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Arthur’s optimistic and clever son plays a small but important role in the novel by representing hope for a better South African future. At first, he doesn’t seem to understand the immense privilege he lives in, asking Stephen Kumalo for cold milk. However, the minute he realizes that there is no milk for the local children, he immediately makes use of his privilege to urge his grandfather to send milk to the village. The way he approaches learning Zulu is also notable for his seriousness and effort. When he doesn’t understand a full sentence that Kumalo says, he doesn’t give up immediately, but he pieces together as many words as he can until he absolutely needs help. The earnestness he brings to learning Zulu signifies that he doesn’t consider the language trifling or a mere curiosity, but something he genuinely wants to learn. Even at a young age, he places value on being able to communicate with the Black Africans around him. This empathy and desire for communication signals that Arthur Jarvis’s spirit lives on in this boy. Therefore, Kumalo draws heart and hope from the boy’s visits, realizing that not all is lost.
