Cry the Beloved Country: Paton's Themes

In Cry the Beloved Country, Paton uses a theme of religion and repentance throughout the entire story. Reverend Msimangu is an example of the religion motif in this novel. Stephen Kumalo is an example of the repentance in this novel. Father Vincent is another great example of a religious figure in this novel. As I have said, Reverend Msimangu is the main example of religion in Cry the Beloved Country.

     Rev. Msimangu is one of the most religious men in the book. He is the guy to send Kumalo the letter informing him of his sister’s, Gertrude, “illness.” He is the man to find Kumalo a place to stay. He is the man to go on many of the journeys that Kumalo takes in the story. He is somewhat of Kumalo’s closest friend in the first book. He stays with Kumalo through it all, but even he has his personal thoughts like when he said “My friend, I am a Christian. It is not in my heart to hate a white man. It was a white man who brought my father out of darkness… The white man has broken the tribe. And [that] is my belief—and again I ask your pardon (Page 55-56).” Msimangu expresses his thoughts to Kumalo and while at the same time he was kind of looking down on Kumalo. The way that Msimangu looked down on Kumalo kind of showed his unchristian like believe, but he asked for forgiveness from Kumalo for doing so which is a way of repentance.

         Stephen Kumalo, the main character of the novel, is a great example of repentance throughout the book. Through his quest to find and free his son he comes across conflict. That conflict was not an external conflict, but an internal conflict within him. As his outing in the world, he begins to lose faith in God. He cannot understand why God would put the natives of South Africa through the pain of an apartheid and segregation. He also begins to question why God would let his son fall into the crimes of the Natives in Johannesburg. He asks why God wouldn’t just let his son go free. He asks why his sister would fall into the prostitution life. He asks why his brother is no longer a man of God. All Kumalo can do is ask and ask because he cannot fix any of it. He sees it as if the world could help him but they do nota described by Kumalo when he says “There is a man sleeping in the grass, said Kumalo. And over him is gathering the greatest storm of all his days…. People hurry home past him… but they do not wake him, they let him be (Page 138).” Kumalo at this point had given up on his faith in God. He has sort of resentment toward God for not helping him. However, later in the book Kumalo regained his Faith in God and repented.

Father Vincent is a “rosy-cheeked” English priest that lives in the Mission House with Msimangu. Throughout the first book, Father Vincent tries to get to know Kumalo through sharing life stories at the dinner table. He is he man to introduce Kumalo to the lawyer named Mr. Carmichael to represent Kumalo’s son, Absalom, in the court case. He is also the man to tell Kumalo “Do not pray for yourself, and do not pray to understand the ways of God. For they are secret … Pray for your wife and all at Ndotsheni. Pray for the woman and the children that are bereaved. Pray for the soul of him who was killed, and for those at Ezenzeleni, who try to rebuild in a place of destruction. Pray for your own rebuilding. Pray for all white people, those who do justice, and those who would do justice if they were not afraid. And do not fear to pray for your son, and for his amendment (Page 142).” when Kumalo began to lose his faith. Father Vincent helps Kumalo regain his faith. He helps Kumalo forgive the world and understand the world by repenting.

In Cry the Beloved Country, Paton uses many different themes. His most repeated and used theme is the theme of Religion and Repentance. This theme is shown through multiple characters, one these characters being Reverend Msimangu who shows both themes of religion and repentance. Another character would be Reverend Stephen Kumalo, who shows both themes of religion and repentance. The only character that shows only one of the themes is Father Vincent, who only shows the theme of religion.