Read chapters 11-14 of Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country and write/post a journal: Identify and explain the reactions of one of the characters to the murder.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2005

Answers

HAHA! I am first again! Anyways…

Upon finishing the assigned reading of Chapters 11-14 in “Cry, The Beloved Country,” it became apparent that Stephen Kumalo’s reaction to the murder of Arthur Jarvis, was remembering James Jarvis and how he knew him only by sight and name. He remembers James Jarvis going by the church. Then he remembered that Mr. Jarvis sometimes had a small bright boy with him, the boy being Arthur. Kumalo was sorrowful for the death, but more than that, he was full of fear. This fear is of the changes occurring in their country.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

The reaction of John Kumalo is in stark contrast to that of his preacher brother. There is first anger. "The veins stand out on the bull neck, and the sweat forms on the brow." This is followed by fear of the consequences of the murder. "Have no doubt it is fear in his eyes." This, in turn, is followed by the simple phrase, "Yes, indeed, I do remember". He reaches out to Stephen to attempt to comfort him, and the Reverend flies off the handle with all sorts of questions not spoken. John seems somewhat sedated compared to the fiery rhetoric he is notorious for. After whispers of "Tixo, Tixo, Tixo", John Kumalo gets his coat and follows the group off to prison. There is no better way to start your day than this, yet John seems unusually tranquilized. Could he be hiding something? *gasp!*

Actually, probably not, but you never know . . .

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

John Kumalo’s reaction to the murder was sickening. He was glad that his son was not caught, but not bothered in the slightest that his nephew was in jail because of it. All he had to say was “ I’m sorry”. Then wonder if his son would be caught along with his nephew. John’s son and Stephen’s son were both there together, but it was Stephen’s son who pulled the trigger. So does that justify that John’s son is free? That reaction to the murder was just too much.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

Stephen Kumalo's reaction to the murder of Arthur Jarvis was of fear, or as Alan Paton would say, fear, fear, fear. I think after seeing all the white men helping the black men with the bus boycott etc., he was hoping to forget about all the bad still happening in Johannesburg, but here is a glaring example of how wrong he was.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

Stephen Kumalo's reaction to the murder in chapter 11 is two-fold. He is first full of sorrow: "cry for the broken tribe, for the law and the custom that is gone...cry aloud for the man who is dead, for the woman and child..cry, the beloved country..." Then fear begins to sink in: "Here in my heart there is nothing but fear." His reaction is so great that he cannot even pray before he goes to bed, and this says a lot about Kumalo.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

The reaction of Stephen Kumalu's brother, John, was uncanny. John was very selfish and didn't lend his support to Stephen. The others, Msimangu and Father Vincent, showed Stephen that they cared about what happened while John totally turned Stephen down. This is a sign of betrayal as well as lack of faith in the fight for the well-being of South Africa.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

Stephen Kumalo's reaction to the murder of Arthur Jarvis in Chapters 11-14 was probably quite normal. He felt bad, of course, for the man and his family. He knew the father, James Jarvis, only by face though. The family lived near Kumalo. He went back and playback memories of seeing James and Arthur Jarvis pass by his house. He became silent and surrow fell apon him.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

IN Chapter 11 of Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton ( I think I might be stuck on the english project) three people shared their feelings on the murder in Parkwold. I will discuss Msimangu's reaction. MSimangu knew the man and of what he did for a living. He was saddened by the loss of Arthur Jarvis.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

In chapter 11, after the article is read aloud, it tells how every one in the room ( including Kumalo) starts to get silent and then how they all start to feel sad and angry and fearful, which is how one feels "whenever one opens the pages of these messengers of doom." It is also how they Stephen feels aabout the murder of Mr. Jarvis.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

The reaction of the young man from the reformatory to the murder was scary, even though it was normal enough. When the young white man finds out about Absalom killing Arthur Jarvis he is indifferent, although there is some mention of a pained expression on his face, hidden beneath the indifference. In Chapter 14 it says "The young white man shrugs his shoulders, smiles indifferently. But he is not indifferent, there is a mark of pain between his eyes." I think that he has the mark of pain mainly because it will make the school look bad, but partially because he thought Absalom would go far, he made an exception for Absalom, and his judgement seems wrong now. It is scary that he is so indifferent because he has seen this happen so many times before, at least I think so.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

John, Stephen's brother, had an understandable reaction to the murder. Although I agree with Leah that it was sickening that he was happy that his son could be freed of charges, I'm sure that any father would be happy that his son might not be jailed for long. It was just the way John portrayed his happiness that was sickening. Also, I believed that as a brother, John should have tried to help Stephen's son a bit more than he did. John just seemed TOO happy and not in his good senses when he realized his son could be freed.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

The reactions of Stephen Kumalo when he discovered that Arthur Jarvis had been murdered by his son were all rather subdued. His first reaction was simply to nod in stupefied silence. In short order, however, he began to display forgetfulness when he forgot that he had already put on his coat and hat. A possible effect that may occur in the future was stated by Msimangu on page 127: "...would age now swiftly overtake him?" Every effect of the murder on Stephen Kumalo was degenerative to him.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

The reaction that surprised me the most was the one of Absalom himself. With all the talk describing Absalom as a bad person, I was a little surprised to see that he simply told the truth when the police caught him. Although he committed the crime, he did not try to blame someone else and simply said that I was the one who pulled the trigger. But then, when his father tried to ask him questions as to why he was there he would not answer. It seemed as though Absalom was afraid to answer to his father.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

I think the most shocking reaction to the murder was John Kumalo's. It came as a big surprise to me that the city could change a once pure and innocent man so much that he would try to avoid the truth to keep his son out of jail. I think it affected Stephen Kumalo the most, because he sees how much his brother has truly changed from when they grew up. It is a sad thing the way the world can change a once truthful person. -Zach

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

First Kumalo remembers seeing Jarvis as a child. Then Kumalo is taken over by a huge fear. Kumalo's heart was full of suffering and then he is too awe struck to even pray.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

Ok so i totally messed up the last post..this is the REAL one

In chapter 11, after hearing about the murder Kumalo's reaction is the most significant.First Kumalo remembers seeing Jarvis as a child. Then Kumalo is taken over by a huge fear. Kumalo's heart was full of suffering and then he is too awe struck to even pray. This was the reaction that stood out most in my mind.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

I think that John Kumalo's reaction to the murder was kind of surpising. I mean of course you would be angry but the first reaction most people have to death (after denial) is sadness. Even politicians. But John was more mad than sad. Interesting.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

Stephen Kumalo's reaction to the murder of Arthur Jarvis in Chapters 11-14 was by no means out of the ordinary. He felt sorrow for the victim and his loved ones even though he hardly knew them. The family lived near Kumalo, but never had any relationship with him. Stephen could remember the man and his father passing his house but that was all. His reaction was sorrow but of the lightest kind. He didn’t know the man or his family. Their only connection was race and home village. It would be like hearing about someone being murdered in Richmond. We would all be sorry for him and his family, but in a day or two we would no longer feel sadness for him since we didn’t know the person.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2005

Stephen Kumalo's reaction to the murder was basically sadness. But not like a deep sadness you feel when a loved one has passed. Just the sort of sadness that another human being has died. One who's family you kind of knew, and they lived in the same town, but never had any direct contact. Basically sadness on the lowest level...if that makes sense.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2005

The white priest's reaction to the murder was of sadness. He said "This is a great loss for Africa." This described the feelings of many people who were working towards stopping native crime, and the white man who died was a major person who was helping to stop it.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2005

MWAHAHA!! LAST POST! Such is the reward of having a computer with more defects than...uhm... *insert witty punchline here* and waking up to find hordes of virus partying all up in one's sinuses.

(And don't worry, Mr. Waller, I DID write this last night and was going to post it this morning, had it not been for the aforementioned hordes of virus. :)

SO, on with the relevant bit of this business...

Absalom's reaction to his murder in hindsight seems one of resigned confusion. He feels guilt and remorse for what he has done, and not a little bit of shame, but he realizes that he does not know the reason why he commited such an atrocious crime. In fact his murder was just the culminating point of a long downward spiral of fear and desperation that started after he came to Johannesburg. He does not understand why he is in his present cirsumstances, though he knows that he alone is responsible for them, and he has completely resigned himself to whatever fate may befall him.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2005