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The Case Of Absalom Kumalo
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The Case Of Absalom
www.SeekTheTruth.com
Written By the Prestigious Journey Thompson
December 2018
Troubled kid or Dangerous Criminal?
The Murder Of Arthur Jarvis
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In the Story Cry the Beloved Country My Alan Paton the Character Absalom Kumalo, is portrayed as this dastardly character who takes what he needs in Johannesburg to get by.
Claim 1
Finding Absalom
As you all may know in the first few chapters of the Book Stephen Kumalo along with Mismangu are searching for Stephen's son Absalom which sends him on several dead ends but when they go to search Alexandra they meet a woman who tells of strange men living with Absalom who came at all hours of the night with stolen goods most likely from the upper class White population.
'What sort o f a life did they lead?’[Absalom and his roomates]
‘They brought many things here, umfundisi, in the late hours
of the night. They were clothes, and watches, and money, and
food in bottles, and many other things.’
‘Was there ever blood on them?’
‘I never saw blood on them, umfundisi.’
'That is something. Only a little, but something. And why did
they leave?’
‘I do not know, umfundisi. But I think they were near to being
discovered.’
‘And you do not know where they are gone?’ -Book 1 Chapter 9
Why this is Important
The short interaction we get from between Mismangu and the woman tells us a few things. One that Absalom has no qualms with the company he keeps no matter how troublesome they may be. Unlike the others he did not grow up on the rough streets of Johannesbug, he grew up in Ndotsheni a relatively safe village and doesn't have the tough upbringing the other criminals have. This makes him seen naive or an easy scapegoat if anything ever goes astray which they inevitably do. The second thing this scene tells us about Abablom is that he not only likes hanging out with criminals is that he has no problems with stealing. Stealing which can lead to other criminal behaviors like drugs and murder. A murder which Absalom partakes in.
Explanation
Bullets in Johannesburg
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He is not the Victim
In the story Absalom is shown to us as a someone who got wrapped and trapped in the life that is Johannesburg. Like his Aunt Gertrude who became a prostitute and a neglectful mother to her son. Unlike his Aunt however he makes the irreversible mistake of murdering Arthur Jarvis. He states in the Book that he doesn't feel bad about the Murder but is sad over the fact that he was caught. He is ashamed he has to face his father but doesn't seem remorseful.
And you, young man, can get no answer. There are no answers
to these things.
‘And your girl. The one we let you go to, the girl who you
worried over, so that we took pity on you.’
Absalom cries. W ho knows if he cries for the girl he has left?
Or does he cry for himself?
...‘You wrote nothing, sent no message. You went with bad people.
You stole and broke in. But why?’
The boy seizes upon the word that is given him. ‘It was bad people,’ he says.
Chapter 14 Book 1
Explantion
What this means for Absalom's Character
This puts Absalom into a certain light. A light in which he doesn't care about the hurt he's caused. The pain of Arthur's entire family will feel, the pain his father felt searching for him not knowing if he was dead or alive, the pain the whole city will feel. As the whole city will feel his loss. Absalom though, doesn't seem to carry this pain. He harbors fear, fear for his death, not quite ready to die. It is only human to fear the unknown, to be terrified of one's own mortality. Yet he puts this fear above anyone else above his father, above his girlfriend above his own child which he will never get to see and be the father figure they need.
Cowardice or Survival
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Justification of his Actions
In the book attempts to justify his actions for the murder of by simply stating that he he didn't intend to ever physically attack or kill Arthur. When asked why he brought the gun he simply states that he carried it for protection and that its dangerous for a guy like him to be out in the night. The irony of the situation of the matter is that he is one of those dangers. It is still not justifiable because he is a grown man with probably days to think this through and the "fact" that he didn't intend to kill anyone doesn't change the fact that he did. He broke into the house of the most recognizable figures of African activism. One of the few white men trying to help defend his race. It is only his ill judgement on the matter that even if he didn't kill Arthur there would've been serious repercussions for what he'd done giving the racist even more of a reason to hate the Native. It is all around terrible decision making and inexcusable on his part.
Absalom and His Father Interacting
Why did you do this terrible thing?’
‘I do not know,’ he says.
‘Why did you carry a gun?’
‘For safety,’ he says.‘This Johannesburg is a dangerous place. A
man never knows w hen he will be attacked.
‘But why take it to this house?’ And this again cannot be
answered.
‘Have they got it, my child?’
‘Yes, my father.’
‘They have no doubt it was you?’
‘I told them, my father.’
‘What did you tell them?’
‘I told them I was frightened w hen the white man came. So I
shot him. I did not mean to kill him.’
‘And your cousin? And the other?’
‘Yes, I told them. They came with me, but it was I who shot
the white man.’ Book 1 Chapter 15
Where this leaves Johannesburg
Conclusion
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Absalom is a flawed man relying on the tools he needs to survive in Johannesburg, and if those tools happen to be a gun that brings an innocent man to his demise so be it.
The Loss
It is unknown who much Arthur Jarvis would've accomplished if he would have survived how much good he could have brought and the changes he would have made in Johannesburg but as we see in the book the story leaves off in hope. Hope for the future, they tell the reader to keep hoping. And in the end that's all we can do Hope for the betterment for the people of Johannesburg.