english 100 wednesday, 8-20-14 on a sheet of paper, write about the following quote: “always...

English 100Wednesday, 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 100Thursday, 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


Thursday, 8-21-14

Cry, the Beloved Country – 1st Period


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.


Cry, the Beloved Country - 1st Period


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.




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.



Group 2 – Setting Analysis



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.




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.



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).




The contrast in the landscape between Ndotsheni and Johannesburg also symbolizes the unfairness and self-

destructiveness 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.




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.




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.




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.



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.)





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.





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.




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.




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.




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.


Thursday, 8-21-14

Cry, the Beloved Country – 3rd Period




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




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.




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.




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.




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.




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.




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.




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.




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.




I. Plota. 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 farmingii. Using Christianity as a way to join the European

population and the Natives




II. Conflicta. Family problems

i. Kumalo discovering his sister sells illegal alcohol and herself.ii. Absalom constant movement in residenciesiii. The pregnancy of Absalom’s lover.iv. The murder of Arthur Jarvis

b. South Africai. The Native and European separationii. Not being able to farm and care for the land




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.




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.




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.




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.




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.




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


Thursday, 8-21-14

Cry, the Beloved Country – 4th Period




SettingCountry: South Africa

Provinces/Regions : Natal, Orange Free StateCities/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.




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.




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.




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.




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.




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.




* 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.




* Johannesburg symbolizes crime, death, and the suffering of the native people.

* The Shanty towns symbolize poverty.




* 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.




* 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.




* 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.




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




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.




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




Christianity* Stephen relied on his faith to help him get through

the hard time* Stephen spent most of his time in prayer and

meditation




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


Thursday, 8-21-14



Cry, the Beloved Country – 5th period


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.




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.




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.




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.




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.




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.




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




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




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




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




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




Climax* Absalom is arrested for murder of Arthur Jarvis




Falling Action & Resolution* Kumalo visits Absalom in jail* Father Vincent gets Absalom a lawyer & the trial begins* Absalom is found guilty & sentenced to hang




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




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




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.




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.




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.


* * * * * * * * * *


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).



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?



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.



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.



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.



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.

english 100 wednesday, 8-20-14 on a sheet of paper, write about the following quote: “always...

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