Read chapters 11-14 of Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country and write/post a journal: Identify and explain the reactions of one of the characters to the murder.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2005

Answers

The character's reaction I chose is John Kumalo's. At first, when he hears of the murder and that his son had a part in it, he is scared, shaken, doesn't know what to do. After Stephen Kumalo tells him that his son was there also, he whispers under his breath "Tixo, Tixo...Tixo, Tixo". Also on page 129 can we see how the news has affected him: "Msimangu, watching anxiously for their return, sees them coming. The old man walks now more firmly, it is the other sho seems bowed and broken." That is his first reaction to the murder. John Kumalo's second reaction to the murder is only seen after Stephen Kumalo has gone to see his son. He sees John outside of the prison (this is around page 133 I'm talking about). John has changed; he is now cruel and pitiless. Apparently John's son and the other boy have denied being there--only Stephen Kumalo's son is telling the truth, that he was there. Kumalo's brother John has decided to use that information against Absolam. He wants to hire a lawyer, and will say that yes Absolam was there and shot Arthur Jarvis, but his two friends were not. Another quote from pages 133- 134: "He seems to think, then he says to his brother, You see, my brother, there is no proof that my son or this other young man was there at all. Yes, John Kumalo smiles at that, he seems quite recovered. --Not there at all? But my son-- --Yes, yes, John Kumalo interrupts him, and smiles at him. Who will believe your son?..."

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2005

The character's reaction I chose is John Kumalo's. At first, when he hears of the murder and that his son had a part in it, he is scared, shaken, doesn't know what to do. After Stephen Kumalo tells him that his son was there also, he whispers under his breath "Tixo, Tixo...Tixo, Tixo". Also on page 129 can we see how the news has affected him: "Msimangu, watching anxiously for their return, sees them coming. The old man walks now more firmly, it is the other sho seems bowed and broken." That is his first reaction to the murder.

John Kumalo's second reaction to the murder is only seen after Stephen Kumalo has gone to see his son. He sees John outside of the prison (this is around page 133 I'm talking about). John has changed; he is now cruel and pitiless. Apparently John's son and the other boy have denied being there--only Stephen Kumalo's son is telling the truth, that he was there. Kumalo's brother John has decided to use that information against Absolam. He wants to hire a lawyer, and will say that yes Absolam was there and shot Arthur Jarvis, but his two friends were not. Another quote from pages 133- 134: "He seems to think, then he says to his brother, You see, my brother, there is no proof that my son or this other young man was there at all. Yes, John Kumalo smiles at that, he seems quite recovered. --Not there at all? But my son-- --Yes, yes, John Kumalo interrupts him, and smiles at him. Who will believe your son?..."

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2005

Ahhh! Sorry it posted it twice...oops. |v_v|

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2005

I chose a lesser character's response: the white priest. He says, "This is a terrible loss for South Africa,"..."For this Arthur Jarvis was a courageous young man, and a great fighter for justice. And it is a terrible loss for the Curch, too. He was one of the finest of all our young laymen." I cjose this because even as a white man who has more rights than a native, he understands the consequences of the actions of the Africans. He knows that because of this crime, the Church, as well as the blacks, will suffer greatly. They will get less respect, and be shunned with more malice. Fear may overcome the white people and make them do something irrational that hurts the Africans.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

I shall choose Stephen Kumalo, because when he first recieves the news he is broken, and he looks like an old man. It is what he suspected, but it is also what he feared. He looks for guidance from anyone and he is somewhat better off once he has informed his brother of the situation and the murder.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

I was thinking of how the people who were affected directly suffered more, and I realized that the person who suffered the most was Absalom. He never really expressed how he felt after the murder, but we can assume. He says, "I was frightened when the white man came. So I shot him. I did not mean to kill him." The devil made him do it, and he couldn't resist. Imagine all the guilt and shame he must've felt. His father and the police certainly didn't make it better.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

The reaction of Stephen Kumalo was striking to me. Somehow he vaguely knows who murdered Jarvis as soon as he hears about it. Later, Kumalo's fears (or knowledge?) that Absalom was the murderer. After this, even his brother acts rather selfishly towards him as does the white man. After this he is shocked at what has happened to the country and falls into despair. Even Msimangu must chastise him, saying that having no hope is a sin.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

I think that the reaction of Steven Kumalo to the murder is the most unfortunate. When Kumalo learns of the murder, he prays that his worst fears haven't came true, that his son isn't the one who killed Arthur Jarvis. He tells himself that his son wouldn't do it, that he didn't have it in him and would never do such a desperate and horrible thing. However, when he finds that the police are looking for his son, he finally realizes that his fears are true and knows inside that his son is the murder and that is why the police are looking for him. He fears this the most because his brother has turned away from the church, his sister was a prostitute, but was forgiven, and he can't stand to see that his son too has been morally destroyed and is another criminal. However, his fears are confirmed at the end of chapter 14.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

Msimangu seems to react very passively to the murder of Mr. Jarvis. He says that it was a great loss for the church and for justice, but he never shows much emotion about it. I think that this is because he has lived in the city for a long time and has become used to the tragic acts of violence that are always reported iin the news.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

Some of the people in the city react greatly to the murder. The white people want more laws against native violence. They say of the degradation of the city's natives (also the tribe, as Stephen speaks of later as being broken). The crime is very powerful in the city.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

While it has already been said, the reaction of Stephen Kumalo was by far the most striking to me. As soon as he hears about the murder he senses that his son was in some way involved. He is greatly taken aback and seems to age greatly in a matter of just seconds.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

John Kumalo had a very interesting reaction to the murder news. At first, he was nonchalant and acted like it happened all the time. When Stephen said who did it, he got very nervous and started praying. He then went to the jailhouse. Because of this, I think John Kumalo's reaction was the most intruiging of them all.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

Stephen Kumalo's reaction was the one that stood out to me the most. How he said to himself, "god, god" when he first heard showed that he was truly terrified by the news. After he heard the news, he seems like a somewhat different person, realizing that someone he cares for has committed the biggest sin ever.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

I think that Msimangu's reaction to the murder when he first saw in in the paper embodies how he has grown to feel about the situation in Johannesburg. It is obvious that he feels pain at the news, but he does not react nostalgically or sadly like Kumalo does. Rather, Msimangu appears to be resigned to events such as this, and his apparent numbness at the news is extremely telling of what his character has been through and the South African condition.

It is also interesting the way he is totally willing and able to stand behind Kumalo and assist him in coping with the murder.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

I think Stephen Kumalo's reaction was the most remarkable. Within himself he knows it was his son, but he simply cannot accept it. He hopes and prays that his fears are not true. Though after visiting his son's house, he realizes that it was his son. It simply plays into the idea that his closest family members have all turned away from something he has devoted his life to, and he simply can't bare to know that his entire family has been destroyed by the city Johannesburg.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2005

I founs Stephan Kumalo's reaction to the murder most prevalent. Shockingly when he found out the news he wasn't too suprised and had a inkling that his son had someting to do with it. When it comes the his rapid aging, I really think Paton ment to portray the appearance of having something hovering over him, ot like he had a heavy weight on his shoulder's.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2005

The character I thought acted selfishly was John Kumalo. More than anything he was concerned with the safety of his own son lest he be implicated in the crime he helped commit. He spoke of hiring a lawyer for his own son while saying to his brother that his own son was doomed. I beleive this is a not such a great change in his personality as he is more practical than compasionate and more realistic than pious. In my opinion he acts very callously in condemning his brothers son while trying to save his own who is nearly as guilty.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2005

I believe that the Msimangu had an interesting reaction to the murder. The only thing he says pertaining to the murder is "Jarvis? It is indeed a terrible ting, said Msimangu. He was the President of the Afircan Boys' Club, here in Claremont, in Gladiolus Street." To me, this sentence struck my as half-hearted, like Msimangu doesnt really care for the mruder of the man.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2005

I will choose Steven Kumalo, because when he finds out about the murder he doesn't know who the gang of boys is but he vaguely knows who Jarvis is. When he finds out that his son had, in fact, murdered Jarvis he is scared. For this has been his greatest fear and he can do nothing, because his son had confessed. At the end of chapter 14 his brother becomes very selfish and says he will hire a lawyer to prove that there is no evidence that his son and the other boy where there and that it was all Absalom’s

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2005