Cry, the Beloved Country Essay
The 1940’s Novel Cry, the Beloved Country written by Allan Paton has an obvious religious significance. The main character, Stephen Kumalo, is a parson; thus, it is inevitable that the bible will be part of this character and will be brought up on several occasions. Often times, Kumalo is depicted reading his bible when he is in search of solace; for example, when he is on his way to Johannesburg. The supporting characters such as Father Vincent and Reverend Theophilus Msimangu are also symbols of deep religious presence in the book. Many of characters, both significant and otherwise, have names that are from the bible, Absalom, Steven and Peter.
This book portrays principles that are taught in the holy bible. Instead of supporting a specific belief, Paton implies the spiritual morals of forgiveness and love as an essential mechanism of any resolution to the ethnic mixture in South Africa. This is quite clear if a study of the relationship between Stephen Kumalo and James Jarvis is made. Stephens’s son Absalom murdered James son Arthur, and was sequentially executed by the police. Instead of turning to hatred to deal with their grief, they use this connection to help each other. Stephen and James are capable of exoneration; this shared trait compels them to improve the group of people and results in harmony in the valley.
Stephen Kumalo, a simple man from the valley of Ndotsheni, is a reverend that ironically, preaches the faith of his oppressors. However, there is more of a biblical connection than just his faith. St. Stephen, the alleged first sufferer of the Christian religion, was tortured until he died, after wrongly being accused of saying callous words that oppose the Holy Land and the ruling decree. Stephen Kumalo is also a victim of the injustice in society. He is a black man who is trying to fight biasness of the white world in order to find his son and when he succeeds in locating him, he suffers even more.
Stephen Kumalo’s rebellious son, Absalom, met a terrible fate just as the biblical Absalom, son of King David, did. Absalom, son of David, murdered his brother and then turned against his father. Later a military man killed him for his crimes. Absalom Kumalo was also a murderer who revolted against his father’s wishes. In the end, he too gave up his life for his sins. They both were brought up in secure, spiritual families and both had good character but chose violence as a way of retaliation instead of finding a more pacifist way of reacting. Their fathers loved them, forgave them for their sins, and grieved over their deaths.
Absalom’s unborn son, Peter, was to be named after the biblical St. Peter who was the main person that shaped the Christian Church. As a result, Peter Kumalo is perceived to be the basis of a new generation in South Africa’s history. With the prospective for salvation and restitution, baby Peter symbolizes a new beginning for the people who were burned by the vicious flames of oppression and inequality. St. Peter from the bible denotes a new start, a new hope, and a new life, for the people of the Christian faith. We can only assume that Paton meant to have the young Kumalo be an icon for a new cohort of black South Africans seeking freedom from racial prejudice.
Through out the ages the Bible has been the basis for numerous pieces of art. It has influenced copious amounts of literary works and been the foundation for many political regimes. Each has had its own way of viewing the bible. Cry, the Beloved Country shows how the bible was being manipulated to benefit the white man’s cause and will. In the book the will of god and the will of the white man are virtually indistinguishable. The Black people are being demoralized by the tribulations born from these injustices.
This book portrays principles that are taught in the holy bible. Instead of supporting a specific belief, Paton implies the spiritual morals of forgiveness and love as an essential mechanism of any resolution to the ethnic mixture in South Africa. This is quite clear if a study of the relationship between Stephen Kumalo and James Jarvis is made. Stephens’s son Absalom murdered James son Arthur, and was sequentially executed by the police. Instead of turning to hatred to deal with their grief, they use this connection to help each other. Stephen and James are capable of exoneration; this shared trait compels them to improve the group of people and results in harmony in the valley.
Stephen Kumalo, a simple man from the valley of Ndotsheni, is a reverend that ironically, preaches the faith of his oppressors. However, there is more of a biblical connection than just his faith. St. Stephen, the alleged first sufferer of the Christian religion, was tortured until he died, after wrongly being accused of saying callous words that oppose the Holy Land and the ruling decree. Stephen Kumalo is also a victim of the injustice in society. He is a black man who is trying to fight biasness of the white world in order to find his son and when he succeeds in locating him, he suffers even more.
Stephen Kumalo’s rebellious son, Absalom, met a terrible fate just as the biblical Absalom, son of King David, did. Absalom, son of David, murdered his brother and then turned against his father. Later a military man killed him for his crimes. Absalom Kumalo was also a murderer who revolted against his father’s wishes. In the end, he too gave up his life for his sins. They both were brought up in secure, spiritual families and both had good character but chose violence as a way of retaliation instead of finding a more pacifist way of reacting. Their fathers loved them, forgave them for their sins, and grieved over their deaths.
Absalom’s unborn son, Peter, was to be named after the biblical St. Peter who was the main person that shaped the Christian Church. As a result, Peter Kumalo is perceived to be the basis of a new generation in South Africa’s history. With the prospective for salvation and restitution, baby Peter symbolizes a new beginning for the people who were burned by the vicious flames of oppression and inequality. St. Peter from the bible denotes a new start, a new hope, and a new life, for the people of the Christian faith. We can only assume that Paton meant to have the young Kumalo be an icon for a new cohort of black South Africans seeking freedom from racial prejudice.
Through out the ages the Bible has been the basis for numerous pieces of art. It has influenced copious amounts of literary works and been the foundation for many political regimes. Each has had its own way of viewing the bible. Cry, the Beloved Country shows how the bible was being manipulated to benefit the white man’s cause and will. In the book the will of god and the will of the white man are virtually indistinguishable. The Black people are being demoralized by the tribulations born from these injustices.
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