Cry, The Beloved Country Book 1, Chapter 11

On their way back to the Mission House, Msimangu tells Kumalo he thinks that Kumalo should rest for a while. He wants to take him to Ezenzeleni, which is a beautiful place where white people help blind black people, and Msimangu is going there to preach.

That evening at dinner, Kumalo talks more with Father Vincent about their homes-Ndotsheni and England-but they are interrupted by a terrible newspaper headline. Arthur Jarvis, a well-known white city engineer who has been trying hard to help black South Africans, has been shot and killed, probably by natives. A housekeeper was hit over the head, and has not yet regained consciousness: the police hope that he will identify the killers. Father Vincent tells him that this is the son of James Jarvis, and Kumalo recognizes the name: the Jarvises live above Ndotsheni, and he vaguely remembers Arthur as a child. The news upsets Kumalo deeply, "for who is not silent when someone is dead, who was a small bright boy?"Chapter 11, pg. 72. The pleasure that they found in talking about their homes is now gone.

Topic Tracking: Race Relations 4