Kumalo must lose his son, sister, and family before gaining a new one.
Kumalo clings to the old ways at first realizing that he must change by the end to adapt to a changing world, but he suffers terribly along the way and like Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Stephen Kumalo's home is decaying with his sister turning to prostitution and his son committing murder.
The erosion of African society is symbolized in representations of a barren land and the erosion of the red soil that bleeds into the rivers like an open wound. Kumalo begins his journey rooted in the old ways and once he travels to Johannesburg he discovers that the world has changed and he must change with it. The result is corruption as people live in fear. Traditions with a chief as head of the tribe and support system of others members who teach moral behavior has been replaced by the white man's influence and this is represented in the lawless city of Johannesburg. Kumalo comes from the country and views the city as a corrupting influence on young people. Kumalo and Msimangu are good men that travel from place to place observing how the black man has lost "his tribe" and support system since white men has colonized Africa. I think it would be good paired with "Things Fall Apart," that shows the breakdown of the tribe from a black man's perspective whereas, "Cry the Beloved Country," is from a white man's perspective that reveals postcolonial attitudes of liberalism and Christian paternalism. Alan Paton's writing is lyrical and full of emotion a social protest novel that reveals the political and social issues of the time. Along the way they see economic and social conditions that gave rise to apartheid. In Johannesburg, Kumalo is assisted by Msimangu, the priest that sent him the letter, and the two set off to find Gertrude and Absalom. Kumalo hopes to find his son, Absalom, who has also gone to Johannesburg and he has not heard from in a few years.
The Reverend Stephen Kumalo, who lives in Ndotsheni, a village in eastern South Africa, receives a letter saying his sister, Gertrude, is ill and he should come to Johannesburg. His incredible voice changes helped me visualize the characters however, I should have read the book as my weakest learning style is auditory and it took me awhile to get the African village names and characters sorted. I listened to the audiobook performed by the actor, Michael York.
We are moving to South Africa so I thought I had better read this bestseller from 1948.
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