The Suffering Hero In Alan Paton’s historical fiction novel Cry the Beloved Country, he describes two men who are brought together by their similar journeys. It takes place in South Africa before Apartheid; a policy system which discriminated against non white South Africans in the late 1900s. The novel begins with a man named Steven Kumalo who travels to Johannesburg after he receives a letter from a priest who informed him that Kumalo’s sister is “sick” and desperately needs his help. Along his journey, he meets a man named James Jarvis who also travels to Johannesburg in regards to his son Arthur. Alan Paton’s main character, James Jarvis, experiences significant emotional and moral change as a result of his geographical journey; James
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He lives comfortably on the hills in Ndotsheni, looking over the desolate village below. He becomes simply blindsided to the injustices in South Africa and the discontent of the people. When talking about these issues he stated that “there were too many cattle there, and the fields were eroded and barren; each new field extended the devastation. Something might have been done, if these people had only learned how to fight erosion, if they had built walls to save the soil from washing, if they sloughed along the contours of the hills. But hills were steep, and indeed some of them were never meant for ploughing. And the oxen were weak, so that it was easier to plough downwards. And the people were ignorant, and knew nothing about farming methods” (162). Jarvis simply sits back and watches these problems play out but continuously does nothing about it. He selfishly blames the people and talks about the actions that they need to take instead of the actions he can take to make South Africa great again. However, during the course of the novel Jarvis’ comfortable living crumbles when he hears that his son has been shot and killed. James and his wife, devastated by the news, head straight to Johannesburg, the city in which Arthur lived. To get to better know his son, he reads Arthur’s writings and …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel, he adapts used to his peaceful lifestyle on his farm on the hills above Ndotsheni. However, his son’s death allowed him to fully comprehend the social inequalities in South Africa and morally transforms him into a compassionate man who wants to use his power for the greater good of Africa. Also, Jarvis’ experiences change him emotionally and help him turn into a caring, selfless, and sympathetic person. In all, James Jarvis becomes known as a “suffering hero” in the novel because he would not have been able to overcome his obstacles if he did not experience great suffering. Jarvis comes to know the true meaning of suffering by the end of the novel; one who becomes conscious of all aspects of life better sympathizes with
He lives comfortably on the hills in Ndotsheni, looking over the desolate village below. He becomes simply blindsided to the injustices in South Africa and the discontent of the people. When talking about these issues he stated that “there were too many cattle there, and the fields were eroded and barren; each new field extended the devastation. Something might have been done, if these people had only learned how to fight erosion, if they had built walls to save the soil from washing, if they sloughed along the contours of the hills. But hills were steep, and indeed some of them were never meant for ploughing. And the oxen were weak, so that it was easier to plough downwards. And the people were ignorant, and knew nothing about farming methods” (162). Jarvis simply sits back and watches these problems play out but continuously does nothing about it. He selfishly blames the people and talks about the actions that they need to take instead of the actions he can take to make South Africa great again. However, during the course of the novel Jarvis’ comfortable living crumbles when he hears that his son has been shot and killed. James and his wife, devastated by the news, head straight to Johannesburg, the city in which Arthur lived. To get to better know his son, he reads Arthur’s writings and …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel, he adapts used to his peaceful lifestyle on his farm on the hills above Ndotsheni. However, his son’s death allowed him to fully comprehend the social inequalities in South Africa and morally transforms him into a compassionate man who wants to use his power for the greater good of Africa. Also, Jarvis’ experiences change him emotionally and help him turn into a caring, selfless, and sympathetic person. In all, James Jarvis becomes known as a “suffering hero” in the novel because he would not have been able to overcome his obstacles if he did not experience great suffering. Jarvis comes to know the true meaning of suffering by the end of the novel; one who becomes conscious of all aspects of life better sympathizes with