Cry, the Beloved Country, a novel written by Alan Paton, has a very inspirational output on those who read it. It has such a realist feel too it. There are many different viewpoints, for many situations. This novel illustrates the life in Johannesburg, a place where all roads lead to. As Paton wrote, there were many themes produced behind the stories told. One of the main characters, Stephen Kumalo, a black preacher, would be the perfect example to explain these themes. To sum them all up, three major themes would be racism, equality, and family.
To begin, racism brought out a lot of hatred, violence and fear. In the novel, the white people were compared to a valley: rich, lovely, and thriving. On the other hand, the black people, or natives, were compared to lower hills: dying, barring, and destroyed. The lower hills demonstrate the way blacks were low in society, and the whites were referred to as “rich” because they were very wealthy, thriving and dominating over the lower hills of the black people. The whites held a higher standard than the blacks; whites were more successful while many blacks were struggling. Many of the whites felt as if they didn't have to treat the blacks the same as they treated others because they viewed them as nothing. Despite the fact that some whites were willing to help the natives, they would be sent to court for doing such thing.
To add on, equality showed a great route to a more peaceful future. As the title of this novel reads, Cry, the Beloved Country, it refers to the people crying out for hope and peace. Throughout the novel, violence and crime hindered the society, and the only way for there to be peace would be when both races joined together. To focus on one particular topic would be the transformation of the relationship between a white man, James Jarvis, and Stephen Kumalo. Even though James's son was killed by Kumalo's son, he was able to put all differences aside, to look beyond the color of skin, and become good friends with Kumalo. Their uniting would be a great start for more equality in their land, because the others will see that everyone is all the same, and no different than the other.
Last but not least, family is one of the most valuable aspects of life. no matter what happens, there isn't anything more important than family. After receiving such disturbing news, Kumalo never gave up on finding his family members. For instance, he received a letter saying that his sister was "sick" and in no time, he was boarding a train too Johannesburg. Johannesburg, a place where people go and never come back, Kumalo payed it no mind and went anyway. Despite the fact that Kumalo's sister was a prostitute, with a son who barely had food too eat, and his brother who lost faith in the church, he didn't judge them nor turn his back on them. He simply accepted them for who they were, and helped them find a new way in life.
Too sum it all up, there were many themes in the novel, Cry, the Beloved Country. Racism caused hatred, and oppression brought out rebellious violence. This hatred and violence caused a lot of distrust and fear. If all the people came together as a whole, and unite, there wouldn't be as much violence and crime. Not all the crime and violence can be blamed on by the hatred of the races, but also because family members let one another go astray. Those who didn't feel loved always seek for that loving, usually resulting in the wrong situations. Families should cherish one another, and let each and everyone know they are loved and that someone cares for them. Paton displayed numerous real life events that anyone can relate too, and there will be those who read this novel and can say, "yeah, I've been through that".
