Why does Absalom kill Arthur Jarvis?

Absalom shoots Jarvis, a white man from a privileged background, to strike against the oppressive ruling class in South Africa; the killing shows that Absalom is a political revolutionary.

Absalom murders Jarvis, a fair-minded man opposed to the injustice, out of fear rather than anger; the murder lands him in jail and suggests how society’s ills threaten all South Africans.

Absalom kills Jarvis, a wealthy white man in Johannesburg, to rob him; his actions make him a hero to many black people, which highlights the divided nature of South Africa.

Absalom takes the life of Jarvis, a rising political figure in South Africa, in self-defense; his subsequent arrest demonstrates that many laws in South Africa unfairly target nonwhite people.