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> In Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton gives off more of a sense where it is seen that he favors Stephan's view of a social order. An example would be at at the end of Chapter 14, where Paton gives us a a bad feeling towards John's actions and words. As John says "..who will believe your son?" when talking to Stephan it creates this feeling of anger towards John as he says this involving his view or lawyers and politics.

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 In the novel Cry, The Beloved Country written by Alan Paton, the author pushes readers to believe that the churches and God is the only way to peace in South Africa. Paton fashions the (Stephen Kumalu) protagonist of this novel to be a wise, holy man who fears God. The readers see more of the situation through Kumalu's point of view.

On their first meeting Msimangu and Kumalu, talked about the brokenness of their tribe. Kumalu states that sometimes he fears what the bishop say when he hears about all the ugliness in South Africa. Kumalu and Msimangu believe in praying and that even though its seems like God is not for South Africa they both take courage in this word (page 124.) 

Even when his own brother turns away from him (page 134) Kumalu does not try to handle things using politics. Instead Kumalu goes to Father Vincent.

Alan Paton gives more details towards the way of the churches and the lives of the priests. Through the reaction and action of Kumalu and Mismangu the readers acknowledged that Paton gives more privilege to the Christians in this novel.

  

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Paton subtly sides with John Kumalo. This is evident when John Kumalo says the church is outdated and out of touch. When Paton talks about the church, he sheds it in a sort of negative light.

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Reading so far in the passage, by the tone and view point of the main character, Alan Paton favors more to the hierarchy of the church. Although the  city's darkness of crimes appeared to overwhelm the church, politics also appeared to do no better. The author, through Kumalo, describes John Kumalo as this villainy beast who is also a hypocrite. The author describes him as a big man with beastly deep voice that give fear. The church appeared more in the innocent side and a side that bring hope. Everywhere Kumalo went, comes with a person who always help. Msimangu, Father Vincent, the young white man. Kuamalo comes to the city with good moral. When section upon sections, event are filled with saddness, but found light to Msimangu's sermon. 

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In Cry, The Beloved Country Alan Paton is saying that John's perspective of the Church and it's current state is right. Everyone has their own unique faith journey and John thinks the Church has this standardized path of how to do things. "I do not wish to offend you gentlemen, but the Church too is like the chief, You must do so and so. You are not free to have an experience." John argues that there are other opportunities that exist in Johannesburg which would allow the people to revise or completely change the Church in positive ways. 

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Alan Paton seems to be privileging the church and standing more behind the church's idea of social order. John believes in a way that he must take over power to fix things. He talks of lawyers getting involved with the incident that Stephen's son is in. He thinks his son has no part in and goes on to blame only his nephew. He is getting fed up with his nephews mistakes and thinks lawyers will be the answer to this problem.

Paton does not privilege John though because he gives John a rude attitude that makes the reader want to disagree with him and his idea of moving forward. On page 134 he asks Stephen, "Who will believe your son?" and then it is said, "he says it with meaning, with cruel and pitiless meaning." Paton gives us the idea that John is just being cruel and not going on the right path to move forward, while the church is starting with the people and trying to uplift them and give the leaders jobs and encouragement so that they can have hope to go out and fix the problems. They do this by preaching sermons of God never forsaking human kind and helping the blind men. 

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In Cry the Beloved Country, Alan Paton gives headway to the fact that the old ways of society are outdated and need reform. Throughout  the story readers find that the tribe is broken and no longer have order. Readers also see that there are people that are trying to reform and create a new society but they cannot fully achieve their goal because there are still people who cling to the old ways. In chapter thirteen Kumalo comes to the depressing conclusion that the tribe is broken and cannot be fixed. He realizes that the tribe and society must come to reformation. John Kumalo, his brother, strongly believes that reformation is the only way to go since "God has left the world." In the story John Kumalo relies on himself and comes off to the readers as well cared for. Even in Chapter fourteen page 134 John Kumalo speaks to his brother as though he has nothing in the world to fear or be troubled by. Alan Paton uses the strong character of John Kumalo to display his opinion of God and reformation. 

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I think that Alan Paton tends to side with John Kumalo and the political approach to social reform. In chapter 8, Kumalo and Msimangu are prevented from riding the bus because there is a boycott in progress. This shows that people who fight for social reform through politics are actually fighting for it, unlike the white churches in chapter 12. The white churches in chapter 12 do nothing but complain about their present circumstances and talk about ways to get more protection from crime for themselves. Through these comparisons of who is doing what to bring about social reform, Alan

Paton shows that social reform is better achieved through political activism than reliance on a church hierarchy.

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 Alan Paton sees the churches side getting more power by their meetings to demand a better government and political system. By the held meeting Mr. de Villiers talks about," that increasing school facilities would cause a decrease in juvenile delinquency amongst native children?" Yet the people attending the meeting say that," Don't you think, Mr.de Villiers, that more schooling simply means cleaver criminals?" The people argue about the criminal natives and why they should be taught a lesson by the political system, by increasing law enforcement and the penalty if done so. Alan Paton sees the church system defining a better resolution for the people than the politicians, for they follow a revolutionist, leading them in the wrong way and may get them in serious trouble.

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Alan Paton seems to side more with the church. Throughout the novel both sides of power and the church are shown with passion through the characters. However, the church is what seems to be lifting people more so than power and politics does. When Kumalo cannot find his son  in chapter  10 and is feeling down he relies  on God, this is shown through by  the verse that he stars to re-sight "Oh God, my God, do not Thou forsake me. Yea, though I walk though the valley of the shadow of death,  I shall fear no evil, if Thou art with me.."(pg.  94). Later when Kumalo finds out that his son has killed someone, he becomes devastated and again hearing God's  word from Msimangu about hope and God bringing people out of darkness(pg. 123) brings him out of his slump and gives him some hope for the future.

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Alan Paton is giving the perspective of the old society being replaced with the new society and showing this through John and Stephen. John is the example of the anger shown in the society of the new. Stephen is the example of the old trying to keep light. He goes to Johannesburg, and is completely out of his element. John has this confidence of a old society coming into the new. However, he does not want to be known. He hides in the old, dark society. The opinion of John is the opinion of the author, he writes of the struggle the old ways are having and how the new is going well even with all the evil occurring repeatedly. 

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Alan Paton seems to favor the church hierarchy society despite criticism against both sides. In the midst of Kumalo and Msimangu's first official conversation at the end of chapter 5, Msimangu somberly states that he has flaws as a "selfish and sinful" man, indicating the possibility that the church system acknowledges its flaws very plainly. Chapter 6 has Kumalo reconverting his sister to a more virtuous life after a harsh confrontation, possibly showing that people can come back from their selfish and sinful ways. Despite detractors, Msimangu's sermon in chapter 13 also indicates that the church can also have a voice as strong as the revolution with its strong voiced people. Overall, the church seems to be favored as there is indications to acknowledgements of faults, people coming back into the faith, and having a voice to the lost. 

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Cry, The Beloved Country is a novel that subtly puts two sides at odds, a church hierarchy and a more social hierarchy. This particular situation involves John Kumalo and Kumalo and Msimangu. Alan Paton seems to favor one side over another according to me he favors the social hierarchy more than the church hierarchy. This is shown through the portrayal of Johannesburg, Johannesburg is shown to be a place of crime where social class matters to actually thrive. John Kumalo is a political figure of sorts he asserts his dominance by showing that not even God can deny power in the social hierarchy. Kumalo is left to his hierarchy in a sullen melancholy mood after learning about his son and whether or not he killed a white person.

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In his novel Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Patton seems to show privilege to the idea of the social hierarchy being non-existent and worthless. Although Paton argues both sides throughout the book through John and Stephen Kumalo, his favor seems to be that of John Kumalo: the omniscient and omnipresent God isn't helping South Africa.The ruling of South Africa is under the chief who is somewhat controlling, the black churches build shanty town and places to stay, the white churches seek more segregation and enslaving the natives, and crime is increasing; these all under God, seem to be making things worse in Johannesburg. The depressing parts of the book in addition to the ironic decisions of the Godly people make it seem as if Paton shows privilege to hierarchy being old and out of touch.

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The author, Alan Paton, seems to like hierarchy more than John Kumalos point of view on life. He subtly shows how Msimangu and Kumalo get through there problems even though there are many. The sermon that Msimangu gives comforts Kumalos heart, which tells the reader that there ways still work. John Kumalo does not give off the best feeling to the reader and does not seem as good a person as the other protagonists. Alan Paton also focuses more on Kumalo and Msimangu more than John Kumalo.

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In Cry, The Beloved Country, by Alan Paton, John Kumalo argues that God has forsaken them and that they now must take action themselves to make their own freedom in South Africa. Alan Paton, in my opinion, agrees with John because he often shows examples of how Kumalo and Msimangu are losing hope in God. By Paton showing how these two Umfundisis, high members of the church, are losing hope in God then no one else will believe in God's power either. While Kumalo and Msimangu are going through all of these struggles John is perfectly fine. He is relying on no one but himself and he seems to be doing well. I believe Paton wrote in John's character this way to show his opinion on the situation and his belief that God has abandoned South Africa.