Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
**Overview of "Cry, the Beloved Country" by Alan Paton**
"Cry, the Beloved Country" is a poignant novel set in South Africa during the period of racial segregation and injustice. The story centers on Reverend Stephen Kumalo, a Zulu pastor who is called to Johannesburg to help his sick sister and search for his estranged son, Absalom. As Kumalo navigates the complexities of urban life, he discovers the harsh realities faced by his people, exacerbated by systemic oppression and social disintegration.
Through his journey, Kumalo encounters various characters who highlight the struggles within the African community, including his brother John, who prioritizes political ambition over family and tradition, and Msimangu, a fellow clergyman deeply committed to helping their people. The narrative deepens as Kumalo learns of Absalom's involvement in a tragic crime, resulting in the murder of a white man, Arthur Jarvis, which brings further heartache and a sense of injustice to Kumalo's life.
The novel explores themes of loss, redemption, and the need for reconciliation between communities. As Kumalo grapples with his family's disintegration and the broader societal issues, he also experiences moments of hope through the kindness of others, notably from Mr. Jarvis, the father of the murdered man, who seeks to improve the lives of the black community. Ultimately, "Cry, the Beloved Country" serves as a powerful reflection on the human condition, urging readers to confront the scars of the past while envisioning a path toward healing and understanding.
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
First published: 1948
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of plot: Mid-twentieth century
Locale: South Africa
Principal Characters
The Reverend Stephen Kumalo , a Zulu clergymanGertrude , his sisterAbsalom , his sonMsimangu , his friendMr. Jarvis , his white benefactor
The Story
The letter brings fear to the hearts of the Reverend Stephen Kumalo and his wife. To a Zulu, letters are rare and frightening. Once opened, they can never be closed again or their contents forgotten. Kumalo waits until he can control his fear before he opens the letter from Johannesburg telling him that his sister is sick and needs his help. The trip will be costly for a poor Zulu clergyman, but he has to go. Perhaps there he can also find their son Absalom, who was not heard from since he left the village. Stephen and his wife know in their hearts that, in Johannesburg, Absalom succumbed to the evil resulting from the white man’s breaking up the tribes and compelling black men to work in the mines.
Taking their small savings, Kumalo journeys to the city. He goes first to the mission and meets Msimangu, who wrote the letter. Msimangu is also a clergyman, working for his people in the city as Kumalo works in the country. He sorrowfully tells Kumalo that his sister Gertrude is a prostitute and a dealer in illegal liquor. She and her child are impoverished, even though she once made much money from her trade. Kumalo locates Gertrude, with the help of Msimangu, and finds her willing to go with him to the temporary rooms he found with a good woman. When his business is finished, she and the child will go with him to his home, away from temptation.
Before looking for his son, Kumalo visits his brother John, a successful merchant and a politician who is under surveillance by the police for his ability to stir up the blacks. John is discreet, and he takes no chance of being arrested and losing his business. Many of the black leaders sacrifice everything to help their people, but not John. Expediency is his only thought. He left the church and turns a deaf ear to his brother’s pleas that he return to a holier life.
Kumalo begins his search for Absalom. With Msimangu, he searches everywhere. Each place they visit adds to his fear, for it becomes clear from their investigation that Absalom is engaged in stealing, drinking, and worse. Often they walk for miles, for the black leaders are urging their people to boycott the buses in order to get the fares reduced. Kumalo learns that Absalom was in the company of John’s son, and both of them were in and out of trouble. The trail leads to a reformatory, but Absalom was dismissed shortly before because of his good behavior. The white teacher of the reformatory joins Kumalo in his search, because the boy’s behavior reflects on his training. Next, Kumalo finds a girl who, soon to bear Absalom’s child, waits to marry him. The old man knows at once that if Absalom is not found, the girl must return to the hills with him and make her home there.
At last, he finds Absalom in prison. Absalom, John’s son, and another boy robbed and killed Arthur Jarvis, a white man who befriended the blacks. Brokenhearted, the old man talks with his son. He can tell that Absalom does not truly repent but only says the right things out of fear. His one ray of goodness is his desire to marry the young woman in order to give his unborn child a name. Kumalo weeps for his son, but he weeps also for the wife and children, the father and mother of the slain man.
At the trial, Absalom is defended by a lawyer found by Kumalo’s friends. The plea is that the murder was not planned and that the boy shot in fear. The judge, a good man, weighs all the evidence and pronounces a verdict of guilty; the punishment, death by hanging. John’s son and the other boy are acquitted for lack of evidence. The verdict is a gross miscarriage of justice, but John is more powerful than Kumalo.
Before Kumalo leaves Johannesburg, he arranges for the marriage between his son and the girl. Then he starts home, taking the girl and Gertrude’s child with him. Gertrude disappears the night before they are to leave, but no one knows where she went. She talked of becoming a nun, but Kumalo fears that she went back to her old life.
At home, the people welcome their minister, showering love and blessings upon him. The crops are poor that season, and people are starving. Kumalo prays for his people and works for them. He knows that they must learn to use the land wisely, but he is helpless to guide them. He goes to their chief to ask for cooperation, but the chief is concerned only for himself and his family.
Hope comes to the people in the form of a child. He is the grandchild of Mr. Jarvis, the father of the man Absalom murdered. Mr. Jarvis always helped the black people, and, after his son’s death, he gave all of his time to the work started by his murdered son. He sends milk for the children and brings in an agricultural demonstrator to help the people restore fertility to the soil. Mr. Jarvis builds a dam and sends for good seed. His grandchild becomes Kumalo’s friend; through him, the white man learns of the needs of the people. Kumalo, whose son killed his benefactor’s son, is at first ashamed to face Mr. Jarvis. When they meet, few words are exchanged, but each reads the heart of the other and understands the sorrow and grief there.
The bishop comes and tells Kumalo that it would be best for him to leave the hills and the valley, to go where his son’s crime is unknown. Kumalo grieves and stands silent. Before the bishop leaves, a letter comes from Mr. Jarvis, thanking Kumalo for his friendship and offering to build his people a new church. The bishop feels ashamed.
When the day comes for Absalom’s execution, Kumalo goes into the mountains. He went there before when struggling with fear. Mr. Jarvis, knowing the torment that is in his soul, bids him to go in peace. When the dawn comes, Kumalo cries out for his son. He cries, too, for his land and his people. When will dawn come for them?
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