Oppression Crying Freedom Cry, the Country BelovedFor years the South African government has suppressed its black population. Undeserved oppression, oppression based on color difference. In both of these works the cries of South Africa were heard. The cries of the black people who are the foundation of South Africa, the black people who were the heart of what South Africa was. In both stories, there is the fact that the only way to change one's ways must sometimes be through suffering. In Cry Freedom, we see change through extreme suffering in the character of Donald Woods. Woods starts out in the film as if he isn't truly open to the ideas of black consciousness. According to him, they only get black people into even more trouble. After meeting Biko, he becomes passionate about the ideas that black people find valuable, but when Biko dies, Woods becomes a whole new man. Immediately, Woods begins to inform the audience about how these black people are treated. Change the way you fight for black rights. Previously it supported only the black population of South Africa. After Biko's death, he leads them. He is despised by most whites, and hate crimes are committed against him and his family, such as when the police came to his house and shot through the windows. Yet he continues to fight. He moves his entire family and writes a book to help black people in need in South Africa. After Biko's death, he begins to see himself as the only one who can continue Biko's hope for South Africa. In Cry, the Beloved Country, each character involved goes through severe suffering that leads to change. Kumalo goes through tremendous suffering, with the death of his son. He must face it and begin to understand the many problems in the lives of the black population in South Africa. He leaves Johannesburg with a new and better view of the changes taking place in the South Africa he knew. We see the change in Kumalo after his return to Ndotsheni. “Kumalo began praying regularly in his church for the restoration of Ndotsheni. But he knew it wasn't enough. Somewhere down here on earth men must come together, think something, do something” (Paton 263). Now he realizes that praying is not enough, that he must work to make South Africa a better place.