Cry the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton is a novel inspired by the industrial revolution. Paton details the conditions in which Africans lived during this time, in 1946. This story tells of a Zulu shepherd who goes to town in search of his son and his brothers who have left in search of a better life. The pastor sees this immense city where a dominant white group oppresses the black population. This novel is more than just a story, but describes the effects that imperialism and the industrial revolution had on South Africa. Although the government has intervened to protect people, some of these effects are still present in our societies. The setting begins in a small village in South Africa where the Reverend Stephen Kumalo receives a letter asking him to go to Johannesburg to help his sick sister. Kumalo collects all his savings and takes a train hoping to find not only his sister but also his son who left and never returned. In the city he finds the shepherd who sent him this letter who welcomes him and helps him find his sister. To his surprise, his sister was not ill but had become a prostitute and was selling liquor. After convincing her to return to the village with her son, she helps him find their brother, John. John has become a successful businessman and politician, and directs them to the factory where his son and Absalom once worked together. After tracking him from place to place, Kumalo finally discovers that his son has spent time in a reformatory and that he has gotten a girl pregnant. Absalom is later arrested for the murder of Arthur Jarvis, a prominent white crusader for racial justice. Despite Kumalo's attempts to help his son, Absalom is sentenced to death. He claims it was unintentional and he received help from John Kumalo's son. Reverend Kumalo then arranges for his son to marry the girl he became pregnant with and for her to return to him. Also, he meets Arthur Jarvis' father and together they mourn the death of their children. Eventually Kumalo returns home with his new daughter-in-law and Jarvis becomes involved in helping him keep his village together; he helps with agricultural techniques and offers to build a new church for the congregation. The novel ends with Kumalo crying over the death of his son in the valley, awaiting his execution.