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Kumalo's Learning Experience and Unrightful Guilt

In Cry, The Beloved Country, Stephen Kumalo is thought of as a realistic character. He is similar to most real-life parents as he has raised Absalom to be a good man. However, he has failed miserably. Also like real-life parents, he tries to straighten his son out by talking and lecturing to him on what the rights things to do are after murder and pre-marital sex if he wants to repent from his sins. He has a sit-down conversation with his son about what he has done, and is very concerned about Absalom’s lack of remorse. He is frustrated with himself about his not being around his son as much as he wanted in order to raise him. I believe, however, that he knows inside that he cannot control what his son does and his son’s actions are not his fault. Like a Christian man like Kumalo would do, he prays about he and his son’s situations.

                Kumalo is a good man with many positive attributes. Crimes are committed anywhere frequently in real life, but it is also very rightfully hard and shocking for him to have a son who commits murder. Pre-marital pregnancy is also very common in our world, but Kumalo’s becoming a grandfather before his son is married is nothing to shrug off. He is a great Christian man. He is faithful to praying, and he has tried his hardest to raise his son, Absalom, into a man like Kumalo himself. The fact that despite Absalom’s upbringing, he has not become a good man is hard for Kumalo, but that is hard for every parent, as they wonder if they could have raised their kid better. Studies show that seven out of ten children raised in the church leave the church when they are grown up and no longer under their parents’ rules and requirements, so Kumalo has not done a bad job of raising Absalom by any means.

                Kumalo learns a lot from this experience. He learns what can come with parenting and he especially learns more about his son. He learns about Absalom’s life with his girlfriend, and he sees that not everyone regrets their wrongs like those who you see in the movies, as his son is not remorseful at all for his crimes. He also learns that good upbringing does not guarantee a good, righteous life for your son or daughter, as Absalom’s upbringing is definitely not to blame for his crimes and what he has done and what he has become, and therefore realizes not to blame himself or be hard on himself for Absalom’s actions and attitude. Kumalo has done his job, and the rest is up to Absalom. His crimes are his own fault. However, although Absalom’s actions are not due to upbringing, in several cases, upbringing is most certainly to blame. Kumalo should be proud of himself for raising his son better than most parents do. Kumalo needs to focus on what’s ahead of him and help Absalom straighten his life out.