Letters, and One of Their Many Roles

              A major motif or symbol in Cry, The Beloved Country are letters.  Letters tell Kumalo of his sister, and aid him when looking for his son.  I am fascinated by the formal and distinguished form of communication, but besides that the deeper meaning of letters are prevalent when the beloved umfundisi reaches Johannesburg.  Kumalo has three family members that all have gone to Johannesburg, and all three have not written to him.  Yet, when he reaches this prominent, intimidating city, he finds all three family members unscathed.  His repetitious encounters with his family give no real reason to why they haven't written to him.  He heard things like, "I haven't had the money", and," Life is different here", but no one has truly answered him.  That is what is so interesting, why has no one written to Kumalo? And if they did truly tell Kumalo why they had not written, would their answers be the same?  I feel that the reserved and refined(and old) umfundisi has some skeletons in his closet, because who wouldn't want to write such a nice man? Perhaps moments like when Kumalo lied in the train and snapped at his son's partner are sheds of light unto the religious man's past self.  More is to be known, and hopefully we will see more letters in Cry, The Beloved Country.