John's struggle to abide by God's laws is an indirect one due to his relationship with his father, Gabriel. For the majority of the book, John's relationship with God and the moral path as defined by Christianity is marred by his direct association of his father with religion. John sees Gabriel and religion as one in the same, therefore, even though he may, in his heart, desire a relationship with God and desire to live by God's laws, John is unable to because h

Like his son, Gabriel strives to abide by God's laws but cannot. Unlike his son, however, Gabriel does not overcome those obstacles and therefore, his quest for God is a failed one. As a young man, Gabriel is a "sinner." He gambles, drinks, and visits loose women. That is, until his spiritual transformation under a tree one evening. From that point on he strives to be a servant of God and believes himself to be "God's anointed." He becomes a preacher, and attempts to instill Christianity strongly in his children. However, because of his personal weakness, he fails to abide by the laws he so desperately clings to. While married, he has an illegitimate son with another woman, then sends her and her son up North using money he steals from his wife. Though Gabriel truly wants to abide by God's laws, when it comes down to the harder, temptation-challenging, choices, the honorable preacher reverts back to the actions of his pre-rebirth days.

Elisha, however, succeeds where Gabriel fails by successfully serving God in both his mind and his actions. He is an active member of the church, serves as a positive role-model for John,

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