English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
On a sheet of paper, write about the following
quote:
“Always remember that you are absolutely unique.
Just like everyone else.”
Comment in 250 words
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
On a sheet of paper, write about the following
quote:
“A creative woman/man is motivated by the desire
to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.”
Comment in 250 words
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
1. Stephen Kumalo- A strong commanding person who
stands for goodness. Old, charismatic, and faithful. He is
an Umfundisi.
2. John Kumalo- Strong person and very outspoken.
Opposite of his brother.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country - 1st Period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
3. Absalom Kumalo- Confused and scared. Caught up
with the wrong crowd of people.
4. Arthur Jarvis- Strives to be like Abraham Lincoln.
Cares about the natives and wants to fight for all
people.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
5. James Jarvis- At first he doesn’t care much about the
black people. After his son’s death he begins to
understand them and wants to help him.
6. Msimangu- He has a helpful heart, very young, and
has some spiritually growing up to do.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 2 – Setting Analysis
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
Stephen Kumalo receives a letter from a fellow minister
summoning him to Johannesburg a city in south Africa. He is
needed there to help his sick sister. Kumalo is welcomed by
Msimangu the priest who sent the letter. He stayed with
Ms.Lithebe, a Christian woman who believes her duty is helping
others. Kumalo visits his sister who is now a prostitute an liqueur
seller and persuades her and her son to come back home. They
visit Kumalo’s brother John whom has became a successful
business man and politician. John disagrees to come back to
Ndotsheni with Stephen.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
James Jarvis receives news from the police that his son was
murdered and they have a plane waiting to take him to
Johannesburg. He and kumalo meet by accident and kumalo
expresses sadness and regret for Jarvis's loss. Both men
attend absaloms trial which leads to the death penalty. On the
evening before his sons execution he goes to the mountain to
pray.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
Both Arthur and his son are notable for their “brightness,” a
symbol of their eager intellects and generous hearts. The
character of Arthur’s son seems to be especially developed as
an almost divine agent. He rides around Ndotsheni on his
horse, appearing periodically to raise Kumalo’s spirits, and his
visits are occasionally followed by some generosity from his
grandfather (an unexpected milk delivery, for example, or the
arrival of Napoleon Letsitsi).
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
The contrast in the landscape between Ndotsheni and
Johannesburg also symbolizes the unfairness and selfdestructiveness of a segregated society. White farms
are symbolically located at the top of the hills, almost
like looking down on the blacks. Black South Africans,
however, are forced to tend their settlements at the
bottom of the hills, in the unforgiving land of the valley.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
The mountain that Kumalo went to to pray at at the end
of the novel is a symbol for hope, and understanding
that everything happens for a reason.
Arthur Jarvis’s son, a white boy, wanting to learn Zulu
from Kumalo, a black man, is a symbol of racial
harmony and of the white men coming down from
there pedestal.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
The church in Ndotsheni is a simple, rough structure that
represents a faith that is humble and unpretentious. With its
leaky roof, the church seems to offer little shelter from the
elements, but confirmations and other ceremonies occur
there nonetheless.
Jarvis’s offer to build a new church for the community is a
symbol not only of his commitment to Ndotsheni but also of
his new friendship with Kumalo.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
John Kumalo turned his back on his family by making
his son turn his back on Absalom, Stephen’s son, during
the trial. He is one of the three most powerful black
men in Johannesburg and is a politician with many
words but little action. Politicians could symbolize
greed, deceitfulness, lies, and megalomania.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
1. The main power struggle between the African
American and the white people.
A) In Ndosheni, the racism is worse than it is in
Johannesburg. In Johannesburg, there were white
people who were willing to help Kumalo. (Ex.
Absalom' former employee.)
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
1. The main power struggle between the African American and
the white people.
B) In the beginning if the book, the mountains and valleys were
mentioned. The mountains were described as being lush,
green and rolling with grass. This is where the white people
lived. The valleys were described as having poor soil, dead
grass, dirty air. These are the harsher living conditions in South
Africa, and this is where the African American's love in the
novel.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
1. The main power struggle between the African American and
the white people.
C) Absalom Kumalo was a young, black man who shot Arthur
Jarvis, a young, white man. Absalom shot Arthur out of fear (as
he claimed). This is referring back to the central theme of the
novel, where the white people are dominant over the black
people. There is a definite power struggle in the novel
between the two races.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
2. A) Kumalo- physical aspect. Literally went looking
for his son in Johannesburg.
Jarvis- emotional aspect. His was emotionally
connected with his son after the passing.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
3. Johannesburg- the city where everyone has lost their
connection with God.
A) Gertrude became a prostitute while in Johannesburg, while
she was raising a child.
B) John Kumalo gave up his relationship with God to be a
politician in Johannesburg, supporting the African American
justice.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
3. Johannesburg- the city where everyone has lost their
connection with God.
C) Absalom lost his way. His girlfriend became pregnant, he
was disconnected from his family, and he murdered an
innocent man.
The fact that John, Gertrude, Absalom, and basically everyone
in Stephen Kumalo's life is pretty heavy for him to carry
throughout the novel.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
Stephen Kumalo
• One of the protagonists of the story. A quiet, humble man with a
strong faith in God and clear sense of right and wrong. He's an Anglican Priest.
Although he has a strong faith, he is not flawless, and occasionally erupts in
anger and tells lies. Kumalo journeys to Johannesburg to look for his son and is
overwhelmed by the city, but with help, is able to stay determined and put his
fear aside. Physical weaknesses become more aware. He allows grief to
overcome him when he learns his son is in great danger, and his body is further
broken down. Kumalo allows his grief to damper his faith. Kumalo is very sad
when he leaves Johannesburg, but his faith is uplifted by the generosity. He
faces his sons death with a sense of peace. He accepts his suffering with dignity,
grace, and determination to help his people, in spite of his limit
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
James Jarvis
• Another protagonist of the story. Undergoes a journey parallel to
Kumalo. White landowner whose farm overlooks Ndotsheni. When he first appears
in the novel, Jarvis is ignorant to the injustices of South Africa and takes the political
system for granted. Jarvis' self pride is shattered when he learns his son has been
killed. He soon moves in with the Harrison's in Johannesburg, where he learns his
son had become a stranger to him. In order to further understand who his son was,
he begins to read his writings about the injustices he perceives in South Africa.
Jarvis is moved and undergoes a moral conversion, and upon returning home, he
works hard to make life better for the people of the village. After the death of his
wife, he fulfills her wish of building a new community church. His efforts require
personal sacrifices, but it becomes clear that he has made a firm commitment to
the villagers.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
Theophilus Msimangu
• A warm, generous, and humble minister of Sophiatown.
Guides Kumalo through Johannesburg, explaining difficulties the
black population faces. He assists Kumalo -- sparing him pain and
allowing him to rest. Makes Kumalo's journey in Johannesburg
bearable. Msimangu has the clearest understanding of South Africa's
injustices, and suggests Christian Love as the solution. His own
selflessness is affirmed when he joins a monastery at the novel's end.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
Absalom Kumalo
• A mysterious figure. Finds work in Johannesburg after
leaving his home in Ndotsheni. Loses touch with his family and falls
into a life of crime. Ends up killing Arthur Jarvis when he fires his
gun in fear. His innocence is affirmed when he confesses, and the
police seem to believe Johannes is responsible for the murder. He
writes to his parents trying to reconcile himself and demonstrates
maturity that allows him to approach his death with grace.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
Arthur Jarvis
• Murdered before we hear of him. Spent his life
at the center of the debates on racism and poverty. His
motives are selfless, and he works for change. As much
as Msimangu, Arthur is what South Africa needs and
hope lives on through his son.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 2 – Setting Analysis
South Africa:
Pre-WWII South Africa is the general setting of the
novel. It is to be considered to be the “Beloved
Country” of the novel’s title. In South Africa we see a lot
of racial tension, and this becomes the theme of the
novel.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 2 – Setting Analysis
Johannesburg:
Johannesburg is a city that represents all major cities in South Africa. The
diamond and gold industry is the reason for Johannesburg’s wealth. Because
of the diamond and gold industry we see a lot of racial inequality towards
the black native community from the white European businessmen. The
European businessmen believe that they will maximize their profit by
keeping black wages low. Aside from all the greed and racial injustice in
Johannesburg, we also see a lot of immoral things in the city. Johannesburg
is full of sexual sin, alcohol abuse, murder, and many other things. The city is
the boogeyman of South Africa.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 2 – Setting Analysis
Ndotsheni:
Ndotsheni is located in a beautiful valley that is slowly dying
because of overuse, overgrazing, and over population.
Ndotsheni is home to the native people of South Africa. It is
failing agriculturally though because of the overuse,
overgrazing, and overpopulation in the land, and many of its
citizens are moving to cities like Johannesburg that aren’t
good for them because of that.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 2 – Setting Analysis
High Place:
This is the location of Jarvis’ farm. It is located above the
Umzimkulu River valley and above Ndotsheni. It is carefully
farmed, because of this it is not facing erosion like Ndotsheni
is. Since Jarvis doesn’t demand the same farming that
Ndotsheni does, his land is very rich. Jarvis sends a man to
help Ndotsheni to become a more efficient farming
community through agricultural education.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
I. Plot
a. Christian priest named Kumalo travels to Johannesburg in
order to search for his sister, his brother, and his only son.
b. The rebuilding of South Africa
i. Rejoining tribes by farming
ii. Using Christianity as a way to join the European
population and the Natives
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
II. Conflict
a. Family problems
i. Kumalo discovering his sister sells illegal alcohol and herself.
ii. Absalom constant movement in residencies
iii. The pregnancy of Absalom’s lover.
iv. The murder of Arthur Jarvis
b. South Africa
i. The Native and European separation
ii. Not being able to farm and care for the land
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
1) Paton symbolically describes the land. As it was rich
and plentiful, the tribe also flourished. As the land
became overworked and mistreated, the tribe failed.
The ruined land is also symbolic of the native life, the
good lands which hold the water are symbolic of the
white mans life. There is a deep contrast between the
haves and the have nots.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
2) The grass could symbolically be whites and the
stones could symbolically be natives. Light symbolizes
education and justice; in this case perhaps it is public
awareness. All together these images suggest the
beginning of a public awareness by both natives and
whites that the problem of social injustice cannot be
ignored anymore.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
3) The clothes that Kumalo gives Gertrude symbolize throwing
away the old life and putting on a new.
4) The church in Ndotsheni is a simple, rough structure that
represents a faith that is humble and unpretentious.
5) Both Arthur and his son are notable for their “brightness,” a
symbol of their eager intellects and generous hearts.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
Theme: The cycle of inequality and injustice
Demonstrated by: -Unfair conditions to natives resulting in emigration to
cities.
-Low wages for natives fuels crime, seen with Absalom, Gertrude
-More crime means less sympathy/support from non-native whites
-This brews hostility
-Social and economic gap increases, cycle repeats.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
The book is saying that the only way to overcome this is
to acknowledge it, accept it, and consciously make a
choice to rise above it. Virtues such as compassion,
grief, and sympathy transcend race, but can only be
wielded correctly when ignorance is reformed.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
Relevance: Racial inequality of this nature demonstrated in
the US today, showcased by current events and statistics.
-Ferguson
-Detroit
-The Trevyon Martin case
-Many more
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 2 – Setting Analysis
Setting
Country: South Africa
Provinces/Regions : Natal, Orange Free State
Cities/Villages: Johannesburg, Ixopo, Ndotsheni
Time Period: 1946 (Post WWII)
The author chose this setting because he worked at a south African
reformatory and had a personal connection to stories like this one.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 2 – Setting Analysis
Scenery/Landscape
The book starts off with the description of a beautiful
land that was Ndotsheni in the past and then talks
about how it is now dead and the cattle have trampled
all the grass.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 2 – Setting Analysis
Within The City
Natives vs Europeans
This makes the mood in Johannesburg fairly hostile and uneasy.
The city is a busy metropolis full of protesting and corrupt politics.
Within the city there are many districts some of which are Shanty
Town, Sophiatown, Doornfontein, and Alexandria.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
Reverend Stephan Kumalo receives a letter from Msimangu
regarding his sisters health. Once he arrives Msimangu
welcomes him to Johannesburg. Kumalo visits his sister to find
out she is a liquor selling prostitute with a young son. He
convinces her to come back to the village with him after he
finds his son, Absalom. Msimangu aids in the search and John,
Kumalo's brother, tells them where he last worked with
Absalom.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
Kumalo finally finds Absalom with a girl he has gotten
pregnant, he later finds out his son murdered Arthur Jarvis, a
local crusader for racial justice Absalom is married to his child
bearer shortly after receiving the death penalty. She is going
back with Kumalo. When ready to make their way back to
Ndotsheni he finds that his sister Had left so they left without
her but he had a heavy heart.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
James Jarvis, father of Arthur begins to aid the
village and him and Kumalo speak of loss, and go to
the church to pray the day Absolam is to be
executed.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
* There is symbolism when Stephen Kumalo buys
Gertrude’s son new clothes. It symbolizes a new
start for Gertrude and her son because she fell into
prostitution and liquor selling to get by for her son.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
* Johannesburg symbolizes crime, death, and the
suffering of the native people.
* The Shanty towns symbolize poverty.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
* Everyone leaves the cities looking for work and a
new start but instead find suffering and end up in
shanty towns.
* The mines represent the manipulation of the
native people.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
* When Kumalo gets to Johannesburg he sees that his
successor had not been able to take over the church.
He sees that they still are Kumalo’s. Jarvis offers to build
a new church which is a symbol of his new found
friendship with Kumalo and his loyalty to Ndotsheni.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
* Arthur and his son are both well known for their
“brightness.” Which symbolizes that they are very
intelligent and kind-hearted people. Even though
they don’t excel in the physical aspect, they still are
very brilliant.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
Fathers in search of their sons – stay in touch with
family
* Stephen is physically searching for his son Absalom
* Jarvis is emotionally searching for who his son Arthur
was after he dies
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
Inequality and injustice
* the white people always had better places than the
natives
* the story takes place in the middle of apartheid – a
word in Afrikaans meaning “a state of being apart.” It
was a system of racial segregation in South Africa
enforced through legislation by the National Party.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
Inequality and injustice
* the natives were only given a small amount of land
and would overwork it and not have what they needed
for food
* they formed gangs out of fear which caused the white
people to be in fear
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
Christianity
* Stephen relied on his faith to help him get through
the hard time
* Stephen spent most of his time in prayer and
meditation
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
No matter what happens family is family
* Stephen cared about them no matter what they did
* Gertrude was a prostitute to have money for her child
* John went and became a politician
* Absalom killed Arthur and is a thief
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
Stephen Kumalo- He is the novels protagonist. He is a
Zulu priest, and is very quiet and humble. He spent all
of his life in the village of Ndotsheni. He travels to
Johannesburg after receiving a letter of his sisters
illness. While he is in Johannesburg he searches for his
brother and son.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
John Kumalo- He was a carpenter, and a practicing
Christian. He becomes a succesful politician, and
speaks out for the rights of black south Africans.
He is Stephen Kumalo's brother.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
Absalom Kumalo- Stephen Kumalo's son. Absalom
carries a gun for protection and fires at Arthur Jarvis in
fear, he kills him. Absalom confesses to the police that
he shot Arthur on purpose. The court holds him
responsible for the crime, he writes to his mother and
father leading up to the time of his death. He
approaches his death gracefully.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
James Jarvis- He was a white English speaking farmer. Arthur
Jarvis is his son. Kumalo and James basically undergo to same
journey to find there sons. James was never reunited with
him physically. He is ignorant to the injustices of South Africa.
He cares for his farm and family. In effort to understand his
son better he reads Arthur's writings about the injustices he
perceives in South Africa. He's moved by his son's
language and ideas.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
Arthur Jarvis- He was murdered before we ever heard
of him. He was the son of James Jarvis. He spent his life
at the center of the debates on racism and poverty, and
his essays and articles provide answers to many of the
novel’s questions. His motives are selfless, his motives
are what South Africa needs.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th period
Group 1 – Major/Minor Character Analysis
Theophilus Msimangu- He is a generous minister in Sophiatown.
He is the man who guided Stephen Kumalo through Johannesburg
and helped him find his sister and his son and brother. He is what
makes Kumalo's time in Johannesburg bearable. He has the
clearest mind of South Africa's injustice. He believes selfless love
can counter the fear of the white South Africans oppressing the
blacks because of their number and power. He is very selfless, and
he shows us this by leaving all his possessions to Kumalo and joins
a monastery.
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 2 – Setting Analysis
Ndotsheni
•At the beginning, the land is rich with green grass
•In the next paragraph it states that the land is dry and nothing
grows there
•It says men no longer care for it and keep it, so it no longer cares
for and keeps men
•Ndotsheni symbolizes the state of the country. In the beginning it
was good, but since men no longer take care of it, it has been
nearly destroyed.
•Where the novel begins and ends
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 2 – Setting Analysis
South Africa
•All of the novel takes place in South Africa
•Native people live here along with Europeans who
moved to South Africa
•A lot of racism exists here
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 2 – Setting Analysis
Johannesburg
•The characters in the novel talk about Johannesburg like it
holds all of the bad in South Africa
•Where most of the novel takes place
•The main character, Stephen Kumalo, loses a lot of people to
the city
•A lot of crime here
•Where Stephen's son Absalom committed murder
•Johannesburg represents the crime and evil in South Africa
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
Intro & Rising Action
* Kumalo receives letter from Msimangu & decides to go to
Johannesburg
* Goes to Johannesburg, meets Msimangu and finds out
about Gertrude
* Finds Gertrude & brings her back with him to where he is
staying
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
Intro & Rising Action
* Finds his brother John and goes to look for Absalom
* Absalom kills Arthur Jarvis
* Travels to all the places Absalom has been & finds out
about his questionable pursuits
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
Climax
* Absalom is arrested for murder of Arthur Jarvis
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
Falling Action & Resolution
* Kumalo visits Absalom in jail
* Father Vincent gets Absalom a lawyer & the trial
begins
* Absalom is found guilty & sentenced to hang
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
Falling Action & Resolution
* Kumalo returns home with Absalom’s wife &
Gertrude’s son, Msimangu becomes monk
* Jarvis’s wife dies & he gives money to rebuild church
* Kumalo goes to the mountains during Absalom’s
hanging, but the situation seems hopeful
English 100
Wednesday, 8-20-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 3 – Plot/Conflict Analysis
Conflicts
* Racism and animosity in South Africa
* Gertrude and Absalom are in Johannesburg
* Trying to find Absalom
* Absalom arrested for murder & convicted
* Poor qualities of the village & the church
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 4 – Symbolism Analysis
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
Love
*How a fathers love in the case of both Kumalo and Jarvis
lead them to never give up on their sons.
*When Kumalo found out that his lost sister was sick, he left
for Johannesburg which demonstrated his capacity to love.
*Absalom married the women he loved even though he knew
he was going to be hanged, just because he loved her.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
Hope
*Kumalo's hope to find his family and that everything would
be alright.
*Kumalo hoped that his son would be shown some mercy
even if it seemed impossible
*Kumalo also hoped that his home town of Ndotsheni would
be saved.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th Period
Group 5 – Theme Analysis
Courage
*Kumalo willingly goes to Johannesburg to find his
son despite knowing it is dangerous.
*He went there surpassing his fears of racism and
what he would find there.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
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English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country
On Friday, 8-22-14, you will conclude your study of Cry,
the Beloved Country by writing an in-class essay in
response to one of the following prompts. You may
have with you the book and notes you have taken as
well any pre-writing notes. You must write the essay in
class, and you must complete the essay by the end of
the class period (you will have the entire class period to
work).
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country
Both Kumalo and Jarvis undergo revelations during
the novel. Compare the two men’s journeys over
the course of the novel. In what ways are they alike?
In what ways do they differ? What revelations does
each character have by the end of the novel?
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country
The personal stories of Stephen Kumalo and James
Jarvis are interwoven with the story of the land and
its people. Analyze this connection, referring to
specific scenes.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country
Conflict is the driving force in the plot of any novel.
Identify the major conflicts in Cry, the Beloved
Country. Clearly provide detail from the novel to
fully explain the impact of these conflicts on the
plot and theme.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country
Characters and setting play an important role in Cry,
the Beloved Country. Using specific detail from the
novel, analyze the impact of characters and setting
on the various themes of the novel.
English 100
Thursday, 8-21-14
Cry, the Beloved Country
Although we may find it difficult to relate to the
characters and setting of Cry, the Beloved Country,
when we treat the characters and setting
symbolically, we can draw specific connections to
our own lives. Analyze the symbolic nature of the
novel.