Stephen Kumalo And Msimangu example essay topic

Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton displays a tremendous amount of power that is portrayed throughout the novel. Stephen Kumalo and Msimangu are both remarkably powerful men in apartheid South Africa. These men have many forms of power within them. They both have the influential power to change the diversity of both blacks and whites in South Africa.

The power of love and equity are greatly influenced by Stephen Kumalo. His love for family and friends is tremendously powerful and he cares so much about being strong and doing well in life. He has all the determination in the world to help others and he tries his hardest to make peace with everyone. The power of the talks he has with his family members become more and more influential towards the equality of people in their lives.

Stephen Kumalo changed the hearts of his children and relatives and brought them together for the first time with the brilliance of his speeches. "And I come to believe that he suffered, not to save us from suffering, but to teach us how to bear suffering. For he knew that there is no life without suffering". (p. 261) Even though his son Absalom murdered a white man named Arthur Jarvis who's father was a heavy believer of the white supremacy, Stephen had the power and ability to completely turn around the life's of many people which James Jarvis eventually started believing in after reading his son's books... James Jarvis finally began to realize the true meaning life and why we are all equal. Msimangu was a great believer of equality.

The strength of religion and beliefs of Msimangu are extremely powerful and influential. He has the power of God behind him in his speeches to the people. He believes that all people should get along. He was able to create a new Stephen Kumalo that was no longer a plain, ordinary, everyday black priest. Msimangu changed Stephen's whole life around which led to Stephen helping others appreciate life. He taught Stephen that there was no need to discriminate others.

If they all could get along life would be great. Msimangu was a powerful man to most people in Johannesburg. Many looked up to him as a mentor. "It is good for the Government, they say in Johannesburg, that Msimangu preaches of a world not made by hands, for he touches people at the hearts, and sends them marching to heaven instead of to Pretoria". (p. 124) Are these men powerful or powerless? It all depends on what you mean by the word power. If you mean it in the way of having power over people and have the control to make them do what you want them to then the answer is no.

If you mean it in the that power is referred to as a good thing and that is used to help others and influence those in need, then yes they are powerful. Stephen Kumalo's power status changed dramatically from the beginning to the end of the novel. "Pain and suffering, they are a secret. Kindness and love, they are a secret. But I have learned that kindness and love can pay for pain and suffering". (p. 261) At first he was only making the trip to Johannesburg to find out about his son, but after being there and spending time with Msimangu he began to change and started to think about how the people in Johannesburg lived and how they were treated. He then began to talk about their country and how they could all unite together.

That short amount of time is where he was most powerful. Power can mean many different things and can be portrayed differently. Stephen Kumalo and Msimangu are both powerful and powerless in their different ways. Instead of bringing out the power of control and power of being high authority, Paton showed the power to influence and bring goodness to the people of South Africa. Paton's definition of power would be the strength to make a change in people without fighting, ordering, or demanding them what to do. To him power would be considered honest and complete trust.

If you are honest, and trustworthy then that is true power. Both Stephen Kumalo and Msimangu can be considered very powerful. They have the power to change people so long as the people have the power to listen. Their influential attributes in apartheid South Africa have changed many people for the rest of their lives and that is what true power is.