ADV. Soph. English Journal Response 4

Cry, The Beloved Country (First 4 Tabbed Notes and Explanations)

Tab 1: The main character is immediately mentioned at the beginning of chapter 2, when it tells about the child’s whereabouts.

Explanation: I tabbed it because it appears that the author wants the characters to be introduced quickly in order to reveal the conflict.  Revealing the characters later might interfere with the rising action.  The author also entitles the main character to foreshadow the religious-related thoughts, actions, and feeling that occur.  One of these events that occur is when he provides money for his sisters cause saying that, that “cannot be helped” which shows his compassion for others in his family (Paton 40).  This helps characterize the Reverend.

Tab 2: At the end of page 38-39 the author builds up our curiosity about why people don’t return from Johannesburg or even write anymore.

Explanation: This marks a point in the story where the exposition is being laid out in order for the main character to take action about the situation of his sister (Reverend Stephen Kumalo’s sister).  It makes us think of the things that could prevent a person from returning to his homeland (excellent living standards, crime, illness, etc…).  This shows how valuable this letter is to him because it is rare to get one from Johannesburg.     

Tab 3: The Reverend is reluctant to open the letter because of it’s rarity (as described in page 36). If it is rare then the matters enclosed in it could be nothing less than urgent.

Explanation: One of the few letters the Reverend receives comes from the place where no letters are sent to him.  Afraid of the possibilities of urgent matters, he hesitates before opening the letter.  This helps build the plot of the novel and how the events will unfold after he opens this letter.

Tab 4: At page 49, it is clear that Reverend Kumalo is unfamiliar with the city life. 

Explanation:  The series of events starting from when he leaves the train to when he boards the bus to Sophiatown, obviously show that he does not know the basics of being street-smart.  This supports the fact that the place where he comes from is less up to date and more old-fashioned.  This characterizes more of the Reverend in the category of how he thinks, how he acts, and what he says.