Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. Msimangu says
that the main problem facing the native population of South Africa
is that nothing has been built to replace the broken moral and social
framework of the tribes. John Kumalo thinks the main trouble is economic
inequality. Based on the evidence in the novel, which of these men
is right?
2. What is the
role of Christianity—a European religion embraced by most of the
natives, including Kumalo—in Cry, the Beloved Country? Why has it
not succeeded in improving the moral framework of the tribal system?
3. What role does
the landscape play in the novel? What does the valley surrounding
Ndotsheni seem to represent?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. One of the novel's goals seems
to be to offer a balanced portrayal of both white and black perspectives
without condemning either side. Does the novel succeed in this goal? Is
it too judgmental? Does it oversimplify any issues?
2. In some ways, Cry,
the Beloved Country seems to be a novel designed to convince
South African society of the value of equality and social justice.
What methods does it use to do so? Are some more effective than
others?
3. Both Kumalo and Jarvis undergo
revelations during the novel. Jarvis finally sees the injustice
of South African society, and Kumalo realizes the consequences of
losing the old tribal customs. Compare the two men's journeys over
the course of the novel. In what ways are they alike? In what ways
do they differ?
4. What role do women play in
the novel? How do the injustices they face affect them? Do they
suffer from injustices that the men do not?
5. Cry, the Beloved
Country contrasts the rural and urban ways of life. How
do the world of Johannesburg and the world of Ndotsheni differ?
Does one place seem to be more just than the other? Does one place
seem more likely to produce a just South Africa?
