In the novel Waiting for the Barbarians by JM Coetzee, the magistrate comes to discover the humanity of the barbarian through his interactions with the blind girl, which ultimately leads him to learn more about nature. of his own humanity. Although the Magistrate is more lenient towards the Barbarians than Colonel Joll, he still unknowingly objectifies them, while placing himself above them. It is only when he is imprisoned that he becomes aware of the fragility of his own humanity. Ultimately, Coetzee uses the magistrate's journey from empirical leader to broken and fearful prisoner to express that peace and stability among people can only be achieved when all humanity is valued. At the beginning of the novel, the magistrate actually seems to value the humanity of the barbarians. A little. After all, he is completely disgusted by the torture they must endure at the hands of Joll, calling it a "dark chapter in the history of the world." (Coetzee, 24) The magistrate continues to remark that if he were in charge, he would "order that the prisoners be fed, that the doctor be called in to do what he can, that the barracks become barracks again, that adjustments are made.” done to return prisoners to their old lives as quickly as possible. (Coetzee, 25) However, when we truly value humanity, we value it in all circumstances. When the magistrate begins to take care of the blind girl, he shows his true face. The magistrate, sent to administer a remote post in the imperial colony probably before World War II, wishes for a peaceful life. The magistrate feels an immediate attraction for the young girl he begins to take care of and wishes to seduce her. When he fails, he becomes frustrated and confused about his own feelings...... middle of paper ...... the novel's character has, the novel ends with him "feeling stupid". (Coetzee, 156) The girl is gone and the conflict between the empire and the barbarians rages; the magistrate still does not have all the answers to the world which is collapsing around him. Nevertheless, he will probably keep looking, as Coetzee leaves the novel largely open-ended. For the magistrate, however, it is not his destination that matters, but his journey. During his journey he learns much about the nature of humanity and the nature of the conflict between the empire and its subject. Ultimately, peace will not be achieved between the empire and the barbarians until each side fully recognizes the humanity of the other, in the same way that the magistrate came to recognize the humanity of the young girl. Works Cited Coetzee, JM Waiting for the Barbarians. New York: Penguin, 1982. Print.