Poetry · Chapter
What Man Is There of You? explained
The chapter reflects on the biblical passage about a father who would not give his son a stone when asked for bread, exploring the human experience of doubt and misunderstanding of divine gifts.
What happens
The chapter reflects on the biblical passage about a father who would not give his son a stone when asked for bread, exploring the human experience of doubt and misunderstanding of divine gifts. It questions whether the speaker, in his own doubt, is like the one who would give a stone instead of bread.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where the speaker tu…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Spiritual Struggle and Doubt
The speaker wrestles with doubt, fearing that his own prayers are met with stones instead of bread.
- Divine Fatherhood
The chapter centers on the image of God as a loving Father who gives good gifts, contrasting with human failure.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Which father of you, asked for bread, Would give his son a stone?”
What father among you, when his son asks for bread, would hand him a stone instead?
A direct reference to Jesus' teaching on God's generous nature.
“Lord, if I ask in doubt and dread Lest I be left to moan, Am I not he who, asked for bread, Would give his son a stone?”
Lord, if I pray with fear and uncertainty, afraid that I will be abandoned to sorrow, am I not like the one who gives a stone when asked for bread?
The speaker turns the question inward, examining his own faith.
