Theme of the Breakdown of the Tribe in Cry, the Beloved Country

A major theme in "Cry, the Beloved Country" was how the families became separated and how so many left their homeland for the big city. The effects of this separation were shown in many ways but mainly though tribal breakdown. Some examples that were used to show this breakdown were crime among black youths, pressures on the blacks, and fear of the opposite race. The book starts with Stephen Kumalo's worried thoughts involving the breakdown …

…such as John Kumalo are allowed too much freedom. Blacks fear white retaliation for strikes and boycotts. Kumalo is afraid to know what has happened to his son and his son is afraid of what his father will say. The girl is afraid of life in general and John is afraid of the police. Fear is almost a fact of life that they must deal with, and whites are depicted as the ones to blame.