The Aspects Of Jarvis

388 Words2 Pages
The Aspects of Jarvis In Cry, the Beloved Country, Paton displays a great deal of depth in his characters, showing them to possess strengths and weaknesses in each of them. James Jarvis is a man of few words, seeing the troubles of those around but doing nothing about them. But after his son’s death, Jarvis changes for the better, looking upon Ndotsheni with new eyes. Jarvis is a silent, intelligent, and kind man who has been devastated by the death of his son. Upon learning of his son’s death, Jarvis does not weep nor cry. He does not break into hysterics. Instead, he tries to learn about his child, keeping his love and sadness inside of himself. He remains remote and distant as he explores his son’s world and looks upon South Africa with new eyes. Jarvis is an intelligent and recognizes the need for change within South Africa. Before his son died, he would often clash with his son over controversial issues, such as the natives of the land. But his son’s death and his writings moved him enough to where he understood what his son meant. His intelligence is shown as he attempts to help those of Ndotsheni. Knowing that money would only be a short-term remedy, Jarvis looks for a way to let his community flourish even after he is gone. To this extent, Jarvis hires Leftisi, an irrigation expert able to teach Ndotsheni the benefits of careful farming and irrigation. His kindness is unprecedented, as he attempts to cope with his son’s loss. He does not look upon Stephen Kumalo, the father of his son’s killer, with hate, contempt, or anger. Jarvis transcends these petty emotions, choosing to embrace his son’s views of the natives. So, he shows kindness and forgiveness to Kumalo, a man trying his best to mend a broken family. Not only does he forgive Kumalo, Jarvis actively tries to help Ndothsheni, sending them milk, an irrigation expert, and rebuilding their church
Open Document