Discuss the differences between Barta and Fiela.

Unlike Fiela, Barta van Rooyen is a meek woman, who is completely dominated by her authoritarian husband. In this way, she is portrayed as a very different type of woman than the ardent and self-confident Fiela. Barta plays a key role in the plot by choosing Benjamin as her lost son Lukas yet secretly knowing that he is not really Lukas. The reason she keeps this information to herself is subject to interpretation, but the fear of her husband's wrath may play into her reluctance to admit that she was wrong about Lukas. Though she is largely responsible for sustaining the erroneous situation, by telling the truth she also becomes the one who liberates Benjamin to go his own way.

In contrast, Fiela Komoetie is educated, hard-working, and wholly self-reliant. She became the matriarch of the household after Selling was sentenced to prison and his health deteriorated. She is constantly on top of the daily work, making sure everyone is occupied with a chore, believing deeply in the Protestant value of a strong work ethic. A religious woman, Fiela is constantly dialoguing with God, especially when times get tough and she feels she has been abandoned by her creator, not understanding why she has been made to suffer so much.