Throughout the book it's obvious religion plays a major role, considering Kumalo is a preacher. Morality is another major part of the book; however, you wouldn't guess the three members of the family who moved to Johannesburg long ago had any morals at all. Religion and morality go hand in hand, your religion usually sets the foundation for most of the morals you hold yourself up too. Religion and morality were tested and tried with all three of some of our main characters Gertrude, Absalom, and John.
In the book Gertrude ( Stephen Kumalo's sister) moves to Johannesburg to find her long lost husband. When she moves there she didn't know what she would be getting into. She was highly unaware of how the city will chew you up and spit you out, and she had no other options or choices. Gertrude had to do something to support her little family of her and her child. She became a prostitute and that's why Kumalo was called to Johannesburg to aid his "sick" sister. The profession Gertrude chose wouldn't show you that she came up with many morals and was actually very religious. One of the many teachings in the bible is highly against prostitution and selling yourself. Morals tell us not to do that even if that's a last resort, and yet you never know what you will do when you are put in that situation. Paton had to show how people struggle with religion and their morals when they're put to the test. In the book it even states this about Johannesburg, "They go to Johannesburg, and there they are lost, and no one hears of them at all." (Ch. 2) Johannesburg was a town that pushed you till you had nothing left to give, tested your strength, morals, and religion.
Absalom (Kumalo's son) left for Johannesburg to bring his Aunt Gertrude back fore she had been gone a while in search of her astranged husband who left her and her child. Absalom tried to stay true to his morals, and he did up to a point and then he tried to make it right. Absalom was sucked into the appeal of Johannesburg, he fell into the wrong crowd, the wrong things, and didn't know how to get out. Absalom tried to get his life back right, he tried to turn away from his friends and their pressures; however, he fell right back in. Absalom had found a nice girlfriend but had gotten her pregnant and was going to be there until one night a bad decision got worse. Absalom and his friends broke into a house of a white man (Arthur Jarvis), Absalom and his friends didn't go in to kill or hurt anyone just to steal. When Arthur heard something and went down to find it, Arthur startled Absalom and he shot him dead. Absalom had no intentions of cold-blooded murder. In chapter 11 when we first learn of the murder when Kumalo said, "
For who is not silent when someone is dead..." Absalom was pushed to his ends with the stress he faced, and then has to live life knowing he killed someone who actually supported the blacks of South Africa. One major thing in any religion is don't murder, and don't steal from anyone under any circumstance and when Absalom got some stress his religion and morals were tested. Even though he didn't mean too it still happened and he can't take it back.
John Kumalo Stephen's brother stands us for what he believes in through out the book. He becomes the spokesperson for the new racial movement and like the theme of morality, or staying true to your morals he stays true to what he believes in. Like with religion and morality its about staying true to what you value and believe in, and John stood up for the natives of the community. John didn't seem to have as powerful of a role in the book and till we later found out that his son was involved in the murder of Arthur Jarvis along with Absalom. John's son was as responsible for the murder seeing how as he didn't kill Arthur he was just involved in the break in. John had a powerful voice, he had a voice that rolled like thunder and stayed around for many to hear. In the book it states, "That man should walk upright in the country where they were born.. what evil was in it?" I think this is a good example of John Kumalo because he was true to his beliefs, was strong willed, didn't let Johannesburg suck him in, and when he got home he could walk tall and not be ashamed.
Overall Paton's theme was religion and morality I think. Throughout the book it showed how they tested religion and morality through the various characters in the book. Religion and morals were tested by Gertrude, Absalom, and John Kumalo. All three had different situations within the book,but religion and morals played a major part in each character leading the conclusion to be that religion and morality were an overall major theme of patin's book.
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