Bolshevik Revolution Presentation

Click here to view my presentation over the Bolshevik Revolution.

Cry, The Beloved Country

During Book I, Kumalo was a main character. From beginning to end, he played a part of the scenes. Starting with plotting to find out about his family in Johannesburg and why they hadn’t come back nor wrote them, leaving to attempt to find them, and getting there to meet the “new” family he basically “didn’t know” now. In my opinion, Stephen Kumalo was a very strong man. He was a man with a huge heart, and a fighter whom never gave up. Plenty of things in this book proved him to be a “realistic” man. In the world today, we all go through trials and tribulations and we really don’t understand why. In this book, Kumalo suffered knowing that his sister had turned into a prostitute, his brother was selfish, and his son was a trouble maker. None of them showed how they were raised once they became grown they took on life as they wanted to.

                Kumalo showed he had a huge heart by instead of leaving his sister the way she was, he took time out to try to help her get better. “I have come to take you back,” Kumalo said. This showed that he wanted the best for his sister, no matter what the situation was. It also showed that regardless of the mistakes she made, he still would always have love for her. “God forgives us, he says. Who am I not to forgive? Let us pray.” Stephen feels that there’s nothing that God can’t handle nor solve. If God will forgive her, then it’d be wrong if he, being human, didn’t give her another chance.

                Kumalo appears realistic because of the things he’s had to go through. In reality, many people go through family problems. Such as when Kumalo’s brother turned on him and flipped the script to save his son, those types of things happen in reality today. “There is no proof that my son or this other young man was there at all.” Just as other people go through the fact of knowing parts of a story, but not knowing the truth, Kumalo and his family went through the same thing.

                His son, Absalom, was considered a murderer for killing a white man unintentionally. Absalom said, “I told them I was frightened when the white man came. So I shot him. I did not mean to kill him.” Whether this statement was the truth or not, his father still chose to believe him. Even though Kumalo felt that his son had became a stranger and was unknown, he still stuck by his side and was there. Kumalo had so much going on in his life that he began to question if God really cared and loved him like his word said he did.

                This is what shows Kumalo to be “realistic”. His positive attributes of his personality is him being able to love and forgive someone despite their flaws and mistakes. Kumalo’s negative attributes of his personality is questioning God. No one should ever question what God can do and why he’s doing something. If he’s doing something to you or in your life, it’s always a reason and purpose for it. This experience changed him by showing him how life has ups and downs, but you have to figure out and understand how to get through them.