Stephen Kumalo has many attibutes that contribute to make him a character that we remember through many different terms. He cannot be describe as one word. He cannot be express as a character with no dimetions. He cannot be implied to be a nobody. He is both a round and dynamic character in the Cry, The Beloved Country. Throughout Book I he is shown to change through both his personility and his location.
What makes a character a round character? Stephen Kumalo is a character that can be express as more that one word or phrase. He is show as a naive person when he trusted the young boy back in Johannesburg to buy his ticket in a station even though he could buy it on the bus and the young boy stole Kumalo’s money (49). Kumalo was not aware of this until it was too late and shows his first taste of native crime. He is also show as fear of the individual. It is explained in the second and third chapter of how he is scared of the unknown and the unfamiliar. He fears the worse might happen. We are shown the emotions he has and his personality itself. He is more than a word but a colorful person.
In the Book I of Cry, The Beloved Country Kumalo is protecting his family and angry with different people for not understanding the main problem. After his son admitted that he did committed the crime Kumalo becomes angry with his son because Absalom only show self pity by saying that his "bad companions" and "the devil" drove him to that point of killing and they "torture on one other" as they speak to one another(132). Kumalo is not only upset over how his son reacted but their conversation was short implicating that Kumalo had grow short temper towards how his son is taking this situation as consequences not as of the death of a good person. He does shelter his old and new family. He did when he asked his son pregnant lover "do you truly wish to marry [his] son and go to a quiet and far off place" and she answer "I wish it with gladness of her voice"(147). He did not have to do that for her who marry twice before and show little shock to Absalom going to jail, but he still did it out of the compassion of his heart. He is seen with to be a man of a small grow world and of god but throughout the book his trust is tested.
What makes a character a round character? Stephen Kumalo is a character that can be express as more that one word or phrase. He is show as a naive person when he trusted the young boy back in Johannesburg to buy his ticket in a station even though he could buy it on the bus and the young boy stole Kumalo’s money (49). Kumalo was not aware of this until it was too late and shows his first taste of native crime. He is also show as fear of the individual. It is explained in the second and third chapter of how he is scared of the unknown and the unfamiliar. He fears the worse might happen. We are shown the emotions he has and his personality itself. He is more than a word but a colorful person.
In the Book I of Cry, The Beloved Country Kumalo is protecting his family and angry with different people for not understanding the main problem. After his son admitted that he did committed the crime Kumalo becomes angry with his son because Absalom only show self pity by saying that his "bad companions" and "the devil" drove him to that point of killing and they "torture on one other" as they speak to one another(132). Kumalo is not only upset over how his son reacted but their conversation was short implicating that Kumalo had grow short temper towards how his son is taking this situation as consequences not as of the death of a good person. He does shelter his old and new family. He did when he asked his son pregnant lover "do you truly wish to marry [his] son and go to a quiet and far off place" and she answer "I wish it with gladness of her voice"(147). He did not have to do that for her who marry twice before and show little shock to Absalom going to jail, but he still did it out of the compassion of his heart. He is seen with to be a man of a small grow world and of god but throughout the book his trust is tested.
In the beginning is is known to be a religious priest and a man of god but he wavers between belief and reality. He see the despair of the world for the first time then wonder if God is not here now when will he show his present. Kumalo felt "cold" on that day when "the sun of Africa" "pouring down upon the earth" as if he "cannot enjoy the light"(117). This could imply that Kumalo is confused and takes the challenges of whether to believe in religion or reality. He change to this is what he believes to he does not know anymore. He has an on and off battle with religion in the whole book which exhibits his change within himself that is also display in his long journey.
Stephen Kumalo can be describe to be more then a word. He has many traits that definite him as a person and a character. In Cry, The Beloved Country, he changes throughout the story even if it is small it is still seen. He is bind by choosing religion or what is happening now. He is not the same person he was in the beginning but his compassionate self did not change to much. Kumalo can be define as a round and dynamic character in book as he does possess many traits and changes.
