Monday, April 7, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Reuniting the Family and the Nation
In the book ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' there are many themes the book revolves around. These themes include Christian values and kindness, the tension between urban and rural society, and the public significance of actions. Although the book contains all these themes, the theme that stands out and is the most important part of the book is reuniting the family and the nation. The book mostly revolves around Stephen Kumalo and his adventure going to Johannesburg to find his family members and bring them back home to be reunited. Stephen wants to reunite his family, so they can be back together again. Though on his journey he runs into a numerous amount of problems, and struggles to find his family members and get them back safety he never gives up and fights for his family. In the mix of Stephen's search for his family him and others try to reunite the nation, so the colored people can have the same rights and no restrictions like the white people.
When Stephen receives the letter that his sister Gertrude is sick, he straight to Johannesburg to help her in her health. While he is in Johannesburg helping his sister, he plans to find the rest of his family members and take them back home with him to be a family again. Stephen runs into his first problem when he arrives in Johannesburg, and is robbed of his money by a man that tells him you pay for the bus at a booth and he will take his money and pay it for him. Stephen never sees the man again, nor his money. Even though he faces a lot of problems, he gets some help on the way. He gets help with a place to stay by a friend, and stays at Mrs. Lithebe's house while he is in Johannesburg. He search for his sister is not that struggling as it is for his son, but he does face a inner problem when he discovers the life Gertrude was living.
When he finally finds Gertrude he finds out that she was a liquor seller, prostitute, and she had a child she did not know where it was. When Stephen found this out he felt shamed by her acts, and the way she was living her life. Inside Stephan felt like he failed as a farther, and was very hateful to Gertrude cause the choices she made in her life. Stephen saves Gertrude from the life she had, and takes her back to Mrs. Lithebe's house to stay with them. After he finds his sister he starts his search for his son Absalom Kumalo. Trying to find his son and getting him back is harder to do then it was to find his sister. When he is in search for his son, Stephen gets a lead on where he is but every time he checks there he has already left. Stephen goes on a wild goose chase for his son, but he knows he is worth the chase to find.
During his search Stephen witnesses people boycotting the buses, and standing up to get their rights and freedom. While the colored were boycotting the buses, the white people were helping by giving them rides to their destination. Even though they knew the risk they were at with the police the whites still helped them, cause they knew it was right and wanted the nation to come together. These people are trying to reunite the nation, like Stephen is trying to reunite his family. In both situations it takes a lot of hard work, struggle, and time. After all the time and searching it takes Stephen to find his son he finally finds out where he lives. Before he can meet his son something tragic happens that involves Absalom, and two other people. Stephan finds out that a man( Mr. Jarvis) was shot in his house, and his son was one of the suspects to the crime. Stephan was shocked by this news, and could not believe his son would do anything that was being spoken of. Stephen tries to find him before the police do, but they get information on the location of Absalom and make arrest on him. Absalom confesses that he did shot Jarvis, but it was because he was afraid. Jarvis was one of the people trying to help reunite the nation, this is why everyone thought it was crazy that Absalom shot him. Now that Absalom is arrested it makes it harder on Stephan to get his son back with his family, but he fights for his son to bring his family back together. Stephan will go threw whatever it take to get his family back to him, and out of Johannesburg
The book "Cry, the Beloved Country" shows us how important a untied family and nation is. Family is the most important thing in life, and should be a persons number one priority. without family it is impossible to be happy, because nothing in life can fill the spot of your family. Family supports you, loves you, and is there for you when you need them the most. Stephan is a great parent in this book, and shows us that his family is very important to him. A nation is just like a family, and should always be united. Without a united nation you can not have a government. If Johannesburg had a united nation it would not be a bad town like it is. If the nation was united the crime rate would go down and more people would have the freedom that they deserve. A united nation is just as important as a united family, without it united you have nothing.
When Stephen receives the letter that his sister Gertrude is sick, he straight to Johannesburg to help her in her health. While he is in Johannesburg helping his sister, he plans to find the rest of his family members and take them back home with him to be a family again. Stephen runs into his first problem when he arrives in Johannesburg, and is robbed of his money by a man that tells him you pay for the bus at a booth and he will take his money and pay it for him. Stephen never sees the man again, nor his money. Even though he faces a lot of problems, he gets some help on the way. He gets help with a place to stay by a friend, and stays at Mrs. Lithebe's house while he is in Johannesburg. He search for his sister is not that struggling as it is for his son, but he does face a inner problem when he discovers the life Gertrude was living.
When he finally finds Gertrude he finds out that she was a liquor seller, prostitute, and she had a child she did not know where it was. When Stephen found this out he felt shamed by her acts, and the way she was living her life. Inside Stephan felt like he failed as a farther, and was very hateful to Gertrude cause the choices she made in her life. Stephen saves Gertrude from the life she had, and takes her back to Mrs. Lithebe's house to stay with them. After he finds his sister he starts his search for his son Absalom Kumalo. Trying to find his son and getting him back is harder to do then it was to find his sister. When he is in search for his son, Stephen gets a lead on where he is but every time he checks there he has already left. Stephen goes on a wild goose chase for his son, but he knows he is worth the chase to find.
During his search Stephen witnesses people boycotting the buses, and standing up to get their rights and freedom. While the colored were boycotting the buses, the white people were helping by giving them rides to their destination. Even though they knew the risk they were at with the police the whites still helped them, cause they knew it was right and wanted the nation to come together. These people are trying to reunite the nation, like Stephen is trying to reunite his family. In both situations it takes a lot of hard work, struggle, and time. After all the time and searching it takes Stephen to find his son he finally finds out where he lives. Before he can meet his son something tragic happens that involves Absalom, and two other people. Stephan finds out that a man( Mr. Jarvis) was shot in his house, and his son was one of the suspects to the crime. Stephan was shocked by this news, and could not believe his son would do anything that was being spoken of. Stephen tries to find him before the police do, but they get information on the location of Absalom and make arrest on him. Absalom confesses that he did shot Jarvis, but it was because he was afraid. Jarvis was one of the people trying to help reunite the nation, this is why everyone thought it was crazy that Absalom shot him. Now that Absalom is arrested it makes it harder on Stephan to get his son back with his family, but he fights for his son to bring his family back together. Stephan will go threw whatever it take to get his family back to him, and out of Johannesburg
The book "Cry, the Beloved Country" shows us how important a untied family and nation is. Family is the most important thing in life, and should be a persons number one priority. without family it is impossible to be happy, because nothing in life can fill the spot of your family. Family supports you, loves you, and is there for you when you need them the most. Stephan is a great parent in this book, and shows us that his family is very important to him. A nation is just like a family, and should always be united. Without a united nation you can not have a government. If Johannesburg had a united nation it would not be a bad town like it is. If the nation was united the crime rate would go down and more people would have the freedom that they deserve. A united nation is just as important as a united family, without it united you have nothing.