The People Before

The unnamed narrator lives on a dairy farm in rural New Zealand with his father, mother, and younger brother, Jim. He spends his time assisting his father with work around the farm… read analysis of Narrator

The narrator’s father purchased the land on the river after returning from fighting in World War I in the Gallipoli Campaign. He is a serious, practical, and hardworking man deeply committed to taming the land… read analysis of The Narrator’s Father

Jim is the narrator’s younger brother. Unlike the narrator and his father, he is not interested in stereotypically masculine activities like farming, football, or shooting but instead displays an intellectual curiosity for books, the… read analysis of Jim

The narrator’s mother is a quiet woman who keeps her opinions to herself, though she is in conflict with her husband (the narrator’s father) over the role of their sons on the farm. She… read analysis of The Narrator’s Mother

The old man is the eldest of the group of Māori, thought by the narrator to be at least 100 years old. He was the last member of his tribe to have been born… read analysis of The Old Man