CliffsNotes on

Cry, the Beloved Country

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About the Author

About the Novel

Historical Introduction
Alan Paton’s “Who is Really to Blame for the Crime Wave in South Africa?”
List of Characters

Sumaries and Commentaries

Book I: Chapters 1 & 2
Book I: Chapters 3-5
Book I: Chapters 6-10
Book I: Chapters 11-14
Book I: Chapters 15-17
Book II: Chapters 18-21
Book II: Chapters 22-25
Book II: Chapters 26-29
Book III: Chapters 30-36

Character Analyses

Stephen Kumalo
Msimangu
James Jarvis

Critical Essays

Significance of the Novel
A Novel of Social Protest
Paton's Style

Study Help

Quiz
Essay Topics and Review Questions

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Quiz

1:  What natural phenomenon does Alan Paton use to symbolize the wounded African culture?

a. A flock of red birds so thick that it obscures the sun from view

b. The erosion of the red soil, which colors the rivers blood red

c. Deep cracks appearing in the parched red earth

d. The birth of a baby with pronounced red birth marks covering its torso
2:  Which member of the Kumalo family has the same name as the first Christian martyr?

a. Stephen

b. Absalom

c. John

d. Gertrude
3:  Stephen first travels by bus from his native district to what city?

a. Springs

b. Ixopo

c. Johannesburg

d. Fordsburg
4:  What does Stephen learn about his sister Gertrude when he visits the mission?

a. She has become a prostitute.

b. She has been sent to prison.

c. She has died from a mysterious illness.

d. She has become a nanny for a white family.
5:  Where does Stephen meet Dubula?

a. In the alleyways of Shanty Town

b. In front of a local church

c. At the city mission

d. At the bus boycott
6:  Whose death sends Stephen into a period of such deep despair that he is unable to pray?

a. Arthur Jarvis

b. Absalom Kumalo

c. Reverend Msimangu

d. James Jarvis
7:  Why does Stephen feel betrayed by his son Absalom?

a. Absalom has committed murder.

b. Absalom has changed his name.

c. Absalom married someone from another tribe.

d. Absalom kidnapped a young girl.
8:  Which character is not depicted as a man of charity and goodness?

a. Father Vincent

b. Mr. Carmichael

c. John Kumalo

d. Dubula
9:  What prevents John Harrison from understanding or imitating the ideals of Arthur Jarvis?

a. John regards Arthur as too much of a dreamer.

b. John disagrees with Arthur's religious views.

c. John's family is entrenched in a bitter feud with Arthur's family.

d. John believes that Arthur's son killed his brother.
10:  What historical figure's life most parallels that of Arthur Jarvis?

a. Abraham Lincoln

b. Thomas Jefferson

c. Winston Churchill

d. William Shakespeare
11:  Obsession over what substance has led many people into a frenzy over the state of their stocks?

a. Oil

b. Opals

c. Gold

d. Coal
12:  What is the outcome of Absalom's trial?

a. He is found guilty and sentenced to death.

b. He is found guilty and sentenced to life in solitary confinement.

c. He is found not guilty and set free.

d. His trial is found to be corrupt and must be rescheduled.



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