Cry the Beloved Country Characters/Places/Plot

-main character-priest in search of his son-discovers his son has been in trouble and is trying to help him

"the voice"-Stephan's brother-has the power of influence over the people-government is afraid of him-only goes so far when he is influencing people-is passionate about what he says but he likes the attention and power he gets from it more-rather would risk getting his nephew hanged then admit that his son was involved in the murder of Arthur Jarvis-afraid of ruining his reputation

-Stephan's sister-Went to Johannesburg to look for her husband who went to the mines-became a prostitute-sold alcohol-has a young son-has left to "become a nun" (we don't really think that she has)

-The white man that was killed by Absolam-Believed in helping educate and helping natives-Respected highly in Abraham Lincoln-His work that he was writing before he died influenced his father a great deal after he had died

-Arthur's father -starts to know his son more after he has died-gives 1000 pounds to start a fund to help what his son had been doing before he died in his son's name-hires young demonstrator to help out Ndocheni

"the heart"-organized the bus boycott

-is becoming a monk -does sermons for the blind -accompanies Stephan Kumalo in search of his son-gave all his money to Stephan when he becomes a monk

-invited Stephan, Gertrude, and Absolam's fiance to stay with her -wanted Gertrude to join nunnery-acted like a mother to Absolam's wife

-saw Absolam bring stolen goods into her home-more aware of the trouble she would be in

-"the rosy-cheeked priest"-counsels Stephan when he is broken-hearted "fear is a journey, but at least sorrow is an arriving"

-lawyer for Absolam-"lawyer of God" (doesn't charge anything)

-murdered Arthur Jarvis-did it because he was scared and it was an accident-claims guilty to culpable homicide-gets sentenced to hanging

-pregnant-16-marries Absolam-doesn't laugh carelessly anymore-takes care of Gertrude's son-3 husbands

One of Absolam's friends at the trial who got off not guilty

-Absolam's friend from the trial -not guilty-hit the servant with the bar-eye twitch

-Servant who got hit with the bar

-Arthur Jarvis's wife

Mary Jarvis's dad

Mary Jarvis's family

-From the very beginning of the story at the train station, Stephan meets his friend and he asks him to check on his friend Sibeko's daughter who is in Johannasburg

-comes to the church to preform conformation on the children-tries to convince Stephan to leave the village because the man who his son had been murdered by his son will be his new neighbor (Jarvis)-tells him to go somewhere where no one knows his past and no one will spread rumors about him

-chief running the tribe-not doing a very good job of it-Stephan went to him and talked to him about promoting farming and the importance of the town in schools-referred to as "the white man's dog" because he listens only to his white associates who tell him what to do

-boy who comes to the town-learns Zulu with Kumalo-tells Jarvis to bring milk to the children of the town-"brings light" to the town

man who has come to the village to teach the people farming (hired by James Jarvis)

-Mary Jarvis's brother-was working with Arthur Jarvis before he died-was the one given 1000 pounds to The Arthur Jarvis fund

-the name of Absolam's child if he has a son-biblical reference: starting over, a new beginning, a kind of repent for what he had done for Stephan -(relates to Peter in the bible)

-Stephan: tried to save his son, tried to save Gertrude and her son...-Arthur Jarvis: "resurrecting" Ndocheni and the tribe, brought milk for the children, had an epiphany after his son had died...-Msimangu: Gives all his money to Stephan when he becomes a monk, helps Stephan "when he was lost", writes to Stephan at the beginning...

A sudden realization or thought

-Decay of tribal culture: mining, people leaving village, chief not doing his job, drought affecting farming...-Poverty of the Reserves: refers to both the land, people, economy, and their resources...-Flight of People in Crowded Urban Settings: people moving to Johannasburg instead of staying in the village, caused poverty, shantytowns, shady people, unfair mining conditions...

Rebirth, Goodness, life...economical separation too: lush grass vs drought and bad soil in the beginning

Village in which Stephan has lived

James Jarvis's wife, is sick and frail beforehand and dies

A chapter from another person's point of view or at a different point in time that explains more about the story and background information