Cry, the Beloved Country Summary

In a secluded village of eastern South Africa called Ndotsheni, clergyman Stephen Kumalo gets a letter from a fellow clergyman from Johannesburg, asking him to come help his sickly sister, Gertrude. The letter also implies that his son, Absalom, who left for Johannesburg and has been missing since, might be there. In Johannesburg, Kumalo is hosted by the letter-sending clergyman, Msimangu, and a pious woman, Mrs. Lithebe. Kumalo finds Gertrude leading a life of sin and convinces her to return to Ndotsheni with her young son. He then faces a bigger challenge in finding Absalom. His quest across the city reveals to him the pervasive racial and economic disparities his country is suffering from.

During his search, the news breaks that Arthur Jarvis, a white advocate for racial equality, has been murdered. Kumalo and Msimangu discover that Absalom is a suspect, and his arrest and confession confirm Kumalo's greatest fears. Despite admitting to the crime, Absalom asserts that he didn't intend to kill Jarvis and that he had accomplices, including his cousin, Matthew. Kumalo, devastated, arranges for a lawyer and tries to understand how his son ended up in such a situation. When he informs Absalom's pregnant girlfriend about his predicament, she agrees to marry Absalom and live with Kumalo as his daughter-in-law, despite her sorrow.

While these events unfold, James Jarvis, father of Arthur, is told about his son's demise and travels to Johannesburg. Reading his son's work on social inequality forces him to reevaluate his prejudices. By coincidence, he and Kumalo meet, and both men express grief over the situation. Absalom's trial ends with his death sentence and acquittal for his alleged accomplices. Kumalo arranges for Absalom's marriage to his girlfriend, bids him goodbye, and he returns to Ndotsheni with his new family, minus Gertrude who has mysteriously disappeared. The loss of tribal bonding among his people distresses Kumalo, a sentiment James Jarvis also shares, and he becomes more involved in helping Ndotsheni, even offering to build a new church. The night before Absalom's execution, Kumalo and Jarvis meet in the mountains, speaking about their lost sons and the hope they see in Jarvis's grandson. Alone, Kumalo mourns his son's fate, praying as dawn breaks over the valley.