James Jarvis

“The grass is rich and matted, you cannot see the soil. It holds the rain and the mist, and they seep into the ground, feeding the streams in every kloof. It is well-tended, and not too many cattle feed upon it; not too many fires burn it, laying bare the soil. Stand unshod upon it, for the ground is holy, being even as it came from the Creator. Keep it, guard it, care for it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men. Destroy it and man is destroyed.” Cry, the Beloved Country, pg. 1

This quote is perhaps the most explicit when it comes to the importance of the land in this novel, and it is also perhaps the most wonderfully crafted sentence. You can see the land painted vividly in your head, one element from the novel that I really appreciated. 

Jarvis comes into this because it is the land that brought him closer to the natives living in the valley near his home. They were unified in their goal of making the land more livable, and through that unity there came something as close to love as the blacks and whites usually experienced in that day and age.

While reading this novel and seeing how the land brought so many different people together, you get some pretty powerful emotions. You get hope, love, kindness, friendship, and a refreshing feeling of starting over. Just like the rain, old bitterness is washed away and new beginnings are watered. 

In today’s South Africa, there is a somewhat situation going on today. In an address given by President Zuma, he urged South Africans to come together to help conserve energy in order to help the country out of it’s looming energy crisis. This is a trial for South Africans today, much like the impending drought was for Kumalo and his people. 

Should these South Africans accept Zuma’s plea, they will be united in their efforts to help their country and their land. This unity has every chance of bringing them closer together as a people, much like Jarvis and Kumalo were brought together in their efforts to save the valley.