Russian Revolution Power Point

CLICK HERE for power point

Cry, The Beloved Country

First introduced into book one of Cry, The Beloved Country, is Stephen Kumalo, a priest of the town of Ixopo; the “rich and matted” grass is a beautiful feature of this town, yet Paton goes on to characterize the town again, but as the hills standing “desolate” and the earth being “torn away like flesh”. The two diversities contradict the town of Ixopo with an antithesis scenario that explains the destruction of South Africa for the next 48 years. To go into added explanation, the antithesis is analyzing the Europeans corrupting the Natives’ culture which, in all, has been pestilent to Kumalo’s walk with Christ dramatically in book one.

Throughout book one, Stephen Kumalo, during his adventure to Johannesburg, is revealed to the understanding that his own son (in which he has not seen in an accumulation of years) is in prison for murder. Kumalo is pronounced as a round character on the grounds that now his son has become a thief and murderer and Kumalo himself begins to lose his way as a follower of Christ. This theme is presented through book one as an inconstant circumstance, due to the fact that Kumalo has a good friend, Msimangu, who is a priest and is trying his hardest to lead Kumalo to God in times of need. During book one, Kumalo goes with Msimangu to listen to him preach with a “voice of gold” and with words spoken that could “lift any heart”. Kumalo knows that what Msimangu is preaching is for Kumalo himself to listen to and be encouraged by. Kumalo continues to listen to his sermon and is recovered by his speech, but will be wounded once again when he discovers his son is a thief and being held in prison for murder.

In book one, Kumalo tells Father Vincent a story of “a man sleeping in the grass” and above him the “greatest storm” is gathering. The purpose of this story is to help Father Vincent understand how Kumalo feels about his son being imprisoned for theft and murder. All this time Kumalo has been in his own town of Ixopo, missing the majority of his family who has disappeared to Johannesburg, and has been unaware of this “storm” brewing with his son, he could not do anything to help him for he was unaware this entire time. Kumalo says in the beginning of book one that “his only child” had gone to Johannesburg in search for his aunt, but “had never returned”. Kumalo’s sister, brother, and his only child all went to Johannesburg and never returned, leading Kumalo to believe that Johannesburg is a bad place. For the reason that Kumalo’s family has all disappeared to this town, he knows that something is wrong about this place, but there is not much he can do considering that none of his family that disappeared has made any contact with him.

 During Kumalo’s trip to Johannesburg, he arrives at the bus station and a young man meets him and asks if he would like to get his ticket for Kumalo while Kumalo would stay in line; he never comes back, there was no ticket needed for the bus. It is already presented to Kumalo that Johannesburg in a dangerous, crime filled city. Kumalo begins to realize what exactly his sister, brother, and son, has gotten their selves into at Johannesburg, and why they have failed to return home; Kumalo begins to think the worst of what has happened to his family. In book we also find out Kumalo’s sister sells liquor and is a prostitute with a child. Johannesburg is a treacherous town filled with crime, prostitution, and drugs. The European culture has corrupted the town of Johannesburg and the natives living there, there is no hope for this place or Kumalo’s only son, and it evens seems as if there is no hope for Kumalo who has lost his once righteous way with Christ.