Cry The Beloved
Country:
Chapter 20
David Daugherty
5/10/10
Sophomore English
Motifs
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Right and wrong: Arthur’s essay
Books and letters: Numerous amount of
books in Arthur’s office; Many letters
inviting Arthur to special events
Contrasts
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The permissible v. the impermissible
Arthur Jarvis’ heroes v. the arrogant whites
of South Africa
Ignorance v. Doing things knowingly
Point of View

Most of the chapter is spoken from the
narrator’s point of view except for Arthur’s
essay.
Language
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
In Arthur’s essay he comes off as angry
and irritated with the white South Africans
but he’s composed and understanding.
He includes himself with the population
that’s doing these bad things to the natives.
Themes
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
Doing impermissible things with the
knowledge of their consequences
Being brought into the light
Questions


James Jarvis’ point of view isn’t told to the
reader. What do you think is going through
his mind as he finds out more about his
son?
Why does Jarvis say: “It was permissible to
allow the destruction of a tribal system that
impeded the growth of the country. It was
permissible to believe that its destruction
was inevitable?” (p.146)
Questions


On Arthur’s wall he has a picture of Christ’s
crucifixion, Abraham Lincoln, the white
house of Vergelegen, and a painting of a
leafless willow by a river in a wintry field.
Why does he have a picture a leafless
willow?
Arthur talks about how the developments of
the country for natives have one name,
exploitation. What does he mean by that?