... loss, gives forgiveness, and shows tolerance, albeit in a very small amount. As the tale moves on, Kumalo and Msimangu seek out Kumalo's missing son Absalom. They follow a treacherous and winding trail, and at every point, Kumalo loses more and more hope for his son. He is heartened by his friend ... tolerance and the separate themes of faith and hope When Kumalo finally finds his son, the themes of loss, forgiveness, and tolerance really become evident. Absalom is arrested for the murder of Arthur Jarvis, a prominent white citizen, and a major activist for black civil rights. Kumalo is s...

• Word Count: 1176
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... it probable " (Paton 119). Kumalo has just learned that Arthur Jarvis has been murdered and knows that the police are looking for his son, Absalom. He puts these two factors together and realizes his biggest fear Absalom is behind the murder of this white man. He cannot grasp the actuality of this affair; it doesn't make sense to him. He begins to ... is forced to overcome the death of his own child, Kumalo shows more audacity because his son has committed the unforgivable. He knows that no mercy will be given to Absalom, so he has to face this shame and pain. The events that occur thro...

• Word Count: 1053
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... . For instance, Msimangu, the main reverend at the Mission House, is compassionate because he aids Stephen in the search for Absalom, Stephen's son. Msimangu goes everywhere, from Doornfontein to the reformatory school to the girl's house with Stephen, trying to find Absalom and shielding Kumalo from the whole truth. Additionally, Msimangu gives Kumalo his Post Office book as a farewell present because he ... umfundisi due to his awareness of Stephen's suffering. James Jarvis, a wealthy landowner, assists Stephen by improving the village of Ndotsheni and the lives of Stephen's people, ev...

• Word Count: 623
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... blacks and whites in South Africa. Although both men live in the same town, they only cross paths with each other when they lose their sons, in which Kumalo's son Absalom, kills Jarvis" son, Arthur. The two characters delineate a parallelism in the book. Paton breaks his novel in three "books," or parts. He gives each character a distinction. In Book I he describes ... to aid for his ill sister when the Reverend Msimangu sends him a letter informing him. He journeys to the city to search for her and to look for his son Absalom as a side-quest. Jarvis, an English-speaking farmer, flies t...

• Word Count: 789
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School