Cry, the Beloved Country
Arthur Jarvis
Arthur Jarvis is the son of James Jarvis, who got killed by Absalom and his cousin. Although he does not have any spoken lines in the story, he is significant because the whole plot if Book II revolves around the death of him and the trial of the murder case. Also, his ideas influence his father and make him gain awareness of the current situation of the country that he has been ignoring. James learns about his son through the writings and then goes on and does what his son cannot do anymore. He helps the natives of Kumalo’s village to escape from poverty.He never appears in the book as a character, but his writing clearly shows his characteristics. His ideas are progressive and reformative. In his writings, the problem of the country is clearly stated and he has his own ideas of suggestion. He believes that white people should be aware of the suffering of the natives and help them in order to make the country improve as a whole.
