The Character of Stephen Kumalo

Depicting a strong Anglican priest, Stephen Kumalo is introduced as a reverent and humble character. His morals are strong, and his experience is limited. He knows of the troubles of the real world but has never had firsthand experience with them. Johannesburg alters Kumalo though. Everything he has known is altered in varying degrees based on the importance of it. His experiences expand, morals questioned, and views transformed.

Stepping out from the train and into Johannesburg immediately overwhelms Kumalo. Ndotsheni, his home town, is small and not highly populated. Johannesburg is exactly the opposite. People are everywhere, and cars threaten life at every turn. This is when Kumalo starts seeing crime and realizes how sheltered he was. Modern technology rushes into Kumalo’s experiences soon after crime. “They washed their hands in a modern place, with a white basin, and water cold and hot, and towels worn but very white, and a modern lavatory too. When you were finished, you pressed a little rod, and the water rushed in as thought something was broken. It would have frightened you if you had not heard of such things before,” (P. 51) shows Kumalo has never seen indoor plumbing and is in his sixties. These are only two of the many new experiences Kumalo has in Johannesburg.

Seeing the crime, segregation, and immoral behavior makes Kumalo question his ethics. After finding out about his son’s felony, Kumalo has no words for prayer, “There is no prayer left in me. I am dumb here inside. I have no words at all.” (P. 105) He begins to wonder if everything he teaches and believes in is real. His own brother and sister turn against God, and nothing in the city shows God’s mercy. He sees everything that is wrong and wonders how there can possibly be anyone watching over the city.

All the turmoil of changing morals and expanding experiences shakes the earth beneath Kumalo’s feet. Through those changes, the views Kumalo has always had are tampered with. No longer is education guaranteed for every child. No longer is a strong upbringing enough to keep one out of trouble. No longer is segregation a looming problem. All need immediate attention and immediate change. Kumalo’s realization of how terrible segregation was is shown in these words, “He sees great high buildings, there are red and green lights on them, almost as tall as buildings. They go on and off. Water comes out of a bottle until the glass is full. Then the lights go out. And when they come back on again, lo the bottle is full and upright and the glass is empty. And there goes the bottle over again. Black and white, it says, black and white, though it is red and green. It is too much too understand.” As everything changes, processing becomes extremely difficult. Kumalo struggles with his views and reality, fighting to realize the truth.