Initially, the reaction of the passengers is one of passive resignation. This is a common theme in South African literature of the period—the "survival mode" where people ignore injustice to preserve their own sanity. The passengers look away, mutter under their breath, or simply endure. It is a painful reflection of a society that has been beaten into submission.
An older woman in the carriage begins to shame the men, calling them "poltroons" (cowards) for not protecting the girl. Her verbal lashing stings the pride of the narrator and the other passengers. Dube Train Short Story By Can Themba