Rashaun Richardson

Chapter Log

Chapter 1

Characters in Chapter: Women and Men in general.

Summarized Events: Alan Paton describes the setting of Ixopo and the
valleys.

Vocabulary: coarse – rough or loose in texture or grain.

kloof – a steep-sided, wooded ravine or valley

Chapter 2

Characters in Chapter: A small child, Reverend Stephen Kumalo,

Reverend Stephon Kumalo’s wife, John Kumalo, Gertrude Kumalo,
Absalom Kumalo, Theophilus Msimangu.

Summarized Events: Reverend Stephen Kumalo receives a note saying

that his sister is sick and must see her immediately at Johannesburg.

Vocabulary: mustered – assembled

Accommodation – providing lodging or sufficient space
for

Chapter 3

Characters in Chapter: Stephen Kumalo, Mpanza, Mpanza’s wife,

Sibeko, Sibeko’s daughter,

Summarized Events: Stephen Kumalo boards the train to

Johannesburg, but is asked by a friend to confirm that Sibeko’s
daughter is still alive.

Vocabulary: Inquire: ask for information from someone.

Parson: a beneficed member of the clergy.

Chapter 4

Characters in Chapter: Stephen Kumalo, “a young man”, Mr. Mafolo,

Mr. Msimangu,

Summarized Events: Stephen Kumalo reaches Johannesburg and finds

himself in a confusing world of business and chaos, when he finnaly
meets a man, named Mr. Mafolo, who is able to take him to Mr.
Msimangu.

Vocabulary: clerical – of or relating to the clergy

Bewildering – perplexed

Chapter 5

Characters in Chapter: Mrs. Lithebe, Stephen Kumalo, Mr. Mafolo,

Father Vincent

Summarized Events: Stephen Kumalo is lead to Mrs. Lithebe’s house,

and explains to Msimangu why he had traveled to Johannesburg, and
finds out that his brother is a polititian.

Vocabulary: maize – technical or chiefly term for corn.

Sorrow – a feeling of deep distress or loss.

Chapter 6

Characters in Chapter: Msimangu, Stephen Kumalo, Gertrude,

Kumalo’s nephew, Mrs. Lithebe.

Summarized Events: Stephen Kumalo finally finds Gertrude and

discovers what she has been living a rough life and is ashamed.
Stephen decides to lodge her into Mrs. Lithebe’s house.
Vocabulary: shabbiness – dressed in old or worn clothes
Vaguely – uncertainly or indefinitely.

Chapter 7

Characters in Chapter: Stephen Kumalo, Gertrude, Msimangu, John

Kumalo, Absalom Kumalo, Dhlamini, Mrs. Ndlela,

Summarized Events: Stephen Kumalo and Msimangu find John Kumalo

at his shop and discover why he has not written or traveled back to
Ndotsheni. Stephen then searches for his brother Absalom. Soon after,
Msimangu and Kumalo set out for
Alexandra. After being told by Mrs. Ndlela where his last whereabouts
were.

Vocabulary: jolly – happy and cheerful

Attentively – paying close attention to something.

Chapter 8
Characters in Chapter: Stephen Kumalo, Msimangu, Mrs. Mkize, and
Hlabeni

Summarized Events: When StephenKumalo and Msimangu arrive in

Alexandra, they meet Mrs. Mkize, who is at first hesitant at telling
Absalom’s whereabouts or where he can be found. They are then led to
a taxi driver who takes Kumalo and Msimangu to the last known place
Absalom was staying. Stephen and Msimangu also witnessed a
boycott of the price of bus transportation and saw thousands of people
walking on foot.

Vocabulary: yea – used for emphasis, esp. to introduce a stronger or

more accurate word than one just used.
Petition – a formal written request, typically one signed
by many people, appealing to authority with respect to a particular
case.

Chapter 9

Characters in Chapter: Mr. Dubula, Mrs. Seme, Siyafa

Summarized Events: The chapter expresses how difficult it is to find

housing. An example in the chapter was Mrs. Seme, who excessively
pleaded for a house but was put on a waiting list of a period of 5-6
years. Later in the chapter it showed the health care of children and
how unreliable doctors can be.

Vocabulary: quarrel- an angry argument or disagreement, typically

between people who are usually on good terms.
Plantation – an estate on which crops are cultivated by
resident labor.

Chapter 10

Characters in Chapter: Stephen Kumalo, Msimangu, Getrude,

Gertrude’s child, Mrs. Lithebe,

Summarized Events: On the way to the search of Absalom, Stephen is

intrigued of how his nephew behaves with these

Vocabulary: behooved – a duty or responsibility for someone to do

something; it is incumbent on.
Pilgrimage – a journey to a place associated with
someone or something well known or respected.

Chapter 11
Characters in Chapter: Msimangu, Stephen Kumalo, Father Vincent,
Arthur Jarvis,

Summarized Events: Stephen Kumalo has lost almost all hope in

finding his son after several letdowns of where he possibly could be.

Vocabulary: accomplice – a person who helps another commit a crime.

Inquiries – an act of asking information.

Chapter 12

Characters in Chapter: Mr. McLaren, Mr. Chairman, Mr. de Villiers, Mr.

Scott, Msimangu, Mrs. Ndlela, Mrs. Mkize, Mrs. Hlatshwayo, and
Stephen Kumalo.

Summarized Events: The first part of the chapter deals with proposals
on all the financial and crime problems in the community. Msimangu
and Stephen discover that the police are also looking for Absalom but
don’t know why, so they search for answers from previous people who
they have met before.

Vocabulary: menace – a person or thing that is likely to cause harm:

threat or danger.
Law-abiding – obedient to the laws of a society.

Chapter 13

Characters in Chapter: Msimangu, Stephen Kumalo, European

Superintendant,

Summarized Events: Msimangu takes Stephen Kumalo to Ezenzeleni

where he sits alone in a quiet place, losing even more hope and
thinking of how improbable it would be of him murdering someone.
Msimangu reads Scripture to blind people.

Vocabulary: osier - a small Eurasian willow that grows mostly in wet

habitats and is a major source of the long flexible shoots used in
basketwork.
Folly – lack of good sense.

Chapter 14

Characters in Chapter: Stephen Kumalo, Mrs. Lithebe, Msimangu, a

young man, Father Vincent, John Kumalo, Absalom Kumalo,
Summarized Events: Stephen and Msimangu and finally meet Absalom
Kumalo and ask many questions, including why he killed the white man
and why he didn’t “wrestle” with the Devil.

Vocabulary: Jest – a thing said for amusement; a joke.

Bereft – deprived of or lacking something.

Chapter 15

Characters in Chapter: Stephen Kumalo, Mrs. Lithebe, Gertrude, the

young man, Father Vincent,

Summarized Events: Kumalo, the young white man, and Father Vincent
tries to prove Absalom not guilty of murdering on purpose, but Kumalo
suddenly loses all hope while reminiscing on his search for his son.
Father Vincent tells Stephen to pray and rest about the situation.

Vocabulary: Humble – having or showing a modest or low estimate of

one’s own importance.
Anxiety – a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease.

Chapter 16

Characters in Chapter: Stephen Kumalo, Absalom’s future wife.

Summarized Events: Stephen Kumalo goes to the woman who was

with child by his son, and asking her if she would be willing to be
Absalom’s wife. After saying yes, Stephen took her for clothes and a
place to live that is near his own.

Vocabulary: Yield – give way to arguments.

Compliance – the action of fact of complying with a
wish or command.

Chapter 17

Characters in Chapter: Mrs. Lithebe, Stephen Kumalo, Absalom’s future

wife, Gertrude, Father Vincent, Mr. Carmichael,

Summarized Events: Stephen Kumalo invites Absalom’s future wife into

Mrs. Lithebe’s home. Kumalo checks on his son in prison and tried to
pull more information about the murder and his marriage. Then
Kumalo meets Mr. Carmichael, the lawyer and is instructed to find out
what Absalom has done.
Vocabulary: Stammered – speak with sudden involuntary pauses and a
tendency to repeat the initial letters of words.
Implicate – show (someone) to be involved in a crime.