Patson

Patson is the protagonist of the novel. When the novel opens, he lives with his father, Joseph, his step-mother, Sylvia, and his younger sister, Grace. His father is an educator who wants his children to be educated, but his step-mother wants to move near her brother who runs diamond mines. Patson detests his step-mother primarily because of the way she humiliates and disrespects his father. Patson, himself, has a lot of respect for his father.

Eventually, they do move to the diamond mines after a treacherous journey. Patson, himself, feels humiliated when he must apologize to his cousin after his cousin snooped through his things. Eventually Patson begins working the diamond mines with his cousin, and he is told that this will require him to give up childhood and become a man. He learns the way of the mines and joins his cousin’s syndicate in an attempt...