He indirectly meets his white father for the first time, an older "gentleman", who had helped pay for college, hires him as an assistant to help compile a memoir, and encourages his training school plans. But few others support it, and Peter makes social missteps among both blacks and whites in the small town.
He encounters his white benefactor for the first time, a mature "gentleman" who had subsidized his education, hires him as an assistant to compile a memoir, and supports his vocational training plans. However, few others support this endeavor, and Peter makes social blunders in the small town.