When the old black men decide to stand up for themselves after a lifetime in which they have countless times endured humiliation and abuse, they finally become men in their own eyes. They face up to a challenge with courage instead of running from it or hiding. Amongst the black men, Mathu has always managed to do this. He has always held up his dignity as a man and stood up to the whites.

The theme of attaining manhood begins early in the novel, when Chimley and Mat agree that this time it would take more strength to crawl under the bed than it would to stand up to Fix...