“The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man
struggling against adversity,” quoted from Lucius Annaeus Seneca. So far during
my lifetime I have not witnessed a man to struggle with something like this until
I read Cry, The Beloved Country, which was written by Alan Paton. In Paton’s
book he successfully portrays the struggle of adversity by using one of his
main characters, Stephen Kumalo. During the story Stephen Kumalo is faced with
many unacquainted complications that he must overcome to safe him and his
broken family. By having challenges, hardships, and failures to overcome Stephen Kumalo is seen as a real character and a real hero.
Kumalo is a
very simple man that is from the simple lands of South Africa. The lands where
Kumalo lives are the lands that still go by the original customs of the people.
He is a priest of a very simple church, where his simple brothers and sisters
come to pray their simple prayers, and in this church is where he teaches the
simple philosophies of god. Kumalo is a very simple man living in a very
complex world that he has yet to expose his mind too. But with revolution coming
fast Stephen Kumalo is suddenly challenged with the difficulties of the new
world.
Your world
can change in an instance with out any warning or preparation. This is exactly
what happened to Stephen, ”[Stephen Kumalo] was reluctant to open [the letter],
for once such a thing is opened, it cannot be shut again,” on what seemed like
a normal day Kumalo receives a letter that changes his whole world. The letter is
from a Therophilus Msimangu that lives in Johannesburg. The letter holds bad
news that Kumalo’s sister is very ill and must be taken cared of immediately.
This is the news that forces Kumalo to visit Johannesburg where he learns of
the corruption of his sister, his brother, and of his son’s faith. He learns
that his sister is a prostitute, his brother is a sinner, and that his son is a
murderer. Without being able to forget
about this information or live his life as it was before the letter, Stephen Kumalo
is changed. He is now a complex man living in a very complex world.
Kumalo was
once a man of great faith, ”There is no prayer left in [Stephen]. [He] is dumb
[on the] inside. [He] has no words at all,” he has been weakened by the awful sins that
are practiced in Johannesburg. The thoughts of his son, Absolam, killing someone has
Stephen turned away from God. It has made him questioned God’s plan. He now
believes that God will no longer help him. He thinks that the only thing that
can help him is himself. But Kumalo is strong because even in his greatest time of
darkness he overcomes his struggles, “I hear you, my brother,” Kumalo says, “There
is no word I do not hear.” Then later on after the sermon Kumalo says to Mismangu, “Brother, I
am recovered.” This shows us just how strong Kumalo really is. He has been
severely faced with doubts in his religion, but even though he does stray away
he comes back with the help of a very insightful lecture from his friend at the sanctuary for
the blinded.
Stephen
Kumalo; he is a great man that others can look up to and relate to. He is a
humble man. He is not perfect just like every one of us are not perfect, but he
learns from his mistakes and does not let his sins over power him. Even though
he has had times of doubts and times of temptations he has over came them. Stephen
Kumalo is imperfect, he makes mistakes, and he is a sinner. Stephen Kumalo is
human and by being human and making mistakes, Stephen Kumalo is made a
great man. Stephen Kumalo is not only a great man, but also a hero that is
real.
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