When Arthur Jarvis is shot and killed, a key plot event, the Bishop himself comes to the funeral and speaks of "a life dedicated to South Africa , of intelligence and courage, of love that threw away out of fear” (181). This idea of ​​love versus fear is obviously important to the author, and the theme can be seen continually. Some might say that this is the main theme; proof of this point would come from observing the characters' actions. Many characters in the book Cry, the Beloved Country express the belief that the power of love can overcome the power of fear by fighting personal emotional battles, having compassion for others, or by sharing and having faith in love. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay Kumalo's journey from Ndotsheni to Johannesburg and back demonstrates time and time again how strong love can be and all that that he can do. His love for his son and sister remains constant despite his fear for his own reputation and the shame he might endure for defending them. Because of his love for his family, Kumalo returns to Ndotsheni and humbly prays to God to "forgive him [and] his trespasses" rather than turn his back on the truth and pretend that nothing happened (258). . The bishop himself urges Kumalo to move somewhere where "these things would not be known", but Kumalo's love for the land, the love of the people for him, and the love that had replaced the fear between Jarvis and Kumalo all intervened to stop Kumalo. to escape the situation (295). Kumalo also shows the power of love when others are suffering. When Absalom faces and “fears death,” Kumalo comforts him with a “deep compassion” that was “within him,” demonstrating once again the power of love (241). Since he had previously spoken "bitterly" and "harshly" about his son, this situation also shows that Kumalo overcomes his own fear and anger with his love for Absalom. Immediately after hearing the news of Absalom's capture, Kumalo appears broken and tired. However, when Kumalo sees the pain John is going through, he now "walks more steadfastly," gaining strength through the love he has for his brother (129). As Kumalo tried to tell John, “love is greater than strength”; it is clear from Kumalo's actions that he lived by these beliefs (245). Arthur Jarvis's life was dedicated to trying to show the effectiveness of love over fear; instead of hiding in his house like most white people in Johannesburg, Arthur tried to connect with black people through love, compassion and faith. Arthur understood the plight of the black people in Johannesburg and understood why they did what they did, and instead of condemning them and being afraid of them, he took the time to think about where the fault really lay. Because of his love for his country, Arthur saw the hypocrisy of white people, admitted that white people had a mixture of "high ideals and fearful practices" and tried to be a man who would get along with those who hated him because of the injustices done to them (188). That Arthur became a sort of champion of the blacks is not surprising; he was a white man brave enough to stand up and say that while it was a good thing economically for the country, viewing black people as unequal to white people was unfair and “unacceptable” (178). Arthur “aspire[d] to the highest” (208) in all aspects; it is clear that he succeeded because he won the friendships of “whites, blacks, colored people, Indians” (181). When Arthur died, his black friends showed the deepest remorse, and.