For Better or for Worse

Candide has grown up his entire life being told that everything happens for a reason in this best possible of all worlds. To be completely honest I find that there is some truth to this statement, at least in my own opinion. However, there is one major difference that sets my belief aside from Candide’s and his tutor Pangloss’s. I believe that everything happens for a reason, but that not all those reasons are for the best. The human life is filled with actions and consequences. While the word “consequence” usually carries a negative connotation with it, I use it in this case simply to describe a result that has occurred from a previous action. The novel Candide is a series of actions and consequences. Candide does a series of questionable actions, like killing a man or two (or really three), and each of these actions are met with some sort of result. The most common consequence is that Candide is forced to run around the entire world away from someone or something. It’s an important lesson in anyone’s life: if you kill a man, you will be chased down. Or if we are looking at the overall picture here: If you do something wrong, there will be repercussions. Pangloss always told Candide that everything that happens has a positive side to it. While this would be a nice philosophy in an entirely utopian society, I can’t seem to entirely wrap my head around it. Yes, things happen for a reason, but sometimes they happen for the worse, not the better.

Closure

The ending of Cry, the Beloved Country is eloquently written and very moving. With almost all books, readers are left wanting more. There's always one last question, one last thought. In this novel I can't help but wonder what was said in Absolom's last letter. What were a guilty son's last words. Was he sorry? I think we already established he was, but was there some better insight into what happened. I wander if he grew angry at his cousin and Johannes. They were let off free. I know if I was in his position I would be furious. For some reason, I don't think he was angry. I believe that Absolom's last letter was one of comfort for his father and mother. It would be the last thing he could give them. He may have told them that his actions were not due to a poor upbringing by his parents. However, readers will never know. I think that Paton did this on purpose. It gave closure to Absolom's character, yet didn't do so fully. Kumalo and his wife will never fully have closure. Their only son murdered another man and lost his life as the consequence. Readers aren't given full closure. We are able to understand his parents just a little better now. 

Movie vs. Book

Cry, the Beloved Country the novel and it's movie form have many similarities. Overall, I would say that the book is much better than the movie. I feel that the film version strayed away from the original intentions of the book too much. I understand that literature is open to many interpretations, but one of the main themes of the novel was not touched upon at all. The land dying, just as the tribal culture is, was never talked about. I also think that the movie was made to be more politically minded than the book. They focused more on the racial discrimination and less on the new generation entering the modern world and leaving behind simpler times. I really liked Jarvis's character in the novel. However, I strongly disliked him in the movie. He was angrier, ruder, and more racist in the film. The film also missed small nuances that had bigger meanings behind them. Jarvis helps Kumalo up in the movie, something that was not done in the book. As insignificant as this sounds, it was a key part of the book. It showed the subtle tensions between races. For a movie that was made to show these political issues, it ruined an important scene. In my opinion, the books Cry, the Beloved Country was much better than it's movie version. 

Absalom's Sentence

Absalom Kumalo was sentenced to death for killing Arthur Jarvis. I think this is unfair. The criminal justice system is meant to help people not only punish. He committed an awful crime, one that one can never take back. Still, he is human. Killing one man for the death of another does not fix the original problem. Arthur is dead. There is nothing you can do about that. Killing Absalom will not help the situation. I fully believe he deserves to be locked up for the rest of his life, but I don’t believe he should be sentenced to death. How will that help? What will that do? He clearly is very remorseful about his actions. He didn’t lie to the court. He should be given the opportunity to live and make up for his terrible deed. I am not saying that what Absalom did was right by any means. I am only stating that he shouldn’t be killed for it. He was a scared young man who got caught up in the wrong crowd. He murdered a man. There is no denying that and there is no excuse for that either. However, without the influence of his cousin he may have never been in the situation. I think some blame needs to be put on Johannes and Matthew. They were there when the crime occurred. They were accomplices. They should not have been let go with no sentence. Absalom does not deserve to be the only one to pay for this mistake. 

A Good Man

James Jarvis and Stephen Kumalo lives in the novel Cry the Beloved Country are parallel. Both have sons that they haven’t entirely connected with.  Absalom and Arthur were involved with politics in a way that their fathers never would have been. Most importantly, both Jarvis and Kumalo lost their sons. Absalom killed Arthur and for this deed Absalom was sentenced to death. Still, Mr. Jarvis was civil with Stephen Kumalo when they met each other. It would have been very easy for James to blame Stephen for Absalom’s actions. He could have gotten angry and aggressive. Instead he was reserved but not harsh. I think this tells a lot of his character. He is a good man. His political beliefs prior to his son’s death may have indicated otherwise, but those I believe were formed out of ignorance. He was not fully aware of the situation. Like Stephen Kumalo, he was happy with the quiet life of the countryside. He liked the way things were. People fear change. They fear the unknown, and you cannot blame people for their thoughts born from this fear. James Jarvis is a good man.  

Faith

Faith plays a large role in Cry, the Beloved Country. For Father Kumalo and Father Msimangu, it is the one path they chose in life. However, the world is changing throughout the novel. In a way, faith is a symbol of people's views on South Africa. The more radical, political minded people tend to have lost their faith. This can be seen in Father Kumalo's brother John. He is very active in rallying against the unfair treatment of certain races. However, when Stephen asks him about his faith, he responds that he has none. Others, like Father Kumalo, who seem to be content with the way things are, have a string grip on their faith. Father Kumalo also has been living far away from Johannesburg. He has not had to live with the blatant inequality that others have. When people are faced with adversary they either turn to their faith or run from it. I think it will be very interesting to see how Father Kumalo's faith evolves throughout the novel. I think it will be tested, but not waver. 

Fear, Fear, Fear

Throughout Cry the Beloved Country fear is present in almost every character's life. In fact, it seems as though fear has plagued all of South Africa. However, I feel as though many rely too heavily on fear. They use it as an excuse. If they lie, they blame it on fear. If they are rude to someone, they blame it on fear. People break the law because they fear being hungry and homeless. There is an ever-present fear of the unknown. Father Kumalo fears for his son. He also fears what he did wrong. He feels personally responsible for his son’s wrongs. I feel as though this is a common theme with parents all around the world in all eras. Parents fear for their children’s safety, health, happiness, and overall wellbeing. Sometimes they need to take a step and realize that there is only so much they can control. When you let fear consume you, you let it dictate your life, and when you live in fear, you aren't really living at all.