there’s something very strange going on here. This can’t be your child but you gave out that he was yours. Where did you get the child from?’

‘He’s my hand-child.’

Related Characters: The Census-Takers (speaker), Fiela (speaker), Lukas, Benjamin, The Magistrate

Page Number and Citation: 12

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote comes from a conversation between Fiela and the one of the two census-takers from the government who take her by surprise when they appear on her property one day. The quote sets in motion the main conflict for the story—it’s the moment the census-takers realize that Fiela, a “Coloured” (multiracial) woman, is raising a white child. Although the census-takers mostly state their racist beliefs outright, it soon becomes clear that they are white supremacists who think it’s wrong for Benjamin to be with a “Coloured” family. This passage explores how they mask their racism with polite language, trying 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 at

‘Is this a church?’ he asked the tall one.

‘No. It’s a courtroom. Sit there on the bench and sit still.’

Related Characters: The Census-Takers (speaker), Benjamin (speaker), Fiela, The Magistrate

Page Number and Citation: 79

Explanation and Analysis:

The census-takers have just taken Benjamin away from his family in Long Kloof in order to place him with his supposed rightful family. When Benjamin first arrives at a courtroom in the magistrate’s building in the village of Knysna, mistakes the courtroom for a church. Benjamin hasn’t been many places in the world yet, and so he compares the courtroom to one of the few places he has been: church (although Fiela mostly kept him away from church to avoid having people find out that she had adopted a white child). But the courtroom’s churchlike appearance establishes also the power 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

‘Will I still know him?’

Related Characters: Barta (speaker), Benjamin, The Magistrate, Elias, Lukas, Fiela

Page Number and Citation: 81

Explanation and Analysis:

Barta says this quote to her husband Elias, in reference to their son Lukas (who disappeared in the fog many years ago). After the authorities from the magistrate’s office inform Barta that Benjamin may in fact be Lukas, Barta asks her husband Elias if she will “still know [Lukas],” implying that she might not recognize or feel a connection to her son now that so many years have passed since she last saw him. And she worries that the authorities might not believe he’s her son if she doesn’t obviously appear to “know him,” As later parts of the novel 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.

It was late when they got home. His mother took one look at the egg, took down the strap from behind the door and beat their backsides well for them.

The next day she baked a sugar-cake with the egg.

Related Characters: Dawid, Benjamin, Fiela, The Magistrate

Related Symbols: Ostriches

Page Number and Citation: 89

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote comes from a childhood memory that Benjamin recalls as he waits in the magistrate’s courtroom for his supposed real family to claim him as their own. In the memory, Benjamin and Dawid steal an ostrich egg from a wild ostrich and bring it back to Fiela. This passage is her response to their foolish feat. Although Benjamin and Dawid manage to steal the egg without any problems, an ostrich is strong enough to seriously injure or perhaps even kill a child, and so Fiela scolds them for taking that risk. While Fiela herself later raises ostriches on her 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 invento

‘I’m going to Knysna,’ she announced.

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

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

‘He’s the forest woman’s child.’

Related Characters: Fiela (speaker), Lukas, Benjamin, Barta, The Magistrate

Page Number and Citation: 154

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote by Fiela illustrates a low point for her in the story as she announces to the rest of the family that Benjamin isn’t coming back to Long Kloof. After going to Knysna and not even getting to meet with the magistrate, Fiela realizes the scope of the bureaucracy she’s fighting against and how it could be dangerous to her or her family to meddle in the justice system’s affairs. And so, Fiela does what she thinks is easiest: she accepts that Benjamin belongs to the van Rooyens now. It’s possible to interpret Fiela’s quote in at least two 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 asperi

‘I’m your pa! That’s who I am! Say it! Say who I am!’ He was as tough as a piece of ironwood. ‘Say who I am!’

‘Pa.’

[…]

For every answer he gave him a lash. ‘And who are you?’

‘Benja— Lukas.’

‘Lukas who?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Lukas van Rooyen. Say it!’

‘Lukas van Rooyen.’

Related Characters: Benjamin (speaker), Elias (speaker), Nina, Kristoffel, The Magistrate, Fiela, Barta, Lukas, Willem

Page Number and Citation: 159

Explanation and Analysis:

This passage features a pivotal moment in the story, in which Elias van Rooyen tries to use force to get Benjamin to accept his new identity as “Lukas.” As the quote reveals, Benjamin struggles not to say his old name and doesn’t even know what his last name is supposed to be after he becomes “Lukas.” What make Elias such a frightening character is that he himself doesn’t even seem to believe that Benjamin is really Lukas. Like Barta, and perhaps even Fiela, Elias has simply decided to treat Benjamin as Lukas because it’s the most convenient option. But whereas 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 d

‘The child is back with his rightful parents,’ he said and it seemed as if his jaw had grown stiff. ‘What he had on the day he got lost can make no difference. You can put anything on him now and swear by it in the hope that I will believe you.’

Related Characters: The Magistrate (speaker), Lukas, Fiela, Elias, Barta, Benjamin

Page Number and Citation: 171

Explanation and Analysis:

Fiela returns to Knysna and demands to speak with the magistrate in person, not realizing that the man she’s speaking to by the door is in fact the magistrate. Although the magistrate speaks few words directly in the novel, his presence resonates throughout the story, and the few words he does speak help to convey his resolute, self-righteous attitude. When the magistrate says that Benjamin is back with his “rightful” parents, he seems at first to be saying that Benjamin is really Lukas and therefore belongs with the van Rooyens. As he keeps talking, however, the magistrate reveals that no 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. Accusa

A snare-pit. That was what he had to have, he sat thinking that Sunday. The sheer prospect of it brough a funny feeling to Elias’s stomach for if it worked once, it would work again if you were clever enough

Related Characters: Elias, The Magistrate, Fiela

Related Symbols: Tusks

Page Number and Citation: 176

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote describes yet another one of Elias’s schemes to kill an elephant and sell its tusks. After his earlier trap with a tree turned out to be unsuccessful and Elias nearly gets trampled, he decides that he simply needs to try a different trap, showing that he learned nothing from his first experience. The timing of Elias’s realization—on a Sunday—may be significant, because Sunday is typically the day that Christians attend church services. Unlike Fiela, who puts her faith in the Christian God to sustain her through difficult moments, Elias instead tries—often in vain—to exercise control over every aspect 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 consect

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: Selling, Fiela, Petrus, The Magistrate, Benjamin

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: Dawid, Benjamin, Fiela, The Magistrate, Selling

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

The Magistrate Character Timeline in Fiela’s Child

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

The next day, another forester visits Elias with a message from the magistrate, Mr. Goldsbury. It turns out someone may have found Elias’s son who disappeared many years... (full context)

...keep them from taking him away. The census-takers greet Fiela and say that the new magistrate has sent them. There will be a trial in Knysna, and the mother of the... (full context)

Fiela bathes Benjamin one last time. She instructs him to address the magistrate politely, not tell lies and not mention that Selling has been in jail before. She... (full context)

...all the white people there look strange and poor. The census-takers bring Benjamin to the magistrate’s place, which seems to be a big school full of classrooms. (full context)

...starts crying, and the two men tell him he can’t cry in front of the magistrate, or they’ll never take him home. Benjamin goes through his multiplication tables in his head... (full context)

Elias and Barta head from their home to the magistrate’s place in the village. Elias wanted to leave Barta behind, but the magistrate insisted that... (full context)

...and Barta prepare for the journey once they learned they had to go to the magistrate. Elias gives Barta advice for meeting the magistrate, saying she must do as the magistrate... (full context)

As Benjamin waits in the magistrate’s courtroom for everyone to arrive, he counts the benches using his multiplication tables. He worries... (full context)

...including Dawid’s coat, which are stored in a box in another room. At last, the magistrate, a man with glasses wearing a black suit and a stiff-looking shirt, comes and tells... (full context)

The magistrate asks Benjamin if he remembers ever having a name other than Benjamin Komoetie. Benjamin doesn’t.... (full context)

...news of Benjamin. Before Fiela left, Selling warned her not to get angry at the magistrate, since this might just cause him to punish her. She knows he’s right, but she... (full context)

...sleep by herself in a cave rather than ask for help. She arrives at the magistrate’s gray building and feels it looks grim. A man with no front teeth comes up... (full context)

...Many children in the area look like their parents must be rich. She goes the magistrate’s building and is worried when the man there seems to only speak English (since she... (full context)

Fiela tries to appear meek and not angry. The constable agrees to check with the magistrate, but when he comes back, the constable informs her that the case is closed and... (full context)

...be meek this time and instead to hold her head high. She walks up the magistrate’s office and says she wants to see “Solomon.” She complains that this “Solomon” only invited... (full context)

...on her own so that he himself has a chance to go talk to the magistrate. This idea seems to temporarily bring some life back to Selling. Fiela doesn’t admire Petrus... (full context)

One day a forester named Mr. Kapp shows up to see Elias—the magistrate sent him to check on Benjamin. At the time, Benjamin is out with Nina, and... (full context)

...that Barta looks too sad and that Mr. Kapp will report that back to the magistrate. But eventually, Mr. Kapp says that he can’t wait for Benjamin any longer and will... (full context)

Petrus says he spent a long time talking with the magistrate and believes that the magistrate is a reasonable man. He says the magistrate sent a... (full context)

...truly Lukas. She seems frightened and says of course he is—she testified this to the magistrate and would do it again. Disappointed, Benjamin feels like he has to accept that he’s... (full context)

...knows there’s something inside him that can’t be Lukas. He wonders why Barta and the magistrate both swore he was Lukas when it wasn’t true. He doesn’t know the real truth... (full context)

...and Kristoffel act like she’s being delusional. But Barta is determined to go to the magistrate and get the burden off her conscience. (full context)

...decides he needs to see the census-taker who determined his fate. He goes to the magistrate’s office and finds the man, who looks older but mostly the same. The man asks... (full context)

The Magistrate Character Analysis

The Magistrate Quotes in Fiela’s Child

Chapter 1 Quotes

Chapter 3 Quotes

Chapter 7 Quotes

Chapter 8 Quotes

Chapter 9 Quotes

Chapter 10 Quotes

Chapter 13 Quotes

Chapter 14 Quotes

Chapter 15 Quotes

Chapter 16 Quotes

Chapter 17 Quotes

Chapter 21 Quotes

The Magistrate Character Timeline in Fiela’s Child