Kumalo's Cry The Beloved Country

A boy accused of murder, a community leader wanting to improve conditions for his neighbors and fellow citizens, and four illegal and poverty stricken students in Phoenix hell bent on building an underwater robot all have one thing in common; they all must attempt to do what people tell them they can not. For the majority of the oppressed in society, their story ends in heartache and sadness, but for a lucky few, they are destined to persevere and change society. Most people are defeated by their disadvantages, such as Kumalo’s son in Cry, the Beloved Country. After fighting his way through the city, Kumalo finally caught up to his son, but it was too late. Kumalo fought the best he could to keep his son alive and out of prison; in the end, …show more content…
These four unlikely teenagers prove society wrong. Most members of the Phoenix community saw these four teengers as nothing more than a bunch of illegals out to steal American jobs and be part of street gangs; in reality, those four kids wanted nothing more than to be thought of as Americans. They wanted nothing more than to show people that they could contribute to the American society. They set out to “not be last”(Davis 152) in the national tournament for underwater robotics. They also decided to join the collegiate level of the competition, so if they lost, at least they “would lose to college schools instead of high schools.” (Davis 156) Instead of just not placing last, they win the tournament and beat numerous high ranking colleges in the process. Spare Parts shows how people are able to fight past their disadvantages in society and learn to prosper in their community. Although these teenagers were facing top colleges in their tournament, in the middle of a desert having to build an underwater robot, they believed enough to atleast try and do their best. These students used their ingenuity to conquer their