Prykhitko 1 Daniel Prykhitko Mrs. Lindenstein English 10 H period 4 December 18, 2012 Cry, the Beloved Country Essay In the book Cry, The Beloved Country, by Alan Paton, there are many themes expressed throughout the situations and circumstances that Stephen Kumalo faces in the story; the three major themes the are prominent in the story are fear, racism, and compassion. The first theme in the story is fear. This theme is shown very early in the story when a little girl gives Kumalo a letter from Msimangu. Both Kumalo and his wife are instilled with fear; their fear makes them hesitant to open and read the letter. Kumalo and his wife think about whether they should open the letter or not. Shortly after Mrs. Kumalo says, “How we desire such a letter, and when it comes, we fear to open it” (7). This really shows how even our greatest desires can often times turn out to be our greatest fears. At this point in the story the reader can sense that the letter brings bad news. Another incident where fear is shown, is when Kumalo has to meet his sister for the first time in years. When Kumalo comes to his sister’s home, he hears laughter coming from inside. Stephen Kumalo then goes on to describe this laughter, saying, “There is laughter in the house, the kind of laughter of which one is afraid. Perhaps because one
