Hope for the oppressed In the novel Cry the Beloved Country, author Alan Paton tells the story of the collapse occurring in his home country of South Africa and the ways in which to solve it. In the novel, the main character, Reverend Stephen Kumalo, embarks on a mission to the city of Johannesburg to find his missing son Absalom. During his journey Kumalo sees and experiences many injustices that clearly illustrate the growing gap between whites and blacks in the country. Paton incorporates his diagnosis of the racial divide occurring within the country and the reasons behind it. Along with his diagnosis, Paton in the novel Cry the Beloved Country uses the setting of the country of South Africa to illustrate hope for oppressed groups, even when all hope seems to be lost. Alan Paton describes how all hope seems lost due to the destruction of South Africa's native land. From the beginning of the novel he makes it extremely clear that people must respect and care for the earth because it is so beautiful and sacred. Since there is so much racial tension and both races fight each other to take power, no one thinks about taking care of the land which is so precious to the country. Paton emphasizes the importance of the land by stating, "Stand bare upon it, for the land is holy, being just as it came from the Creator. Keep it, guard it, take care of it, for it keeps In Cry the Beloved Country, Paton demonstrates through the conflict of the races that the land of South Africa is in grave danger of losing. However, Paton has a vision of what can help the country and that is when the different racial groups in the country can co-exist in peace novel Cry the Beloved Country, Paton. shows that no matter how bad life and relationships can get, there is always a way to make it through