What makes a man honorable? Many people would say that an honorable man is generous and brave; he also cares about other people before himself. A particular character in Alan Paton’s Cry The Beloved Country, the main character of Kumalo possesses honor. Here are some of the reasons based on the book why Kumalo has honor, and why some people may think he doesn’t. Which one will you choose?
First of all, One reason why he posseses honor is because he is taking risks for other people. He came out of his comforts in the small town of Ndotscheni to the big city of Johannesburg to find his family. “And Johannesburg is a great city with so many streets, they say that a man can spend his days walking up and down them…”(Paton 32). This quote from the book gives a little description of life in big cities. Kumalo can be considered brave because of his bold and exhilarating journey. This journey not only showed how he is brave, but the heights Kumalo was willing to go to for nothing else other than his family. The term “you have to crawl before you can walk” relates to the bravery of Kumalo so well in this story. Kumalo had not really been outside of small towns so this was a huge step. He had some struggles at first, but as his journey went on he got more comfortable with the big city of Johannesburg. Kumalo really had to acclimate to these new feelings, people, and culture to find his family.
Secondly, He is also honorable because he is forgiving. One of the reasons for why Kumalo is honorable is because he is forgiving. His sister, brother, and son have turned away from god, but he still believes in them enough to forgive their sins and help them back to god. “But I must tell you first that Gertrude is with me here. She is coming back to Ndtoshceni…”(Paton 59). This quote from the book is talking about Gertrude coming home with Kumalo. Gertrude became a prostitute and Kumalo was really hurt by her decision to turn