Things of this World

""Seems like up to now I been sitting right here in this chair waiting, waiting. But you know what?" "No, sir." "It who was worth it. Worth it to see the look on that ole Terrell's face. I stood up to that cocksucker. Yes sir"" (48).

Although John Edgar's actions in the short story seem to be characterized by simple revenge, the weight of his decisions and the stony conviction that he displays in their wake lend special significance to his actions. After killing the Terrell's hound, John Edgar moves with an unflinching authority seemingly stemming from the anger of having his dog murdered. He declares that his justice is fair and Biblical, lying outside any of the unfair boundaries prescribed by the corrupt and racist Terrells. John Edgar's passion seems to infect the people that rally around him as both the doctor and the reverend find themselves exhibiting tremendous courage in the face of the danger of the swelling throngs of policemen gathering outside the yard. John Edgar's actions carry such weight that the sheriff is frightened into calling for backup and the Terrells demanding that someone else do their dirty work for them. Only in the end of the story does the reader finally get to hear John Edgar's actual feelings about his actions as he finally breaks his silence, revealing a level of satisfaction and pride in being able to stand up for something he knows is right. And at precisely that moment of personal revelation, John Edgar allows himself to die. Content that he had finally made some good of his otherwise placid life, he concedes that he can finally die with a sense of pride. Chi ominously concurs.

Question: The title of the story is Things of this World and Chi is clearly a nearly supernatural character whose arrival and departure frames the story, what purpose does he play in delivering the story's intended message?