Palat
Palat is Shevek’s father, who raises him with tenderness after Rulag leaves.
The book
Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freePalat is Shevek’s father, who raises him with tenderness after Rulag leaves. His life gives Shevek an early example of care that is freely chosen rather than enforced by possession or law. Palat dies while trying to rescue children after an earthquake brings down a building. His death occurs before Shevek’s adult political struggle, but the memory of it helps define the selfless service Anarresti ideals can produce at their best.
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