Need ! ! how does cry, the beloved country, by alan paton, reflect the cultural experiences of south africans in the late 1940s? through its depiction of absalom’s and gertrude’s fall from grace into sin, the novel describes the way in which many rural families failed to protect their children from the dangers of the city. by describing the brutal murder of arthur jarvis, the novel reflects the deep hatred that nonwhite south africans felt toward white south africans in johannesburg. by depicting the unbreakable bond between kumalo and john, the novel captures the unique importance of brotherhood within south african culture. through its descriptions of the shantytowns around johannesburg, cry, the beloved country accurately presents the poverty, crime, and injustices that nonwhite south africans experienced at this time.