Yeevani1

VineethYeevani
JohnBoegman
English10HonorsPeriod4
16April2015
WordCount:497
TheFailuresofLeaders
ProfessorReinholdFrederickHoernlewasaGermanborninBonnonthebanksofthe
Rhinein1880.Msimangureferenceshimonceinthebookasapersonwhohasallthequalities
ofagreatleader.InAlanPatonscaptivatingnovel,
Cry,theBelovedCountry,
abouttheSouth
Africanstruggleagainsttheoppressiveapartheidregime,thereareseveralcharacterswith
leadershipqualities.However,eachoftheseleaderslackoneormoreofthecritical
characteristicsofaleaderthatcansaveAfrica.
OneofthecentralleadersinthestruggleisJohnKumalo.JohnKumalohasagolden
voicethatcanswaythousands.Hestopped,andwassilent.Andhisvisitorsweresilentalso,for
therewassomethinginthisvoicethatcompelledonetobesilent(68).Heisapowerfulorator,
butsomeonewholacksthecourageandthebrainstoutilizehisvoice.Patonsays,Forhereisa
voicetomovethousands,withnobrainbehindittotellitwhattosay,withnocouragetosayitif
itknew(217).Kumaloisnotagoodleaderbecauseheiseasytocorruptwithmaterial
possessions.
Msimanguisalsoapowerfulleader.Whenhepreaches,heputsonagreatperformance.
Foritwasnotonlyavoiceofgold,butitwasthevoiceofamanwhoseheartwasgolden,
readingfromabookofgoldenwords.Andthepeopleweresilent,andKumalowassilent,for

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whenarethreesuchthingsfoundinoneplacetogether?(124).ToanswerKumalosquestion,
allthreethings,brains,heart,andvoice,arefoundinaleader.TheleaderthatSouthAfricaneeds
isMsimangu,whoisincorruptiblebecauseofhisgoldenheart.Yet,herefusestosendthem
marchingtothegatesofPretoria,andinsteadsendsthemmarchingtoheavenwiththeempty
wordsofthechurch.
TheonlymanthatPatonmentionswhopossessesallofthequalitiesoftheperfectleader
isProfessorHoernle.UnfortunatelyforSouthAfrica,heisdead.Msimanguspeaks,Forhehad
Tomlinsonsbrains,andyourbrothersvoice,Dubulasheart,allinoneman.Whenhespoke,
therewasnowhitemanthatcouldspeakagainsthim(77).Throughoutmuchofthebook,
MsimanguisPatonsvoice.WhenMsimanguinformsStephenKumaloofProfessorHoernle,
MsimanguisspeakingthetruthasPatonseesit.
PatonrepeatedlydescribesthreequalitiesinCrytheBelovedCountrytoshowthe
inadequaciesofSouthAfricanleadership:goldenbrains,goldencourage,andgoldenvoice
.
Msimangulackstheintent,JohnKumalolacksthebrainsandthecourage,andProfessorHoernle
cannotinfluenceeventsanymore.Alloftheotherleadersinthenovelsufferfromalackofone
ormoreofthesecharacteristics.ThislackofleadershipqualitieshasleftSouthAfricawithouta
championofcivilrights.