The city streets and the broad way are always dirty (pg. Several times throughout the novel before his conversion, John describes his surroundings as dirty: his house is, despite the best attempts of him and his mother, dirty.
The image of "crossing the river" has passed into American folklore it can stand as a symbol for death, or for the cleansing that typically occurs in order for a conversion experience to take place-hence the role that "crossing the river" plays in John's vision. The narrow way/broad way motif comes from Matthew 7:13-14: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." It repeats a number of times, and is most relevant perhaps to John, who metaphorically walks that narrow way in his vision (pg. He is both the heart and the source of tensions in the book nearly every character and major plot development is defined in a major way by their interactions with Gabriel. In the novel, John's relationship with Gabriel is accordingly tempestuous-and yet, Gabriel is arguably the central character of the book.
Buy Study Guide Gabriel as Baldwin's father (symbolism)Īs described in the "About" sections, Baldwin's stepfather was the source of many of Gabriel's character qualities: abusive, angry, and unkind.
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