The story takes place during a time of great unrest in South Africa between the native population and the whites. The whites fear that they will soon be invaded by the much larger native population, so they enact legislation that keeps local wages low and working conditions very harsh. This angers the natives who threaten to strike and rebel. These threats endanger the well-being of all of South Africa as it is heavily dependent on the gold and silver that comes from mines mined by the native inhabitants. Cry, The Beloved Country is the story of two men, Reverend Stephen Kumalo and civil rights activist James Jarvis, in their quest to find racial equality and fairness for the indigenous people of South Africa. Stephen Kumalo is a minister in the small mountain town of Ndotsheni. Kumalo's journey begins with him receiving a message from a pastor in Johannesburg telling him that his sister is very ill and that he should come immediately. He discovers that Gertrude lives the life of a prostitute and is a single mother. Seeing her in such a sad state distresses Kumalo greatly; but he pities his sister and offers to take them to Ndotsheni and help them raise his son. After his sister agreed to return to Ndotsheni, Stephen, together with Pastor Msimangu, set out in search of his son, Absalom. They find out he's in prison and has a pregnant girlfriend. They convince her to marry Absalom and return to Ndotsheni with them. Through continued investigation Kumalo and Msimangu discover that Absalom killed engineer and civil rights activist Arthur Jarvis. After acquiring a lawyer, Kumalo discovers that his son did not want to kill the man but shot him because he was afraid. After several weeks... half the paper... Malo and the Harrisons. Although Stephen Kumalo and James Jarvis may come from two different perspectives on life, they were both enlightened during their trip to Johannesburg. Kumalo gained hope that the tribe could be restored while Jarvis realized that not all aspects of South African society are good and took on his son's role as a civil rights activist. Both saw the need for better education and working conditions for indigenous peoples and acted on that need. Kumalo managed to find his long lost family and save some of them from ruining their lives. Thanks to the improvements brought to them by James Jarvis and the agricultural teacher, the people of Ndotsheni were finally able to begin the process of restoring their land and way of life. James Jarvis and Stephen Kumalo managed to become friends and allies in the battle to restore South Africa.