Who is Nel Symes from The Dog of the South and what is their importance? The_Dog_of_the_South English & Literature Nel Symes | The Dog of the South

A widow who has established herself in Belize, Nel Symes runs the Unity Tabernacle, a church the mission of which it to impact the lives of the children of Belize. Nel is committed to her cause and is able to establish relationships with the local youth through the provision of social services and movies which they love. Nel remains unsympathetic to her son, Reo, as he arrives for a visit, ill and broke, and remains firm in her refusal to deed over to him the island she owns in Louisiana. She knows her son for what he is and will not be swayed. Nel suffers a stroke and, while others have decided that she will die, recovers and returns to her tabernacle to continue her work.