Cry, The Beloved Country

Stephen Kumalo A native priest who attempts to reconstruct the disintegrating tribe
and his own family.

Absalom Kumalo Stephen's son who left home for the large city and who commits a
murder.

Gertrude Kumalo The young sister of Stephen who becomes a prostitute in the large
city and leads a dissolute life.

Msimangu A parish priest in the city who unselfishly helps Stephen find his sister and
son.

Father Vincent The priest from England who helps Stephen in his troubles.

John Kumalo Stephen's brother who denies the tribal validity and who becomes a
spokesman for the new movement in the city.

Mrs. Lithebe The native landlady with whom Stephen stays while in Johannesburg.

James Jarvis A wealthy landowner whose son is murdered by Absalom and who comes
to the realization of the guilt of the whites in such crimes.

Arthur Jarvis James Jarvis' son, who does not appear in the novel but whose racial
views are highly significant and influential.

The Harrisons The father and the son represent two opposing views concerning the
racial problem. The father represents the traditional view and the son the more liberal
view.

Book 1: Chapters 1-2

Since this novel is essentially poetic, the opening chapter is not a narrative but instead
sets a certain mood and atmosphere. And as with Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, there will
be numerous intercalary chapters interspersed throughout the novel. Thus, we hear
first about Ixopo, the town nearest Stephen Kumalo's village of Ndotsheni, on the east
coast of South Africa, forty miles from the Indian Ocean and fifty miles from the border
of Basutoland. It lies on a ridge of land between the Umkomaas River and the
Umzimkulu River, which flow from the mountains of Basutoland into the sea.

Intimated in this first chapter is a strong reverence for the soil, which reminds one of
Steinbeck's treatment of the land in certain passages in Grapes of Wrath. The emphasis
on the difference between the shod and the unshod infers that the shod condition
divorces humanity from the soil. Thus later, we find that many of the natives are leaving
the land because they have lost their basic contact with it. Only old men and old women
are left to tend the dry valley. The young have left for the city, a place that will be
developed as being somewhat evil; therefore, one of the great needs is to restore the
native to an appreciation of the land.
One of the outstanding features of this novel is the style, which is based on very simple
sentences with short parallel phrases. There are virtually no complex sentences in the
entire book. The simplicity of the style blends with the author's purpose of presenting
the basic problems of the natives of the region.

Some critics have seen this first chapter as being symbolic of the relative positions of
the whites and the natives. That is, geographically, the whites live above the natives on
the best land; the natives live below on the barren land. Besides the possible symbolism
of the relative positions and qualities of the lands owned by whites and blacks, there is
another source of symbolism in this chapter: when the soil of the hills is red and is
washed into the rivers through erosion, it colors the rivers blood red, as if the land were
one great open wound. Africa bleeds because of this unjust distribution of land and
human rights.

The picture given of the disintegration of Stephen's family (his loss of contact with his
sister Gertrude, his brother John, and his son Absalom) shows the erosion of African
society, the erosion symbolized in Chapter 1 by the erosion of the land.

The names of the characters have an importance in themselves. Stephen, the first name
of this African minister, is also the name of the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen, who
was stoned to death after being convicted of blasphemy. Absalom is the name of King
David's son, who rebelled against his father. Absalom, in trying to escape, was caught in
the branches of an oak tree and found there by Joab, who drove three darts into
Absalom's heart. When King David heard of his son's death, even though that son had
betrayed him, he was heartbroken and uttered the famous cry: "O my son Absalom, my
son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee" (II Samuel 18:9-33). John, a cousin
of Jesus, was the prophet of Christ's coming. In later chapters, the significance of these
name parallels will be discussed.

The reader should be aware of the technique of the dialogue. Throughout the novel,
there are virtually no long passages of dialogue; instead, there is the short pithy
statement expressed with almost poetic overtones.

The nature of this society and the basic nature of the main character are captured in the
dramatic scene involving the opening of the letter. There is a long delay before either
Kumalo or his wife can face the task of opening this letter. In such a society, a letter
occasions great news or bad news, and thus a ritual is connected with its opening.

In this chapter, we see how deeply sensitive Kumalo is. He feels strongly the
disintegration of his family, and even though he does not express it in eloquent words,
his repressing his emotions gives us an indication of how deeply he feels things. At the
end of the chapter, when he thinks that he might have hurt his wife, he is repentant and
apologetic.

Book 1: Chapters 3-5

The third chapter is another chapter interspersed to set the mood for the narrative
following. The mood established in the opening paragraphs carries over into a
description of the valley as cold and gloomy with a certain mystery attached to it.
The chapter slowly passes from the description of the exterior, physical world to the
interior of Kumalo's mind, in which we discover his fears about his sister and about his
son, and his qualms about catching a bus in the large city. Stephen's fears of
Johannesburg are a part of his inexperience in coping with the white man's world,
which for this simple man is a complicated world, full of traps and dangers, while his
own area is simple and natural.

When Stephen's friend asks him to find Sibeko's daughter in the suburb of Springs, we
are reminded that what has happened to Stephen's family is not an isolated case, but
part of the general breaking up of African life and the disintegration of native family life.
This sort of parallelism is a device Paton uses a great deal.

As soon as Kumalo is in the outside world, there is a significant change in his actions.
Whereas in his own community he would never think of deceiving anyone, on the train
he tries to give the impression that he has traveled often to various parts of the country.
But after implying this, he feels the need to turn to his Bible for consolation. In this act,
we see that as Kumalo ventures into a new and strange world, he takes strength from
his Bible, which represents for him the old world of true values.

In a larger view of the novel, this chapter then is the beginning of a journey that will
carry Kumalo through all types of new and different experiences. As old as he is, we will
watch him develop new insights into the nature of life and society.

One of the dominant motifs throughout the novel is that of the fears each character feels
in various situations. Even the people whom Kumalo meets in his search for his son
seem governed by some type of inexpressible fear. Kumalo leaves on his journey filled
with fear and foreboding.

In Chapter 4, as in Chapter 1, the landscape plays a symbolic role, for the slag heaps are
like a sore on the land, the product of mines owned by whites. The picture of poverty
and disintegration already shown is broadened here in the conversation of the
clergymen, and the consequences of these conditions (crime, delinquency, and
immorality of all kinds) are presented by both the clergymen and the newspaper
headlines.

Undoubtedly, though, the most important element introduced here is fear. Stephen has
shown timidity and fear in the face of this overawing white world he has encountered
for the first time. But nothing has been said before of the fear on the other side: the fear
the whites feel, fear fed by memories of the great Zulu wars of the past, and the
knowledge of how greatly the blacks outnumber the whites.

As Kumalo travels from his native district to Johannesburg, there is also a significant
change in the speech patterns. The native Zulu names are replaced with Afrikaner
names. New names and new experiences will now confront the simple Kumalo. The
reader, therefore, should note each new experience, even such seemingly trivial ones
such as his first encounter with an indoor toilet. (There is a similar experience in
Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath when Rose of Sharon finds and uses a toilet for the first
time, then thinks that she has broken it.)
The discussion at the mission concerns the breakup of the tribes and the resultant loss
of values. Kumalo is also confronted with his first severe disappointment when he
learns that his sister has become a prostitute. For a simple man of God from the back
country, this revelation confronts him with a situation he has never encountered before.
He is virtually at a loss to know how to respond to it or what to do about it.

Amidst the discussion of the disintegration of the tribes, Kumalo is also faced with the
primary task of trying to bring his personal family back together. There can be no tribal
unit until the basic family unit is restored. Consequently, there runs throughout the
novel an analogy between the breaking up of the greater society in contrast to Kumalo's
attempts to restore his own family as a unit.

In contrast to all the fears and distrust bred by the great city stands the simple but
benevolent priest, Msimangu. He will affect Kumalo's life more than any other person in
the novel by his examples of unselfishness and devotion to others, and his service to
humanity.

Msimangu states directly the central problem of the entire novel. The tragedy is that the
black man exists between two worlds: Because the white man has broken the old world
of the tribes, which cannot be mended and at the same time, neither the white man nor
the black man has found anything to replace the lost, old world. At the end of the novel,
we will see the agricultural man arriving and attempting to build something new for the
natives in order to re-establish them on the land.

Book 1: Chapters 6-10

In Chapter 6, Kumalo sees for the first time the black section of the city where the
neglected children play in the streets amid poverty and filth. It is also his first
confrontation with a degrading type of life filled with vices of all kinds.

The confrontation with Gertrude is significant because when Kumalo first meets her, he
takes a hand that is cold and dead. Symbolically, Gertrude is spiritually dead, but
gradually, through the warmth and sincere devotion of Kumalo, she begins to come
alive. She continues until there is a scene of sincere repentance on her part; then she
confesses that she is sick and wishes to return home. The large city has made her sick; a
general sickness abounds throughout Johannesburg. We also see a change in Kumalo in
that at first he judges his sister harshly before he slowly begins to sympathize with her
and ultimately forgives her.

The chapter ends on the hope that the tribe will be rebuilt and that Stephen's house will
be restored. But as the search for Absalom will prove, the house is destined to undergo
greater tragedy before it can be rebuilt.

The note introduced in Chapter 6 indicating that a gap exists between two sides of the
black population is made clearer by John's words. He says that a large element of the
population is glad the tribal society is breaking down, and he cannot explain the nature
of the new force that will replace the tribe, the chief, and the church because the
motivations are highly ambiguous.
John represents a different way of life in that he has broken with the church and with
the tribe and is now living with a new wife. He has shed all the old tribal values and has
adopted the more impersonal ways of the city. This outlook stands in direct contrast to
Stephen, who has adhered strongly to the old values embedded in the tribe and church.
Furthermore, John is glad to be away from the domination of the chief because now he
can assert his own importance. We must also realize that he is being used by the party
solely because of the strength of his voice; in other words, he has become a voice
without heart or morals.

When Kumalo brings Gertrude and the child from the slum area, he immediately buys
them new outfits. Symbolically, he is preparing them to accept a new way of life as
expressed by the discarding of the old clothes and accepting the new ones.

Throughout the novel, Msimangu is the spokesman for the author; it is he who identifies
one of the principal evils of society: the white man has power and the black man wants
this same power so as to be like the white man. At first the black man says he wants
power so that he can correct injustice and the wrongs of the society. But the tragedy lies
in the fact that as soon as the black man receives power, he uses it as badly as does the
white man; that is, he is content to enjoy all the rewards of power and forgets about
correcting the injustices.

Chapter 8 begins the search for Absalom — a search that will lead Stephen Kumalo
through a series of new experiences and new revelations. The first of these is the
encounter with the bus boycott when he meets Dubula. Msimangu then explains more
about the leaders and the new movement. Stephen's brother John has the voice,
Tomlinson has the brains, but Dubula has the heart. Thus, in contrast to John, who may
be working partly for self-interest, Dubula's work involves great suffering and great
dedication and sacrifice. John sits like a chief and talks of vague ideas, but Dubula is
quiet, humble, hard-working, and extremely effective, for he works with one small but
practical area, an area of immediate concern to his people. Consequently, the
government, according to Msimangu, is more afraid of Dubula, because he wants
nothing personal out of his dedication and therefore cannot be easily corrupted.

Even if the boycott does not succeed in reducing the bus fares, it has done a great deal of
good because it has shown the solidity of the natives and has aroused the conscience of
many whites. Both of these factors are important in the novel because they illustrate
that the situation is not hopeless and that the issue is not purely a racial one of whites
versus blacks. It is a matter of right and wrong, and many whites are on the side of the
right. In the action of the whites giving the blacks a ride, we see a foreshadowing of the
action that Jarvis will later undertake. These small actions then lead to greater acts of
justice on the part of the whites.

In the search for Absalom, the basic response to Kumalo's questions is fear. The
landlady sends them to the taxi driver but is afraid to say anything that will incriminate
her. Furthermore, Msimangu tells several stories about young natives committing
various crimes. These stories function as a kind of omen as to the ultimate fate of young
Absalom.
Chapter 9 interrupts the main story in order to show, in short staccato scenes, some of
the suffering of the natives in Shanty Town. The physical needs of these people leave
them little time to devote themselves to campaigns for justice. They barely have the
energy and money to keep themselves alive, and their human sufferings are actually
more effective as a social message than all of the loud talking by John Kumalo.

The voices in this chapter serve as a chorus to broaden the area of the book and as a
reminder that, although the story of Stephen and Absalom is in the foreground, it is only
part of a far larger story. This chapter illuminates the symbolism of the novel's first
chapter, for this is the erosion of the raw, red earth, now in terms of human suffering
and blood. The underplaying of the mother's grief over her child's death is effective;
first, because a more maudlin scene would have less effect, and second, because it
shows how little she can do.

Notice the parallel between the bus boycott and Shanty Town. Both are visible displays
of suffering that embarrass and arouse the conscience of the whites. Violence would
breed more repression, but quiet suffering appeals to the best that is in the whites and
makes them act in a positive way.

In the beginning of Chapter 10, Kumalo still feels that there is a great gulf separating
him and his sister. He will have this same feeling when he meets his son. However,
Kumalo feels some relief by his response to Gertrude's son and sees in the young boy a
hope for the future. But at the same time that Kumalo is seeing all types of suffering and
despair, he himself feels helpless. Throughout these chapters, he contemplates more
and more about the basic value and nature of life.

The picture of the reformatory and the staff member reinforces the idea that there are
white men of goodwill in South Africa who want to be constructive, creative, and kind,
although the odds are overwhelmingly against them. The young director of the
reformatory represents the frustration of continual disappointment when working with
the natives. Absalom, as we hear, had been a paragon of virtue and one of the best
inmates, suggesting that he is still redeemable, but when Absalom fails again in the
outside world, the young director becomes rather bitter and disillusioned. Furthermore,
the good Reverend Msimangu loses control of himself and expresses some bitter
thoughts about the girl Absalom has deserted. Thus when even Msimangu and the
director resort to bitterness and disillusionment, the situation must be desperate. The
girl, though, has long ago given up hope, if indeed she ever had any. She is a
Johannesburg girl, born and reared there, and her fate is simply to exist like a vegetable,
without a trace of human dignity or happiness.

Book 1: Chapters 11-14

A tragic note is sounded in Chapter 11; the worst consequence of the oppression and
consequent lawlessness is shown: the death of a man of goodwill, a man who was trying
to help. It is only people like Arthur Jarvis who keep the blacks from complete despair
and hatred. They are the bridges between the two races, but there are relatively few of
them so the loss of even one is a great loss.
Stephen has been constantly depicted as a deeply religious man, and now his inability to
pray represents the depths of despair to which he is rapidly sinking. Even the Reverend
Msimangu must admit that sometimes this seems like a godless world.

The title of the novel, Cry, the Beloved Country, begins to take on deeper significance. As
Stephen sinks into despair, and as the news of the death of Arthur Jarvis is presented,
we have the moving passage: "Cry for the broken tribe, for the law and the custom that
is gone. Aye, and cry aloud for the man who is dead, for the woman and children
bereaved. Cry, the beloved country." The passage emphasizes again the passing of the
old order, the old rules and the traditional values, which have not yet been replaced by
something new. There is now a sense of impending chaos.

The first half of Chapter 12 interrupts the story of Stephen's search. Chapter 9 shows
the problems of the blacks in finding a place to live, and this chapter shows the
problems of the whites in dealing with the blacks. There is a conflict between fear and
constructiveness.

Paton surveys white attitudes toward the trouble brewing among the blacks, handles
the main points, and shows that there is little constructive action because there are too
many differing views and that it is easier to use police and oppression than to solve
problems.

One of the main problems presented in the novel is that of lawlessness and civil
disobedience. The people live in fear because there is so much lawlessness, and they
have no knowledge of what terrible event will occur next. The people are no longer able
to enjoy the beauties of nature. Because of fear, man is left in a desperate plight.

Many voices are heard: one person demands more police to protect the whites from
theft, muggings, and murder; one says that the way to prevent African crime is to give
the Africans a worthwhile way of life, with decent education, that increased police
protection is no long-term answer to the problem; one insists that more education
would decrease juvenile delinquency, and another argues that more education would
only mean cleverer criminals; one says that stricter enforcement of the pass laws is the
answer, and another says that the pass laws just won't work; one woman objects to the
presence of natives at Zoo Lake and says they should be given recreational facilities of
their own to keep them out of the whites' places of recreation, and her friend argues
that this won't work in practice.

Some propose dividing the country into separate areas for blacks and whites, each with
their own lands, cities, and government. The English-speaking churches (Anglican,
Roman Catholic, etc.) want more education for natives, more opportunities, and a
removal of all governmental restrictions on them, such as the pass laws; the Afrikaan-
speaking churches want segregation that will allow the natives opportunity "to develop
along their own lines."

Note the organization of the chapter: after the series of short scenes, there is a lyrical
passage about "Cry [for] the beloved country." After this passage, the narrative again
resumes, but the narrative is also presented in short staccato scenes, as Stephen returns
to various points looking for Absalom but finds that the police have already been there
before him.

Chapter 13 represents a significant change in Kumalo. He has gradually been sinking

deeper and deeper into despair, but at the end of his visit to Ezenzeleni, he tells
Msimangu that he is recovered. He has seen an example of the whites helping the blacks,
and even the blind have found a purpose in life. This situation gives Kumalo a vision of
how the whites and the blacks can work together, which, in turn, gives him hope for the
future. Kumalo's optimism will ultimately be fulfilled when Jarvis devotes some of his
time to helping the black people.

The entire change in Kumalo results because of his reviewing everything that has
happened to him. He thinks about mending the tribe but realizes that too much has
already transpired and that it is too late. Instead, he dedicates himself to helping people
like his sister and the young girl. Thus, his experiences have enlightened him, and he
vows that he will take more interest in education and try to be more active in the affairs
of his native people.

The ultimate change in Kumalo comes when he hears Msimangu speak "with a voice of
gold." The sermon has such an effect upon the simple Kumalo that it gives him some
direction toward understanding the suffering in the world, and it inspires him to devote
himself as much as possible to other people. Up to this point, he has been receiving help
from others in order to solve his personal problems, but in the example of Msimangu he
sees a man who devotes himself entirely to helping others with no selfish motivations.

The novel began with Kumalo leaving his native district to search for his sister Gertrude,
his brother John, and his son Absalom. By the end of Chapter 14, he has now found all
three. Kumalo, then, faces his greatest test when he is informed that his son has
committed murder.

As with Gertrude, there is a barrier between the father and the son when they first meet.
As Stephen keeps asking Absalom questions, he and his son grow further apart until
both feel tortured. The serious lack of understanding and communication brought about
by the different ways the father and son have gone over the last years creates a vast
distance between them. Kumalo had looked forward to a great reconciliation with his
son, but instead he finds his son a criminal accused of a heinous crime. This fact alone is
virtually beyond the simple and virtuous Kumalo's ability to understand. It will be much
later before Kumalo will develop a deep compassion for his son.

This chapter also shows what sort of man John Kumalo is. He has been contrasted with
the other African leader, Dubula, for John is pompous and boastful, a man who poses as
a chief, who is full of words but no action. Dubula, soft-spoken and yet very effective,
sacrifices his job and his comfort for the cause. Now John is shown as being quite ready
not only to abandon his brother, but to free his own son, by laying all the blame for the
robbery on Absalom. He is ruthless, but not for a cause, only for himself. If he can be
such a traitor to his own brother and nephew, he certainly can betray the African cause
he pretends to uphold.
The news of Absalom's crime causes Kumalo, like his namesake, St. Stephen, to suffer
and endure intense agony. He feels almost martyred by the events transpiring around
him. Stephen feels betrayed by his son, for Absalom has indeed betrayed all of Stephen's
beliefs and teachings, just as the Biblical Absalom betrayed his father. At the beginning
of Chapter 16, we see that the weight of these new experiences is beginning to age
Stephen. He does not have the strength of the young to compensate for the heaviness of
the ordeals he must undergo.

In his interview with Father Vincent, Kumalo is once again the recipient of help from an
unselfish man. From Father Vincent, he is promised aid and advice in obtaining a lawyer
and in arranging for the marriage of Absalom to the young pregnant girl. Furthermore,
Father Vincent reminds Kumalo that fear has now been replaced by sorrow, which is an
important step for a human being to make.

The girl's story is that of a child from the Johannesburg slums. The amount of crime
produced by the slums is shown by the fact that all three of her lovers have gone to
prison, yet she does not seem to be the criminal type, only a girl nobody ever cared
about. Consequently she could find someone to be kind to her only through giving
herself sexually.

This chapter is a crucial one as far as Stephen's development is concerned. With the girl,
he performs his cruelest act. He has seen so much degradation and corruption that he
feels that he must test the girl and in doing so hurts her deeply. He is very harsh and
bitter toward the young girl when he forces her to say that she would be willing to go to
bed with him. For a girl from the slums, there seems to be no other way to obtain
temporary security. As soon as he has been cruel to her, Kumalo realizes that she is a
victim of her society who is not agreeing to the sexual act out of any desire or
immorality but because she has no other way to face life. Then Stephen is able to feel
remorse for his cruelty and develops a deep compassion for the girl. From this point on,
Stephen vows never to commit another cruel act.

Chapter 17 is divided into several sections: first, we listen to the thoughts of Mrs.
Lithebe as she reviews the situation and states how sympathetic she is toward Stephen.
She views Kumalo as an example of silent suffering and realizes that he has fallen into a
"mold of suffering." This idea of suffering emphasizes again the relationship between
Stephen and St. Stephen, his namesake. Next, we see a contrast between two wanton
women — Gertrude and the young girl. Mrs. Lithebe, who respects Stephen so much,
rebukes Gertrude for so much bad laughter and then tells the young girl that she must
do nothing that would hurt Stephen. The girl is still young enough to be molded into a
respectable member of society and takes Mrs. Lithebe's advice seriously.

Stephen undergoes another crucial experience when he meets with his son Absalom
again. The scene is similar to the first scene in which the father spoke to Absalom and
the son answered reluctantly. The relationship is at first very strained and distant, but
by the end of the interview, there is some hint of communication and the relationship
begins to deepen. By the end of the scene, he has given his son some hope. As he takes
his son's hand, there is a feeling of some spark of life. This situation is the same type that
occurred between Gertrude and Stephen in their first meeting; that is, at first Gertrude
was cold and distant, but when Stephen took her hand, there was the beginning of
communication.

Again a man of charity and goodness — this time Mr. Carmichael — is presented from
among the whites of South Africa. His concern, as well as that of Father Vincent and the
young man from the reformatory, shows us once more that there is a great deal of
decency, concern, and constructiveness among the whites, but it is often overshadowed
by the government's attitude.

This chapter starts very much like Chapter 1, with a description of the countryside
around Ixopo, but instead of leading down to the washed-out, eroded gullies and barren
lands, it leads up to the highlands, rich and fertile, and to "High Place," the home of
James Jarvis.

Jarvis is shown to be quite an ordinary man, one who is disturbed by the plight of the
natives, yet so concerned with his own problems that he finds he cannot solve the plight
of the natives or his own problems. It is easier not to act than to act, yet he continues to
be conscious of a deteriorating state of affairs.

His love of the land matches that shown earlier by Stephen. The land was his father's
before him. This is the place where he was born and grew up, where he married and
fathered a son, and where the son grew up.

Jarvis is a decent man, if limited, and has some decent feelings for both the people and
the land itself. In fact, he is a fairly close parallel to Stephen. Both come from the same
region, and both are simple, honest men who are not (at least at the start) aware of how
severely things have broken down and how drastic the situation has become. Both are
happily married and have one son whom they love very much. And now both men are
confronted by the same tragedy.

Chapter 19 marks the start of James Jarvis' education. In many ways it parallels
Stephen's education, for both men learn about the problems of Johannesburg from
having those problems forced on them. Both have been men of goodwill but have been
very naive.

James Jarvis learns that Arthur would risk everything — his job, security, reputation,
even the necessities of life — to help other people. This aspect of Arthur is unknown to
his father, just as Absalom's life of crime was unknown to Stephen. Both fathers have a
terrible need to understand, and this chapter shows that need being born in James
Jarvis.

John Harrison is another man of goodwill, but with severe limitations; he is one who
admires Arthur Jarvis yet is incapable of understanding or imitating him. He regards
Arthur as a dreamer and himself as a practical man. Although he may admire a dreamer
or idealist, he puts little stock in ideals.

Thus, we see the relationship of fathers and sons concerning social problems. Jarvis
mentions that he and his son had differed quite strongly on the question of black
problems. John Harrison also admits that he and his father had arguments about social
problems. Paton is trying here to suggest that the younger generation is more conscious
of the need for social change. This argument should be contrasted to what is happening
with Stephen and his son, who apparently disagree as to the proper ethics of life.

What most influences Jarvis about his son Arthur is the knowledge that Arthur had been
threatened 6n several occasions, but had answered the threats by saying he had to
speak the truth under any circumstance. Jarvis also hears his son spoken of as a
missionary, realizes that he never really knew his son, and wonders how many of these
values were instilled in his son during his youth.

The things a man possesses often tell a great deal about that man. An examination of the
possessions of Arthur Jarvis reveals his books are directed toward one facet of life. One
entire bookshelf is devoted to books about Lincoln and the emancipation of blacks in
America. Other books are about South Africa and its racial and social problems. In
addition to Shakespeare's plays are books about religion, justice, and crime. From these
books, we can assume that Arthur Jarvis was vitally interested in the social
development of his country and had read extensively about its history and social
problems.

Besides the books, there are significant pictures in the room that reveal more about
Arthur Jarvis. The portraits of Jesus and Lincoln, both men of action and of compassion,
reveal Arthur's concern for humanity. Both men thought deeply before acting, both
showed great compassion not only for their friends and followers but for their enemies,
and both suffered and died for their beliefs.

The depth of Arthur Jarvis' mind is seen in the page of an unfinished letter that his
father reads. It is well-reasoned, it shows a knowledge of the nation's history, and it
shows a concern for helping the oppressed rather than attacking the oppressors. Arthur
was more concerned with appealing to the best in the oppressors instead of appealing
to the worst in the oppressed. All of these ideas are new to James Jarvis; it is small
wonder that he finds himself overwhelmed and has to read the page a second time to
take it all in. His search for his son is well under way. His education in humanity has
begun.

The beginning of Chapter 21 reverberates with the idea of "why this young man had to
die." Jarvis tries to discover some logical reason why his son, who had been such an
advocate for justice, had to die.

The great mass of people at Arthur's funeral affects Mr. Jarvis in two ways. Besides
impressing him with the admiration felt for his son in all sections of society, it brings
him into contact, direct physical contact, and on the same level of grief, with all the races
of South Africa. Hitherto, James Jarvis has largely seen the natives as labor, a commodity
rather than a set of individuals, but now he is introduced to them on a different basis,
one further step in his education.

With old Mr. Harrison, the novel introduces a Colonel Blimp-type figure, a man whose
one idea is that anything that isn't English isn't much good, a limited man who is happy
with his limitations because he never has to think. Mr. Harrison says the natives should
be "put in their place." As for unions? Nonsense, don't allow them. Crime? Get more
police and give the criminals stiffer sentences. And so on and on. One cannot reason
with such a man. He is the traditional stone wall — firm and unyielding, but dense.

In Arthur Jarvis' manuscript, again there is a note of quiet reason; there is no ranting or
raving or blaming. He was a sensible man trying to bring reason to bear on the racial
problem rather than resorting to prejudice and emotionalism. He emphasized the
inconsistency of people who believe that God gave man capacities and gifts to use, yet
who deny the Africans the full use of their capacities; who believe in the brotherhood of
man, except where Africans are involved; who believe in helping the underdog — unless
he is African. These and many other inconsistencies, Arthur wrote, are the major source
of the South African dilemma.

The chapter continues the analogies between Arthur Jarvis and Abraham Lincoln. Both
men were concerned for the downtrodden, the victims of society, yet compassionate
toward the people who had abused these victims. Both died at the hands of assassins
before their works were finished. And whether he recognizes it at the moment or not,
this similarity is likely one of the things that impresses Mr. Jarvis.

Book 2: Chapters 22-25

The technique of these chapters is to present the general picture of the court in detail,
describing all the various aspects of the room. Later, the author will go into the dramatic
trial scene in which Absalom is tried for the murder of Arthur Jarvis. Paton, who often
brings the reader to a close emotional understanding of the African situation, reverses
his technique in this chapter and instead creates an objective distance from his reader
in order to present the courtroom scene. Instead of making it emotional, he presents it
quietly. In other words, it is not his purpose to arouse any undue emotion over the trial
itself: Absalom is guilty and must be found so. The intent is to get past this and
investigate Kumalo's and Jarvis' reactions to the situation that brought about this
unnecessary crime.

At the end of Chapter 22, there is the first recognition by Kumalo of Jarvis. In the
courtroom, Kumalo recognizes Jarvis as the man from his own district, and he trembles
in the presence of the man whose son was killed by Absalom.

Chapter 23 is about gold fever; it shows people driven nearly mad by gold, luxuriating in
gold, in a frenzy over the state of their stocks, and weeping because they made only a
small fortune and then sold their shares, instead of holding them and making a larger
fortune. They weep for this but not for the families destroyed, lives destroyed, and land
destroyed. The voices of those who want something not for themselves, but for others,
are voices crying in the wilderness of this greed.

Among the strongest voices crying for sanity and compassion are the voices of the
churches. Father Beresford here is rather like the real Father Trevor Huddleston and
the former Anglican bishop of Johannesburg, both of whom worked desperately to
enlighten the whites, educate the natives, and inform the world about the South African
tragedy, and who were exiled from South Africa by its government.
Note the variations in style in this chapter. Paton is presenting varied views about the
social situation, but he seldom speaks in his own voice. He makes his condemnations,
but they occur most often in such terse and effective sentences as: "No second
Johannesburg is needed upon the earth. One is enough."

In the next chapter, Arthur Jarvis' essay is self-explanatory, but Mr. Jarvis' angry
reaction indicates his initial lack of understanding about his son's drives. He is angry
that his son should judge him and find fault with him. Part of it is anger at Arthur's
impudence, but part seems to be anger at himself, anger at the thought that he failed
Arthur because he failed himself and his country. He took too much for granted. He
ignored things that might have upset him. What Mr. Jarvis took for granted or ignored,
Arthur questioned, investigated, and thought deeply about. It is hard for a father, after
eighteen or twenty years of being looked up to by his children, or at least of being the
judge of right and wrong, to realize that they know more than he does, or that they have
more wisdom and courage and honesty than he has. It is something that is difficult to
accept, even after such a blow as the son's murder.

Stephen's quest here, the one he promised to undertake for his friend back home, has
proved almost as fruitless as his own search for Absalom. All three of the people he has
looked for (Absalom, Gertrude, and the servant girl) have been corrupted by the city
and its life. All have become criminals of one sort or another.

When the two fathers, Stephen Kumalo and James Jarvis, meet for the first time, both of
them are bereft, both of them are grieving. Jarvis, however, has mellowed and changed.
When Kumalo first appears, Jarvis is very kind and considerate of the old man's
suffering. It is important to note that at this moment, Jarvis does not know that Kumalo
is related to Absalom. But more important is that earlier, Jarvis would not have acted so
kindly to any black man. Now he has changed and can recognize the great suffering in
Kumalo's face even before he knows who Kumalo really is.

After Kumalo confesses that it was his son who killed Arthur, Mr. Jarvis tells Kumalo
that there is no anger in him. Thus, the anger that Jarvis previously held has been
modified by reading and understanding his son's views. Jarvis mentions his son to
Kumalo, and the old minister says that there was a brightness in Arthur, a statement
that touches Mr. Jarvis.

After they have talked, Jarvis performs a small act of kindness for Kumalo. When the
niece says that she doesn't care what happened to the servant girl, Jarvis translates it
simply that the niece does not know. He has gained a compassion and understanding
that will lead him to perform the charitable acts in the remaining parts of the novel.

Book 2: Chapters 26-29

John Kumalo's speech reveals him as a prophet, but a corrupt prophet, one who would
never sacrifice his life, nor even sacrifice a week's or a day's income, for a cause. His
voice is like a great bull or a lion roaring in an empty chasm. Dubula and Tomlinson are
envious of the power of the voice, but they realize that Kumalo has no brains and no
courage. Earlier John had ridiculed the people who stayed with the tribe and lived under
the control of the chief who did nothing for the people. But now, with his voice, John is
trying to emulate the role of the chief. As the police know, John will go only so far with
his voice; he will retract rather than be arrested. Thus, he betrays the people who need
him because he is unwilling to sacrifice himself in any way and desires only the power
and notoriety caused by his speeches. Msimangu feels that it is perhaps good that John
is corrupt because with his voice, he could cause South Africa to erupt into a bloodbath.

The news of the new crime — the new robbery and murder — is disastrous because the
city and the nation are already so obsessed with fear. And since Absalom is on trial for a
similar crime, there is a real possibility that he will be made to suffer for this crime, as
well as the one he actually committed. Absalom is likely to be a scapegoat for all the
fear, all the guilt, and all the crimes of the city. This desire for revenge has led the whites
to demand more police protection rather than demanding more schools that could
educate the masses who are performing the crimes.

In the trial scene, the reader should be aware of how carefully the judge evaluates his
material — that any way one may look at the case, one must conclude that Absalom is
guilty and must be judged accordingly. There is no indication that Absalom did not
receive a fair trial. The chapter then presents the final recording of the preceding of the
court: the conclusion is that according to the laws of South Africa, Absalom must be
found guilty and must be hanged.

At the end of the chapter, the young white man who had been concerned with Absalom
at the reformatory breaks the long-established tradition that the blacks remain on one
side and the whites on the other. He goes across the color line in order to help Stephen
Kumalo, who is about to collapse.

In Chapter 29, the girl's expression of delight at being Stephen's daughter-in-law after
she marries Absalom indicates how much she has needed a father, a family, guidance,
and love of some sort, and indicates how much she has missed and longed for these
things. She is animated and alive for almost the first time.

Stephen goes to John for a moral purpose: he feels that he must warn John. We see again
that John is a very shallow person, and Stephen suddenly has a strong desire to hurt his
brother. This is the second time that Stephen has had this urge, and he tells a small lie to
John so as to frighten him. He is also bitter that John's son betrayed Absalom and makes
a caustic comment about Absalom's friends. But as soon as Kumalo hurts his brother, he
regrets it immediately. He had wanted to tell his brother that power can corrupt and to
warn him to seek better ways of expressing himself; instead, he became angered and
merely hurt his brother. Afterward, however, he does ask forgiveness for his act.

Msimangu's decision to enter the monastery is ambiguous in its motivation. He had

been the strong voice of rationalism and generosity for the black man, and now he is
retiring from the field of struggle. We are told that he is the first black man to take such
a step, but his reasons for doing so are not clear. At least his act provides some material
benefits for Stephen Kumalo in the form of the savings account.

With Absalom sentenced to death and with Gertrude's disappearance, we see that
Kumalo has totally failed to reunite his family, which was his original aim in coming to
Johannesburg. Instead, he has formed a new family and has new hope that the young
girl and Gertrude's boy can become symbols of a new type of African. Gertrude's
disappearance from Mrs. Lithebe's is not too surprising since we have had intimations
that she cannot overcome her old way of life.

Peter, the name Absalom wishes to give his son, is the name of the founder of the
Christian church and means rock; this stresses again the fact that Kumalo might be able
to establish or build a new type of life with these younger people.

The beginning of the change in John Jarvis occurs when he gives a large donation to the
African Boys' Club, an organization that Arthur Jarvis had helped sponsor. We will see
this change continue as he helps rebuild the valley where Kumalo lives. Thus Jarvis' son
had more influence on his father after his death than during his life. Arthur Jarvis' life
and death were not in vain.

Book 3: Chapters 30-36

The drought that covers the land in Chapter 30 becomes a symbol for the drought of the
spirit as well as of the land. Rain and water are traditional symbols of birth, purification,
and love. Conversely, the absence of water and the absence of rain must be regarded as
symbolic of death, or a withdrawal of love. T. S. Eliot, in The Waste Land, utilized these
symbols. Also William Faulkner, in a story called "Dry September," used the drought of
nature as a symbol of the inner drought of a group of Southern townspeople that drives
them to lynch an innocent black man.

This chapter contains the return from the quest. Earlier it was suggested that Kumalo's
trip to the city could be viewed in terms of a quest. Now with his return from this quest
or journey, which some may see as a failure, he has brought back two new people, who
serve as symbols of new hope and perhaps of a new quest.

Even though this small village is being destroyed by a drought, there is still more of a
sense of unity and a quality of life about it than was found in the impersonal city. Paton
refers to the valley as a waste land but lets the reader know that there is no waste land
of the spirit here. The manner in which Kumalo is accepted indicates a stronger and a
more humane relationship than existed in the city. Kumalo, himself, thinks that he
should leave because of the disgrace brought about by other members of his family, but
his followers respect him for the suffering he has endured. Kumalo has also learned that
kindness and love can pay for pain and suffering. In his return home, he finds all the
love and respect that was missing in the larger city where he endured so much pain and
suffering.

Kumalo is strengthened by his memories of Msimangu. He calls him "the best man of all
my days." His quiet example stands as a symbol for Kumalo of the way a man can quietly
work for the good of humanity.

Kumalo's decision to act on the problems of the village causes him to go to the chief and
to realize how meaningless is this figurehead who has no power. Kumalo is able to see
this because his journey to Johannesburg has opened his eyes to many new things and
ideas. For the first time, Kumalo is able to evaluate the tribal system more objectively.
Furthermore, he is braver than he used to be. He no longer accepts the chief's word; he
insists that something be done even though ultimately Kumalo realizes that the chief
will do nothing. Then he goes to the headmaster, but he is again disappointed because
the headmaster tells him that the school will be able to do nothing. His vision of a great
new society is dimmed as he encounters one obstacle after another.

Once more Paton shows what one man can do if he is willing to learn and to act on the
basis of what he has learned. Mr. Jarvis, rather than giving in to hatred and a desire for
revenge after the murder of his son, was brought by his own innate goodness and the
prodding of his son's words to rethink all his old opinions about his country and himself
— or perhaps to think about these things for the first time in his life. Now his thoughts
have begun to bear fruit, for earlier he gave money to the African Boys' Club, and now
he provides milk for the village's children.

His grandson, too, has begun to learn and to understand the Africans, both their
language and their problems. With the example of his grandfather and the deeds of his
father, it seems likely that he will grow up with a new set of principles; what Arthur
Jarvis started is beginning to show results.

The letters Kumalo receives contrast to the events transpiring in his own home town.
The letters bring distressing news of death, but in contrast the valley is presently
receiving help from Mr. Jarvis.

The uselessness of the chief is shown by the fact that when he sees the surveyor
planting sticks in the ground, he orders his men to also plant some sticks. They are
rather comic figures in comparison with the good Jarvis and Kumalo.

While Jarvis is in the valley, it begins to rain. As noted in an earlier commentary, the
beginning of the rain can be seen as a symbol of the renewed hopes and rebirth of the
valley. Jarvis is trapped in the rain and must ask Kumalo for permission to leave his
saddle on the parson's porch and to take refuge in the church. The building leaks so
much that they have to move constantly in order to find better protection. Ultimately,
Jarvis will build a new church for the village. During their wait, Jarvis learns that
Absalom's plea for clemency has not been granted and that his son's murderer will soon
be hanged. Thus the two fathers are left with only the memories of their sons.

Arthur's son comes to Kumalo to learn more Zulu. Kumalo sees the brightness of the
father shining in the son. As the boy leaves, Kumalo hopes that he will see the valley
reborn before he dies because during his lifetime he has seen so much disintegration.

Mr. Jarvis is not just giving gifts or charity to the people of the valley. Following his son's
advice, he is providing the means for the people to help themselves. He provides them
with the agricultural demonstrator so that the people themselves can learn how to
preserve the land and turn it into a productive valley again.

In these last chapters, there are strong indications of communication and understanding
between Mr. Jarvis and Kumalo. As soon as he hears of Mrs. Jarvis' death, Kumalo would
like to speak to Jarvis, but custom forbids; he must content himself with writing a letter
of condolence. Mr. Jarvis answers, explaining that Mrs. Jarvis had been ill for some time.
He writes this explanation so that Kumalo will not think that Arthur's murder caused
Mrs. Jarvis to die, thus indicating that Mr. Jarvis has developed a deeper sympathy and
compassion for the feeling of the blacks. At the same time, Jarvis promises Kumalo a
new church. One of the natives responds by scouring the countryside in order to find
the best white lilies for a wreath for Mrs. Jarvis.

In Chapter 35, we begin to see that in the reconstruction of the land, the demonstrator
must work against the grumbling and discontent of the natives. He has to make them
understand that reconstruction is a long, slow process and that they cannot expect too
much in a short time.

The demonstrator and Kumalo have a discussion about who has responsibility for the
condition of the land. Kumalo refuses to put all the blame on the white man and asserts
the gratitude he feels for the way in which Mr. Jarvis has helped them. Kumalo warns
the demonstrator not to hate any man and not to desire power over any man. From his
trip to Johannesburg, Kumalo has learned the tragedy that can occur when hate and
power control a man. Hope rests with people like the demonstrator, who assures
Kumalo that he has no hate and desires only to work for the good of all of Africa.

The day before Absalom is to die, Stephen goes to the mountain to be alone with his
thoughts and with God. King David, too, when he learned of the death of his son
Absalom, went off by himself, to weep and mourn and cry, "O my son Absalom, my son,
my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" Absalom
had turned away from his father and had acted on the advice of false friends, friends
who had betrayed him, and Absalom had died because of this. So the parallel between
Cry, the Beloved Country and the Biblical story holds true.

The meeting between Jarvis and Stephen is as close as these men will ever come. Each
says almost all he feels, and yet there remains some reticence, and Paton repeats several
times the phrase "but such a thing is not done lightly" to illustrate that however much
these men feel in common and however much love they have for one another, the
pattern of racial relations in South Africa comes between even them. If these men
cannot tear down this wall entirely, how much harder it is for men who have more fear,
more hatred, and more to hide, to tear down the wall between them. Unless these walls
are torn down soon, however, Msimangu's prophecy may come true, the prophecy that
by the time the whites have realized they must overcome their fears and treat the blacks
with justice, decency, and love, the blacks' patience will have worn away and be
replaced by a hatred of the whites. Kumalo knows that only love will save Africa.

The book ends with a return to the mood of the first chapter, but with a difference: one
day a dawn will come to lighten men's minds, to relieve them of the darkness of fear and
the bondage to their fellow men.

Stephen Kumalo

Stephen Kumalo changes drastically during the course of the novel. He gains a great
awareness of many facets of life by going on a journey to Johannesburg. Before this
journey, he was a country priest who was a good man but who had no understanding of
the wider world. He respected the tribal ways but had no understanding of why the
tribe was breaking down and why the young people were leaving for the cities.
Throughout the novel, from beginning to end, he is humble, pious, and sensitive. At all
times he is very sensitive to any hurt that he might cause others and is aware of the
feelings of people. Even in the first pages of the novel, he knows that he hurts his wife.

He is essentially a humble person, but several times during the novel his feelings of
anger get the best of him and he intentionally tries to hurt some other person. After
each outburst, he is deeply sorry for his anger and makes reparations in some manner.

Kumalo is the suffering hero; that is, before he can come to a complete awareness of life,
he must undergo intense suffering. Only at the end of the novel does he come to
understand the meaning of that suffering — that through suffering a person is made
more aware of all aspects of life and can better sympathize with others.

His name, Stephen, refers to the Christian saint who first underwent martyrdom
through suffering. Stephen's suffering is seen partially in the fact that he wants to
restore the family and the tribal system. But through the course of the novel, he comes
to an awareness that the tribal system can never be restored, and he fails in his attempts
to restore his own family. Through these failures and the suffering caused by them, he
matures into a man who has a larger appreciation for the trials that others must
undergo.

If Kumalo has been a failure in his attempt to restore (reconstruct) his own family, he
does not give up. Instead, he turns for hope to the younger people, that is, his son's wife
and her child and Gertrude's young son. Furthermore, upon his return from the city, he
no longer relies upon the chief's word but knows that if things are to be accomplished
he must find some other method than relying upon the older traditions connected with
the tribal chief. He then begins to work for a better Africa and devotes his energies to a
larger problem than that of restoring his own personal family.

Msimangu

Msimangu is the mission priest who wrote Kumalo about Gertrude's plight. He is the
person who admits and recognizes that he is sinful because he loses his temper, but at
the same time he feels that "God has laid his hands" on him. He devotes most of his time
to helping Kumalo and, at the end of the novel, gives all of his money to Kumalo. He is a
person dedicated to helping others and to sacrificing himself for the benefit of others.

Msimangu is the spokesman for many of the central problems of the novel. He is the one
who suggests that the core of the problem in South Africa lies in the fact that the white
man has destroyed all of the tradition connected with the old tribal situation. Yet there
are no new values to replace those that were destroyed in the breakdown of the tribal
system. He also maintains that most of the black leaders are no better than the whites
because as soon as a black man gets some degree of power, he becomes as corrupt as
any of the white men. The ideal leader would be someone who did not desire power and
who, when receiving a certain degree of power, would use it for the benefit of the black
race as a whole. Several times during the novel he asserts that power corrupts more
than any other factor. He sees that John Kumalo has been corrupted merely by the
power of his own voice and is thankful that John is such a coward that he does not
attempt to get more power.
James Jarvis

Before the death of his son, James Jarvis had been a person who found contentment in
tending his estate and maintaining a distinct separation from the world around him. He
is basically a good man who instilled some solid virtues in his son, but who never
bothered to face the controversial issues of the time.

He had always believed in traditional ideas, but during the course of the novel and as a
result of his son's death, he moves closer to his son's position. Or at least, he tries to
come to some understanding of the racial problem of South Africa by trying to
understand his son. In one sense, he becomes almost like his son in that he donates
money and time and then arranges things so that the natives will learn to help
themselves.

Jarvis also gains a feeling for Kumalo's suffering even before he knows Kumalo. He
sympathizes with Kumalo's position and attempts to alleviate the old man's suffering in
many small ways.

After contemplating his son's writings and his son's thinking, Jarvis slowly comes to a
realization that the cause of the recent racial strife must lie partly with the whites who
have ignored the situation for so many years. He first begins to do simple tasks such as
sending milk to the young children; later he builds the dam. Ultimately, Jarvis finds a
trained expert in agriculture who can show the people how to help themselves. During
the course of the novel, he represents the sensitive and intelligent man who becomes
aware, through a private tragedy, of the tragedy of an entire race, and makes some small
effort to correct this injustice.