Word Count: 917
The Breakdown and Rebuilding of South African Society within the novel Cry,
The Beloved Country
“...what God has not done for South Africa man must do.” (25)
n the novel Cry, The Beloved Country, written by Alan Paton, some major conflicts follow the story f
rom beginning to end. Two of these conflicts would be as follows; the breakdown of the tribal commun
ity and the power hope and faith pocesses to rebuild broken relationships. Kumalo, as an indivigual,
demostrates the power of this hope which mends the broken relationships of his friends and his fall
en tribal community. Throughout the novel one aquires the perfect perspective about the hardships th
e natives went through as a society. Cry is a story about a Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and how he se
ts out to bring his family back to the community in which he resides. Kumalo, dealing with his famil
y and congregation straying away from the church, does show the power of hope and faith and how it c
an rebuild broken relationships throughout the novel.
The tribal breakdown starts to show in book
1, with the land that the tribe must use and how the poeple of Ndotsheni have used up the natural r
esourses that used to lay within the community. The whites pushed the tribe out of where the communi
ty used to reside. The land was so rich that it was decribed as “ holy, being even as it came from t
he creator”(3). In the rural areas much of this decay came as a result of the tight confinned livin
g areas that the blacks were forced to live upon. With such a mass population and such a small place
to occupy it is only a matter of time before the land is no longer able to be farmed. The decay of
the tribe was not only confined to the natural resources of the land but also resulted in a moral an
d physical decline of the entire population. In result of these conditions, many people left the tri
be to go to Johannesburg where there’s a false hope for a new start in life. A hope that almost vani
shed when Komalo left. Without his strong moral belief in God the people where left with nothing but
a decaying landscape. Even though it may seem as if all hope is lost for a decent life in the trib
al community, it is within this time that the relationships between others are tested and drawn clo
ser through the power of hope and faith.
As a result of this breakdown within the tribal society
there are some positive results to be gained from the decay of the tribe. Such positivity comes fro
m the rebuilding of relationships trough hope. Kumalo relizes that there is still love between himse
lf and his brother. He knows this because of the common view points that he shares. John said that t
he only hope that he sees is for the blacks and whites to work together in love for the good of the
country. It is through Kumalo’s religous representation that one can relizes that the religon of the
societies is what holds them together. Kumalo not only represents a religous leader throughout the
novel but also a man who gives hope to the people of Johannesburg, indiviguals and his own community
. The people ask “God to have mercy upon us”(58), for they still believe that through love for the c
ountry the diffrences between them can be settled out in the end. There is still optimism that also
remains, even in Shanty Town, they dance around the fire and sing “God save Africa”(58). Not only do
es the rebuilding of Kumalo’s relationships help him but also for the greater benifit of his communi
ty in Ndotsheni.
Arthur Jarvis shows great hope and inspiration to the black and white people of
Africa. He is so willing to help others that he gives up an opprentunity for a successful buisseness
carrier to spread his views. He is definitly smbolic of the Christ figure within the novel. Unfortu
nitly through his death his father begins to question his own personal moral beliefs that has been s
o engrained within his mind. Thus through the death of his son, Jarvis, realizes what wrongs that ha
ve been taking place in his country “I understand what I did not understand. There is no anger in me
”(181). Through this new undertsanding there is a change in the way that Kumalo and Jarvis see each
other. Again Kumalo sees Jarvis within a new light seeing him as a caring father, empolyer and someo
ne who cares deeply for the village of Ndotsheni. Even though hardship and deaths have been experien
ced in the novel through the power of love one realizes that hope never dies. It is only fadded and
always with a little faith can come back to life again.
Within the novel Cry there is a moral, p
hysical and agricultural decay within the entire country. A problem so immense it is almost beyond t
he point of repair. But yet throughout the novel one man and what he respresents not only holds the
society together but gives the society a brighter futrure to look at. Kumalo ia a man of religon. Ev
en through the worst times his personal faith and hope for the country was greater then the problem
at hand. This in turn gave others a hope in what the furture may hold for them. Kumalo, struggling t
o keep his family and community together demnostrates the power of religon as a glue for a broken so
cietyword count breakdown rebuilding south african society within novel beloved country what done so
uth africa must novel beloved country written alan paton some major conflicts follow story from begi
nning these conflicts would follows breakdown tribal community power hope faith pocesses rebuild bro
ken relationships kumalo indivigual demostrates power this hope which mends broken relationships fri
ends fallen tribal community throughout novel aquires perfect perspective about hardships natives we
nt through society story about zulu pastor stephen kumalo sets bring family back community which res
ides kumalo dealing with family congregation straying away from church does show power hope faith re
build broken relationships throughout tribal breakdown starts show book with land that tribe must po
eple ndotsheni have used natural resourses that used within whites pushed tribe where used reside la
nd rich that decribed holy being even came from creator rural areas much this decay came result tigh
t confinned living areas blacks were forced live upon with such mass population such small place occ
upy only matter time before land longer able farmed decay tribe only confined natural resources also
resulted moral physical decline entire population result these conditions many people left johannes
burg where there false start life almost vanished when komalo left without strong moral belief peopl
e where left nothing decaying landscape even though seem lost decent life within this time between o
thers tested drawn closer through faith result society there some positive results gained decay such
positivity comes rebuilding trough relizes there still love between himself brother knows because c
ommon view points shares john said only sees blacks whites work together love good country through r
eligous representation relizes religon societies what holds them together represents religous leader
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throughout also gives people johannesburg indiviguals have mercy upon they still believe love diffr
ences between them settled still optimism also remains even shanty town they dance around fire sing
save africa does rebuilding help greater benifit ndotsheni arthur jarvis shows great inspiration bla
ck white africa willing help others gives opprentunity successful buisseness carrier spread views de
finitly smbolic christ figure unfortunitly death father begins question personal moral beliefs been
engrained mind thus death jarvis realizes what wrongs have been taking place understand understand a
nger undertsanding change jarvis each other again sees light seeing caring father empolyer someone c
ares deeply village ndotsheni though hardship deaths been experienced realizes never dies fadded alw
ays little come back life again physical agricultural entire problem immense almost beyond point rep
air respresents holds together gives brighter futrure look religon worst times personal greater then
problem hand turn gave others furture hold them struggling keep family demnostrates religon glueEss
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