Cry, the Beloved Country

A few questions I need help answering?

How does fear affect the different characters (Stephen, Jarvis, young Jarvis and his wife, and Absalom)?

Instead of the protagonist-antagonist relationship, what does Paton use to develop his characters?

What are the most constructive and the most negative values and how do they appear in the novel?

And finally, are there any TRULY evil characters?

Thanks everyone.

Asked by
Last updated by Triana-Ruiz Rodriguez
Answers 3
Add Yours

As for the third part of your question, Gradesaver deals with constructive values in detail.

Christian Values of Kindness

"A major theme that Paton develops throughout Cry, the Beloved Country is the importance of always acting with a sense of kindness. There is a specifically Christian connotation to this value, as demonstrated by the dominant Christian influence of the characters, most specifically the pastors Stephen Kumalo and Theophilus Msimangu. Paton promotes the idea that adhering to this simple sense of kindness is at least a partial solution to the problems in South Africa; it is the reciprocal kindness between Jarvis and Kumalo that causes the bond between them to develop, while it is Kumalo's kindness to the small white boy that is the impetus for Jarvis to work on behalf of South Africa by donating milk to work against the drought and by arranging for the placement of new farming methods in Ndotsheni."

Source(s)

http://www.gradesaver.com/cry-the-beloved-country/study-guide/major-themes/

Nice pic

HHHHHHHIIIIII