Age of Iron

by

J. M. Coetzee

John (Bheki’s Friend) Character Analysis

John is a friend who Bheki starts bringing around Mrs. Curren’s home. Mrs. Curren does not like John; he is rude and, in her mind, likely to bring trouble. Still, Bheki brings him around anyway, leading to confrontation with the police, which lands John in the hospital. When John gets out of the hospital, he returns to Mrs. Curren’s home, where he stashes guns. One day, the police come knocking on Mrs. Curren’s door looking for John and, when they find him, they kill him.

John (Bheki’s Friend) Quotes in Age of Iron

The Age of Iron quotes below are all either spoken by John (Bheki’s Friend) or refer to John (Bheki’s Friend). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Violence and Perspective Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

“They work with the police,” said Bheki. “They are all, the same, the ambulances, the doctors, the police.”

“That is nonsense,” I said.

“Nobody trusts the ambulance any more. They are always talking to the police on their radios.”

“Nonsense.”

He smiled a smile not without charm, relishing this chance to lecture me, to tell me about real life. I, the old woman who lived in a shoe, who had no children and didn't know what to do. “It is true,” he said—“listen and you will hear.”

Related Characters: Mrs. Curren (speaker), Bheki (speaker), John (Bheki’s Friend), Florence
Page Number: 67
Explanation and Analysis:

“Perhaps I should simply accept that that is how one must live from now on: in a state of shame. Perhaps shame is nothing more than the name for the way I feel all the time. The name for the way in which people live who would prefer to be dead.”

Shame. Mortification. Death in life.

Related Characters: Mrs. Curren (speaker), John (Bheki’s Friend)
Related Symbols: Cancer
Page Number: 86
Explanation and Analysis:
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John (Bheki’s Friend) Quotes in Age of Iron

The Age of Iron quotes below are all either spoken by John (Bheki’s Friend) or refer to John (Bheki’s Friend). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Violence and Perspective Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

“They work with the police,” said Bheki. “They are all, the same, the ambulances, the doctors, the police.”

“That is nonsense,” I said.

“Nobody trusts the ambulance any more. They are always talking to the police on their radios.”

“Nonsense.”

He smiled a smile not without charm, relishing this chance to lecture me, to tell me about real life. I, the old woman who lived in a shoe, who had no children and didn't know what to do. “It is true,” he said—“listen and you will hear.”

Related Characters: Mrs. Curren (speaker), Bheki (speaker), John (Bheki’s Friend), Florence
Page Number: 67
Explanation and Analysis:

“Perhaps I should simply accept that that is how one must live from now on: in a state of shame. Perhaps shame is nothing more than the name for the way I feel all the time. The name for the way in which people live who would prefer to be dead.”

Shame. Mortification. Death in life.

Related Characters: Mrs. Curren (speaker), John (Bheki’s Friend)
Related Symbols: Cancer
Page Number: 86
Explanation and Analysis: