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Violence in: Cry, the Beloved Country


            Violence in: Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton.
             In the novel, Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton, an important scene in the story is one of violence. This scene comes to symbolize both negative and positive things in the story. The symbolization of this scene completes the story as a whole.
             This is a story about a black man named Stephen Kumalo and his desperate attempt to keep his family together despite the cruel and harsh ways of the city of Johannesburg in South Africa. In Johannesburg live Kumalo's sister, Gertrude, and Kumalo's son, Absolam. Kumalo, a village priest, sets off to find his family and is devastated at what they have done with their lives. Gertrude has become a prostitute and Absolam has been stealing and he has killed a white man named Arthur Jarvis. This particular scene of violence is when Absolam and two other guys break into the home of Arthur Jarvis in hopes of stealing and not expecting anyone to be there. Arthur surprises the men and Absolam shoots him out of fear. .
             The city of Johannesburg is divided by a racial apartheid. One side of the city is for the decent white people and the other side is for the poor natives. There is always crime against the white people by the natives and Absolam is part of the latter. Absolam is later executed for the murder.
             This scene contributes to the novel as a whole because of the lack of resentment and hatred between Kumalo and Jarvis, Arthur Jarvis's father. They have both lost their sons and though one was lost at the hand of the other, they treat each other like human beings. Despite the way the natives and the whiles act toward each other in Johannesburg, these two men of black and white do not let hatred into their hearts. Kumalo's son murders Jarvis's son yes Jarvis helps Kumalo's church and Kumalo consoles Jarvis when his wife dies. They relate to each other because they have both suffered a relatively equal loss.


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