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Cry, The Beloved Country

 

In the book, “Cry, The Beloved Country” Stephan Kumalo would be described as a dynamic character. In my opinion, a dynamic character would be known as someone in the book that encounters conflict and is changed by it.  Dynamic characters to tend to be more fully developed than the other characters in the book. Stephan Kumalo is the type of person that seems to go after something that he wants and does not give up. He cares a lot about his family, and wants to find his son. Stephan Kumalo can have both positive and negative attributes to make up his personality. For instance, in the book it talks about how Kumalo was robbed by a man. Then again, it talks about how his brother is not a man of god anymore. All the things that happen to Kumalo seem to change his out outlook on things.

“I gave a pound to a young man, he said, and he told me he would get my ticket at the ticket office.” (pg. 49) Stephan Kumalo thinks that this man really is trying to help him, but in real life it just shows that he is cheating him out of his own money. “You have been cheated umfundisi. Can you see the young man? No, you will not see him again.” (pg. 49) Stephan Kumalos outlook on this particular situation has changed him and his personality. He will more than likely not trust anyone again when they ask him if they can buy his ticket anymore... This has changed his trust in people, to a negative attribute.

“Msimangu paused. I hope I shall not hurt you further. Your brother has no use for the church anymore. He says that what God has done for South Africa, man must do. That is what he says.” (pg. 55) This means that John Kumalo, Stephens brother, is not a man of God any more. He is not a man of God anymore and he does have a good reason. The reason he is not is because he feels that he cannot have faith in God anymore. Later in the book Stephan Kumalo feels as though he cannot have faith anymore. When Msimangu told Stephan Kumalo this, in my opinion, it changed his belief of whether or not God can be there for him. It has changed him and his personality to a negative attribute because he does not have that faith that was once there.

“While Kumalo was waiting for Msimangu to take him to Shanty Town, he spent the time with Gertrude and her child. But it was rather to the child, the small serious boy, that he turned for his enjoyment; for he had been a young man in his twenties when his sister was born, and there had never been great intimacy between them.” (pg. 92) This changed Stephan Kumalos outlook on his sister Gertrude and her son. Stephan Kumalo is changed by these things because he is a dynamic character to this novel. He is changed by things in this novel, like this situation because he is emotionally involved with them.