When Arthur Jarvis is shot dead, a key event in the plot, the bishop himself comes to the funeral and speaks of "a life dedicated to South Africa, of intelligence and courage , of love that has thrown fear" (181). This idea of ​​love versus fear is obviously important to the author and the theme can be seen continually. Some might argue that this is the main theme; proof of this point would come from observing the characters' actions. Many characters in the book Cry, the Beloved Country express the belief that the power of love can overcome the power of fear by fighting personal emotional battles, having compassion for others, or sharing and having faith in love. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Kumalo's journey from Ndotsheni to Johannesburg and back demonstrates numerous times how strong love can be and how much it can do. His love for his son and sister remains steadfast despite the fear for his own reputation and the shame he might bear for defending them. Because of his love for his family, Kumalo returns to Ndotsheni and humbly prays that God would "forgive his [and his] transgressions" rather than turn his back on the truth and pretend that nothing had happened (258). The Bishop himself urges Kumalo to move somewhere where "those things would not be known", but Kumalo's love for the land, the people's love for him, and the love that had replaced the fear between Jarvis and Kumalo are intervened to prevent Kumalo from shying away from the situation (295). Kumalo also shows the power of love when others suffer. When Absalom is faced with and “afraid of death,” Kumalo consoles him with a “deep compassion” that was “within him,” demonstrating once again the strength of love (241). Since he had previously spoken "bitterly" and "harshly" about his son, this situation also shows that Kumalo overcomes his own fear and anger with his love for Absalom. Immediately after hearing the news of Absalom's capture, Kumalo seems broken and tired. When Kumalo sees the pain John is going through, however, he "walks more steadfastly now," drawing strength from the love he has for his brother (129). As Kumalo tried to tell John, “love is greater than strength”; it is obvious from Kumalo's actions that he lived by these beliefs (245). Arthur Jarvis' life was spent trying to show the efficacy of love over fear; instead of hiding in his house like most white people in Johannesburg, Arthur sought to form a bond with black people through love, compassion and faith. Arthur understood the plight of black people in Johannesburg and understood why they had taken the actions they had taken, and instead of condemning them and being afraid of them, he took the time to think about where the blame really lay. Because of his love for his country, Arthur saw the hypocrisy of whites, admitted that whites had a mix of "high ideals and fearful practices," and tried to be a man who would get along with those who hated him to because of the injustices suffered (188). That Arthur became something of a champion of blacks is not surprising; he was a white man brave enough to stand up and say that, while it was economically good for the country, viewing blacks as unequal to whites was unfair and “impermissible” (178). Arthur “aspire[d] to the highest” (208) in all aspects; it is clear that he succeeded because he gained friendships "whites, blacks, colored people, Indians" (181). When Arthur died, his black friends showed the deepest remorse, and this is the most impressive proof possible that Arthur conquered the fear between blacks and whites with the love he.