Theme Of Hope In Cry The Beloved Country

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Hope is the strong feeling of desire for something good to happen. Hope is a driving force in the progression of life. The idea of hope is powerful because it can lead to patience, courage, and happiness. Hope is an important concept in Cry, the Beloved Country. Hope is what the main character Stephen Kumalo must use to keep fighting for his beliefs, for his son, and for his tribe. The power of hope is one of the only things that people had to overcome apartheid in South Africa. If hope were not present, Stephen Kumalo may have gave up on restoring himself, his son, and his tribe. Hope is the concept that helps Stephen Kumalo and other characters develop during the span of the novel. Hope is found in the characters, the tribe, and the land. …show more content…

The tribe and its people go through change and hardship, yet in the end make it through. The tribe is in shambles because of the state of the land and because of the presence of white South Africans. The tribe is broken when the majority of its people leave for better land and better futures. The tribe is broken even more so when word of Absalom’s murder arrives. “Yes–it was true, then. He had admitted it to himself. The tribe was broken, and would be mended no more” (Paton 120). Stephen Kumalo reaches a dead end for himself and the tribe. He feels that Absalom’s murder has turned the tables in the acceptance of native South Africans. Kumalo has lost hope in the tribe being restored because he feels that it is impure due to Absalom’s killing. Kumalo loses sight of the end of the tunnel. But, through all of Kumalo’s suffering, he reaches a turning point. “So the days passed. Kumalo prayed regularly for the restoration of Ndotsheni, and the sun rose and set regularly over the Earth” (Paton 281). Kumalo looks towards his faith in God to forgive Absalom and restore the tribe. Kumalo also observes the sun rising and setting. This symbolizes that light will come after darkness. This perspective of hope gives Kumalo the motivation to restore the tribe and his faith in his

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