For the Good of South Africa in Theophilus Msimangu's Cry, the Beloved Country

In this marvelous novel, Theophilus Msimangu gives us his one hope for his country. Msimangu says, “I see one hope for our country, and that is all white men and black men, desiring neither power or money, but desiring only for the good of their country, come together to work for it.” This is a powerful quote spoken by Msimangu which reflects among his character throughout the book. Msimangu hoped for people living in South Africa to forget race and to instead think of what would best help the country. Although South Africa has been on a rocky path, they do seem to have taken a turn on the right path, on the path to racial equality for all. Unfortunately, South Africa has not fully met Msimangu's ideas on which people of all races work together solely to help for the good of the country.

Msimangu is a strong important character, and throughout the book he seems to be the one character helping everyone through the times that everyone seemed to be going through. Msimangu is a young minister in Sophiatown, and he has a warm and generous attitude towards everything. When Kumalo must take the dreaded trip to Johannesburg, Msimangu guides him through his troubles while guiding the reader showing the troubles that Johannesburg seemed to be in because of the aparheid. Msimangu explained the political and social hardships that the black population faced during these times, which gave the readers a good understanding of the daily lives of the many citizens in South Africa.

Between the lines of the book, readers can infer that Msimangu is very knowledgeable of racial injustices that happen throughout South Africa. It is very obvious that South Africa is ruled by wealth, power and gripped upon by white suppressors. Msimangu believes th...

... middle of paper ...

...eems that a much clearer path may lie straight ahead. It does take time for the whole country to push away the idea of no racial segregation, but in time it will happen. The last places to push away racial segregation will be rural areas, as these areas are almost always reluctant to change. South Africa has hit some important milestones in its country's history of racial segregation. The first huge milestone was the abolishment of the apartheid, and then the election of Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa. These important milestones have shown that South Africa is on the right track, but has not met the full standards that Msimangu has set a goal for. Fortunately, there will be a day in the future where this comes true, where white men and black men come together not for their own personal gain, but for the good of the country of South Africa.