Johannesburg things were happening that had nothing to do with any chief. But he got to his feet, for they had summoned him to the presence of the ruler
of the tribe p. 196.”
It can be seen that from all of the conflicts Stephen Kumalo faces, Kumalo learns many things that shapes his character to be more humble and not depend to
himself or the situation or to other people because it can cause him to have internal conflicts.
2. The Causes of Stephen Kumalo’s Conflicts
This analysis is also important because it will figure out the main points of what Paton criticizes toward the South African Society. Each character will describe
the social condition in South Africa and the criticism of the author toward the South African society.
There are some causes of the conflicts that Stephen Kumalo has and most of them comes from the member of his family. Each characters and nature below will
represents the social condition of South Africa at that time.
a Gertrude’s Sickness
Gertrude is Stephen Kumalo’s sister, she is twenty-five years younger than him. Gertrude goes to Johannesburg to search his husband who had never come back
from the mines. Kumalo receives a news about her when someone send him a letter told that Gertrude is very sick and ask him to come to Johannesburg quickly.
He and his wife have to decide to use the money they saved for Absalom. Because his wife thinks that when people go to Johannesburg they did not come back
anymore. He finally decided to use the money to go to Johannesburg. Kumalo’s conflicts begins when he thinks that his relatives has hurting him because they go and
did not give any news anymore. “-Hurting myself? Hurting myself? I do not hurt myself, it is they who are
hurting me. My own son, my own sister, my own brother. They go away and do not write anymore. Perhaps it does not seem to them that we suffer.
Perhaps they do not care for it. p. 11”
“His voice rose into loud and angry words. Go up and ask the white man, he said. Perhaps there are letters p. 11”
In a long way to Johannesburg, Kumalo still struggles with the fear he had. Having conflicts thinking the fear of Gertrude sickness, about his own son and about
the place where he goes. “The journey had begun. And now the fear back again, the fear of the
unknown, the fear of great city where boys were killed crossing the street, the fear of Gertrude’s sickness. Deep down the fear for his own son. Deep down
the fear of a man who lives in a world not made for him, whose own world is slipping away, dying, being destroyed, beyond any recall. p. 15”
But he finally cools himself down by reading his bible. Kumalo used to reads
his bible while he fells uncertain to what has happening. “The humble man reached in his pocket for his sacred book, and began to
read. It was this world alone that was certain. p. 16” PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
