Oprah's Cry, the Beloved Country Discussion Questions for Part 2
Oprah Winfrey has selected Cry, the Beloved Country as one of her book club selections. She has come up with 16 different discussion questions based on part two of the book. Here are three of them:
1. In what ways is James Jarvis like Stephen
Kumalo, and in what ways is he unlike him?
Response: James Jarvis and Stephen Kumalo and similar and different in many ways. These two are similar because the both lost their sons, they are both humble, they are both quiet and thoughtful, and they both open their hearts. Another reason they are similar is that they both are looking for their sons and when they find them, the sons are not what they seem. However, they are different, too. For example, Kumalo is very aware of racial prejudice while James is not. Also, James is a rich white man in South Africa while Kumalo is a poor black man in South Africa. James Jarvis and Stephen Kumalo are very similar, but they are unlike each other, too.
2. "Kumalo and Jarvis had both failed to get to know their sons. By the time they do know them, it is too late." Is this a fair comment on (a) Stephen and (b) Jarvis?
Response: I believe that the fathers did fail to not know their sons, but this comment is unfair because they did not choose to not know their sons. Stephen lost contact with his son so he could not get to know him as he got older. Stephen did not chose to not know his son, but rather his son left to look for his aunt and never returned. By the time Stephen decided to go and find his son, it was too late. His son had already committed a crime that was going to sentence him to death. In a similar way, Jarvis wanted his son to stay on the farm and help him work, but Arthur decided to leave. He left the farm to go to the big city Johannesburg, where Arthur worked to overcome racial injustices. Arthur was accidentally shot and killed, so James did not know Arthur’s political views. James Jarvis and Stephen Kumalo are not to fault for not knowing their sons.
3. Attempt to offer your judgment of the judge's judgment in Chapter 28.
Response: The judge rules Absalom guilty, but does not find Matthew or Johannes guilty. Since he found Absalom guilty, the judge condemns him to death by hanging. The judge realizes that South African law is unfair to blacks, but he chooses to follow the law exactly. If I were to be living in South Africa at that time with these laws, I would think that it was fair since a black man killed a white man. However, I live today and I think that these verdicts are unfair to Absalom because he should be treated as if he was a white man at that time that killed someone.
Response: James Jarvis and Stephen Kumalo and similar and different in many ways. These two are similar because the both lost their sons, they are both humble, they are both quiet and thoughtful, and they both open their hearts. Another reason they are similar is that they both are looking for their sons and when they find them, the sons are not what they seem. However, they are different, too. For example, Kumalo is very aware of racial prejudice while James is not. Also, James is a rich white man in South Africa while Kumalo is a poor black man in South Africa. James Jarvis and Stephen Kumalo are very similar, but they are unlike each other, too.
2. "Kumalo and Jarvis had both failed to get to know their sons. By the time they do know them, it is too late." Is this a fair comment on (a) Stephen and (b) Jarvis?
Response: I believe that the fathers did fail to not know their sons, but this comment is unfair because they did not choose to not know their sons. Stephen lost contact with his son so he could not get to know him as he got older. Stephen did not chose to not know his son, but rather his son left to look for his aunt and never returned. By the time Stephen decided to go and find his son, it was too late. His son had already committed a crime that was going to sentence him to death. In a similar way, Jarvis wanted his son to stay on the farm and help him work, but Arthur decided to leave. He left the farm to go to the big city Johannesburg, where Arthur worked to overcome racial injustices. Arthur was accidentally shot and killed, so James did not know Arthur’s political views. James Jarvis and Stephen Kumalo are not to fault for not knowing their sons.
3. Attempt to offer your judgment of the judge's judgment in Chapter 28.
Response: The judge rules Absalom guilty, but does not find Matthew or Johannes guilty. Since he found Absalom guilty, the judge condemns him to death by hanging. The judge realizes that South African law is unfair to blacks, but he chooses to follow the law exactly. If I were to be living in South Africa at that time with these laws, I would think that it was fair since a black man killed a white man. However, I live today and I think that these verdicts are unfair to Absalom because he should be treated as if he was a white man at that time that killed someone.