Cry, the Beloved Country Chapter 1-17

Chapter 1
Characters: none
Summary: The ugliness of the land is a result of the segregation by
the white rulers, they lived on the top of the hills where the land is
green and fruitful. Black South Africans, however, are forced to tend
their settlement at the bottom of the hills in the unforgiving land of the
valley.
Puny: small and weak.

Chapter 2
Characters: Stephen Kumalo, John, Gertrude, Absalom, Theophilus
Msimangu
Summary: Kumalo’s life is orderly. His village holds him in high
esteem, and a child who brings him this note is awed by the comfort of
his home. Now Kumalo and his wife find themselves argueing and are
forced to squander their savings. Kumalo is a master of his domain, but
every time he thinks of the city and its dangers, he becomes small and
weak.
Laboriously: requiring considerable effort and time.

Chapter 3
Characters: Kumalo, Sibeko,
Summary: Kumalo has an inconsistent temperament which we see
when he makes sure the girl who delivers him the message gets
something to eat but then erupts furiously at his wife only a few
moments later.
Shrouded: a length of cloth or an enveloping garment in which a dead
person is wrapped for burial.

Chapter 4
Characters: Kumalo, Reverend Msimangu, Mr Mafolo,
Summary: Kumalo is afraid of his surroundings, Kumalo does not know
what he is talking about. Even familiar sights and sounds appear to be
corrupted. Behind Gertrude’s door, Kumalo hears the sound of
laughter, but even this sound is so twisted that it is more terrifying
than reassuring.
Decipher: convert into normal lauguage.
Chapter 5
Characters: Msimangu, Kumalo, Mrs Lithebe, Gertrude, Absalom, John,
Vincent
Summary: Kumalo is quick to adapt at Msimangu’s Mission House
Kumalo does require Msimangu’s help just to find Gertrude’s place,
Kumalo learns rapidly and shows remarkable resourcefulness despite
his foreign surroundings.
Lodgings: a place in which someone lives or stays temporarily.

Chapter 6
Characters: Msimangu, Kumalo, Gertrude, Absalom, Mrs Lithebe,
Mafolo
Summary: Msimangu appreciates that a white man “brought his father
out of darkness” by converting him to Christianity, Kumalo is helped
and treated with respect by the men he speaks to on the train and by
Mr Mafolo. The priests at the mission sit together redgardless of the
color, demonstrating that racial is possible, and they greet Kumalo’s
story with friendship and interest.
Decimation: kill, destroy, or remove a large percentage or pat of.

Chapter 7
Characters: Kumalo, Gertrude, Mrs Lithebe, Msimangu John, Esther,
Absalom, Mrs Ndlela
Summary:John says that the church preaches submission and
meekness, and the old village way of life is dying, and that a new way
of life is being born in Johannesburg. Msimangu’s states his father
being carried out of the “darkness” into Christianity reflects that he
has submitted himself to a new order, it is clear that Johannesburg,
with its prostitution and liquor-selling, represents a corruption of old
village values.
Decries: publicly denounce.

Chapter 8
Characters: Msimangu, Kumalo, Dubula, Absalom, Mrs Mkize, Hlabeni,
Summary: John is unreliable in the old village, he has broken his family
ties by parting with his wife, due to his infidelity, Then Msimangu hints
that John does not have the courage to match his convictions, John
fears taking real risks to improve the lot of black Africans. Msimangu
stands for the incorruptible power of love, and states there is only one
hope for the country when white men and black men desire only the
good of their country.
Kaffir: either of two South African plants with straplike leaves and
stems bearing a number of red, pink, or orange flowers; a plant with
star shaped flowers.

Chapter 9
Characters: Dubula,
Summary: Racial harmony and human decency are possible, even if
the government seems to unwilling to operate in accordance. John
operates from corrupt motivations, his friend and colleague Dubula,
seems to work tirelessly and selflessly for his people, leads the bus
boycott to protest economic prejudice against blacks.
Squatters: a person who unlawfully occupies an uninhabited building or
unused land.

Chapter 10
Characters: Kumalo, Gertrude, Mrs. Lithebe, Msimangu, Absalom, Mrs
Hlatshwayo, Mrs Mkize,
Summary: Absalom has been in trouble with the law, has impregnated
a young girl, and has now disappeared, Absalom is involved with the
murder Arthur Jarvis’s murder its terrible social disorders that shocks
the country Jarvis had wished to help Black Africans regain their rights.
Cunningly: having or showing skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit or
evasion.

Chapter 11
Character: Msimangu, Kumalo, Vincent, Arthur Jarvis,
Summary: The tragic irony, then is the fact that he is murdered by
people for whose rights he is fighting.
Exhaustive: examining, including, or considering all elements or
aspects, fully comprehensive.

Chapter12
Characters: Mrs Ndlela, Msimangu, Kkumalo, Absalom, Mkize
Summary: The man who worries that more schooling will make blacks
smarter criminals, on the other hand represents the belief that the
black population is inherently immoral
Abed: in bed.

Chapter13
Characters: Kumalo, Msimangu,
Summary: The Kumalo family becomes a model for coping with great
suffering, and Kumalo’s experiences show how grief can prompt a
range of emotional responses.
Absalom is unable to function in prison, he mostly nods, cries, and says
he doesn’t know. Kumalo and his son epitomize grief as a kind of
paralysis, during which even the everyday functions of the body, like
talking or moving, are impossible.
Smitten: strike with a firm blow.

Chapter 14
Character: Gertrude, Kumalo, Msimangu, Mrs Lithebe, Absalom, Arthur
Jarvis, John,
John, Vincent.
Summary: Both Msimangu and Father Vincent comfort Kumalo with
words from the Bible. Father Vincent reminds him that the ways of God
are secret and suggests to him that he must find meaning by showing
his compassion for others, rather than by trying to understand why
Absalom has gone astray. The ability to accept the idea that there is a
divine plan for the universe leads to a sense of order that provides
refuge when everyday life seems disorderly or cruel. Comforting other
provides a similar refuge. Kumalo had always gotten strength from
helping others, as evidenced by his rejuvenation when he finds and
rescues Gertrude.
Remnants: a small remaining quantity of something.

Chapter 15
Characters: Kumalo, Father Vincent, John.
Summary: Father Vincent also has his moment of paralysis while the
two men sit together in silence, but he recovers his sense of well-being
by reminding Kumalo of God’s Mercy and helping him keep his faith
and find peace. Kumalo is frequently left alone and is unable to remain
hopeful.
Bereaved: be deprived of a loved one through a profound absence.

Chapter 16
Characters: Kumalo, Absalom,
Summary: Absaloms girlfriend accepts Kumalo’s offer because she
attributes much of her misfortune to the circumstances of her past and
not to her own actions. Gertrude sees no hope for her situationm while
Absalom’s girlfriend has complete faith.
Lamenting: a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.

Chapter 17
Characters: Gertrude, Mrs. Lithebe, Absaloms girlfriend, Kumalo, Mr.
Carmichael, Father Vincent,
Summary: Mr. Carmichael is a man of dignity and respect, and even
though he is white, he is a great friend and leader of black South
Africans. He is a man of integrity who exist above the dominant
prejudice of his era.
Dejection: a sad and depressed state.