Hey ladies! Here are some questions to get your mind rolling on our upcoming discussion of Cry, The Beloved Country. It’s not that we expect you to know the answers to all of these questions; it’s that more perspectives enrich the conversation.

Monday, August 16th. Paradise Bakery, Hamilton Town Center. 7pm. See you there!

*This book traces how the loss of faith, the breakdown of the family concept and
communication between people leads to moral breakdowns and a complexity of problems. Note the particulars of these losses and those breakdowns.

*In one or two sentences articulate the theme of this novel, a theme that is universal applying to all people at all times of history.

*What is Alan Paton’s greatest concern in this novel? How does he define racial reconciliation?

*The opening poetic scenes of the novel introduce beauty and ugliness. How does this
foreshadow themes?

*The concept of fear is found on almost every page. In what way does this contribute to the story? What is Paton’s spiritual answer to the problem of fear in Book III?

*What does the main character Stephen Kumalo have to learn? How does he change?” What
does he do that shows you his dark places? What role does Msimangu play in Stephen’s spiritual progress?

(I took these questions from the Moody Radio Book Club Discussion Questions for Cry, The Beloved Country. )