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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Kumalo torture Absalom’s girl at first out of his disgust for her previous lifestyle?

2. How does Absalom’s girl react when Kumalo tells her she will have to leave Johannesburg if she marries Absalom?

3. What image does Kumalo use as a metaphor for the trouble he now faces?

4. Where does the white reformatory worker say Absalom currently lives?

5. Who does Stephen Kumalo receive a letter from in the opening pages of the novel?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Kumalo as soon as he arrives in Johannesburg? How does this reinforce his feelings about the city?

2. Explain why the lawyer, Mr. Carmichael, takes Absalom’s case without payment.

3. Describe the reaction of the pregnant girl to the prospect of living in Ndotsheni. Why does she react this way?

4. What feelings do Stephen Kumalo and his wife have before they open the letter they receive at the beginning of the book? Why do they feel this way?

5. What does Kumalo fear when he hears of Arthur Jarvis’ murder?

6. What does Kumalo tell Father Vincent worries or saddens him about the way Absalom is handling his arrest?

7. Why does the government like Msimangu as a preacher? How is he like John Kumalo in his oratory?

8. Why does Mrs. Lithebe warn the pregnant girl about spending time with Gertrude?

9. What additional errand does a friend of Kumalo’s ask him to run while he is in the city? How does this reflect the themes of the novel?

10. Explain why Msimangu wants to see Mrs. Mkize alone rather than telling Kumalo after Mrs. Ndlela tells him the police are looking for Absalom.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of intention in Cry, the Beloved Country. In this novel, the narrator points out when characters act cruelly despite opposite intentions. What are examples of miscommunicated intentions in the novel and how do they impact the plot?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of racial inequality in Cry, the Beloved Country. How does Alan Paton depict the racial inequality of South Africa through imagery related to the settings in the novel? How is racial inequality reflected in character development and the actions of the characters?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the role that religion plays in Cry, the Beloved Country. What different views on religion are presented in the narrative? How do Stephen and John Kumalo's opinions of religion differ? How are they similar?

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