Character Analysis of Cry, The Beloved Country

1. REV.KUMALO
Private life: A loving, respectable, caring family man e.g. the way he responds to Gertrude and Absalom.
Public life: He is seen as a god fearing man.
People’s perception: People describe him as a patient man e.g. the way he responds to the bus strike.

2. JAMES JARVIS
Private life: Good person, was not involved in apartheid issues. Known to be a family man, he doesn’t want to stay in the city rather opting to live on the farm with his family.
Public life: Careless of politics in the country· He later helps people of Indotsheni.
People’s perception: Kept to himself and worries about himself. Respected among the people of Indotsheni.

3. ABSOLEM KUMALO
Private life: Honest, therefore, confesses to murders due to fear. Foolishness due to social dislocation.
Public life: Criminal. Steels due to the bad company (Friends).
People’s perception: Murderer. Good person within him and does great at the reformatory and gets released soon.

4. THEOPHILUS MSIMAGU
Private life: Caring and a respected man. Helpful to Rev. Kumalo. Priest of Mission House.
Public life: Well known priest. Spiritual person.
People’s perception: Noble and kind. Religious person with intellect.

5. JOHN KUMALO
Private life: socially dislocated. He is corrupt and supports his son’s lies, untruthful.
Public life: Political activist and public speaker.
People’s perception: The church dislikes him, arrogant. He is looked at as a good and strong man because he stands up for injustice.

6. GERTRUDE KUMALO
Private life: Socially dislocated. Good person. Fear, she wants to find her husband in Johannesburg and losses her morals.
Public life: Crime and prostitute.
People’s perception: A person with bad morals because she comes from a good home and resorts to prostitution instead.

7. ARTHUR JAVIS
Private life: President of African boy’s club. Interactive person speaks Zulu.
Public life: A just person. Interested in black people and helps them.
People’s perception: Wealthy man. Strong beliefs, did not give into apartheid.