Hannah's English Blog

Though I like how Jarvis' point of view about the natives shifts after his son's death, I feel like some of it was out of spite. In his son's writing, he talks about how his father is ignorant on the matters of the unfair treatment of the natives. After he reads this, he decides to become more like his son and educate himself and believe in the rights the natives should have. This makes me believe that part of the reason James wants to help the people who are discriminated against just to prove his son wrong. Another aspect might be that James feels guilty for not supporting his son while he was alive, thus showing interest in what he was interested in in order to feel closer to him.

One of the most prevelant motifs in Cry, the Beloved Country that I keep noticing is change. Living in Ndotshini for his whole life, Kumalo has never encountered a change in his life. When going to Johannesburg, he feels very overwhelmed and insecure in a place where he needs to adapt his way of life. Another example of change occurring is when Kumalo's son, Absolom turns out to be a criminal even though his father is a priest. Despite the fact that he was brought up to be a good man who should show respect and behave well, the corrupted city of Johannesburg caused him to change into someone who is the opposite. The city of Johannesburg shows the motif of change as well and can be considered a symbol of it. Once the mines were set up and the city was industrialized, Johannesburg changed as a whole. Everyone who comes to live there changes as well, as it is cramped, violent, poor and segregated, making those who live there to work (or otherwise) have to do anything to survive.