Study Guide

Cry, the Beloved Country Chapter 28

By Alan Paton

Chapter 28

It's time for the judge to hand down his sentence.
But first, he summarizes the case from the perspectives of both the defense and the prosecution.
The judge decides that, even though the other two defendants—Johannes Parfuri and Matthew Kumalo—seem pretty suspicious, there still isn't enough evidence to convict them of willful murder.
The judge also decides that, even though Absalom claims he did not plan to kill Arthur Jarvis that night, he has still confessed to shooting him in his own home. That's pretty cut and dried.
The defense has tried to prove the Absalom is just a simple country kid led astray by the temptations of the big city. And they've also tried to show that he has suffered from the larger loss of social and moral support as a result of the destruction of traditional black tribal society by white colonization of South Africa.
But the judge points out that, even if Absalom is a tragic victim of broader social problems, he can't go around carrying guns and shooting people.
So, without further ado, the judge sentences Absalom to hang.

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