Cry, The Beloved Country Chapter 12

1. Cry, The Beloved CountryChapter 12 Heidi Jallouk

2. Summary • No one can enjoy the beauty of South Africa amid so much violence. • Many voices rise anonymously, suggesting different solutions for the troubles of their country • Disagreement is the only certainty, and the white population lives barricaded behind their fear. • Mrs. Ndlela, whom Msimangu and Kumalo visited earlier in their search for Absalom, tells Msimangu that the police have visited her looking for Absalom and that she referred them to Mrs. Mkize. • Before Msimangu can slip out on his own to investigate, however, he runs into Kumalo. He allows Kumalo to come along. • The two retrace their search, going first to Mrs. Mkize, then to Shanty Town, and then to the reformatory school, where the young man’s assistant tells them that the young man seems troubled. • Their last stop is Alexandra, where Absalom’s girlfriend tells them that the police have visited her but that she does not know why, and a local woman says that the police seemed frustrated.

3. Motifs • Nature • Talks about the land not being enjoyable because there is fear. • The natural beauty of South Africa and the ugliness brought on by its politics shows the necessity of change • Cries • People cry out different ideas that could be used to help solve the native crime issue in Johannesburg.

4. Themes • Fear • “Cry, the beloved country, … For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much.” –pg 80 • Fear in the characters and society of South Africa. • When Msimangu tells Kumalo that the police are looking for Absalom. • Kumalo is frightened that Absalom may be involved with some of the crimes that have happened in Johannesburg.

5. Contrasts • People v.s. People • Different ideas that people have come up with relating to the problem of crime. • One man believes that the white government is responsible for the natives’ problems because it has failed to help empower blacks. • Blames the crimes on the white people. • Another man worries that more schooling will make blacks smarter criminals. • Represents that beliefs of the black population is inherently immoral. • A man embodies trust in the black population, but the other man embodies mistrust of the black population.

6. Language • Repetition • “Let him not..” • This phrase is said multiple times throughout the paragraph. • ‘him’ refers to the unborn child of Absalom.

7. Point of Views • Narrator • pg 80 “Cry, the beloved country…of all if he gives too much” • Kumalo • When reading this chapter you see everything from Kumalo’s point of view. • At the beginning of the chapter you see his point of view when he is with all the whites when they are agruing about what to do with the crime issue. • In the second half of the chapter you see Kumalo’s point of view when he and Msimangu are trying to track down the police, who are looking for Absalom.

8. Questions • An unidentified white person in the novel offers, "Which do we suffer, a law-abiding, industrious and purposeful native people, or a lawless, idle and purposeless people? The truth is, that we do not know, for we fear them both." (pg 76) What is it that the white man fears in both instances? • Why did Mrs. Ndlela refer to herself as Mrs. Mkize when the police came to ask her about Absalom?

9. Why are the whites not able to agree on a solution to fix the native crime problem? • Is it possible that Jarvis was killed by a native black, since there is such a high rate of crime from them? • Jarvis wishes to help blacks regain their rights. Is it ironic that Jarvis is murdered by people for whose rights he is fighting? Why do you think they would murder someone who is trying to help him?

10. When Kumalo hears that the police are looking for Absalom do you think that Kumalo immediately thinks that Absalom had anything to do with the murder of Jarvis? Or does he think that he has stolen something?