Zusammenfassung Cry-Freedom

Chapter 1 and 2:

This story is about South Africa. Donald Woods is an editor of the Daily Dispatch, a journal in East
London. One morning he gets news of a police raid in the black township Crossroads that lies in Cape
Town. Ken Robertson, another journalist, gave him photos of the raid and he decides to print them.
Robertson asked, “Do we dare use them?” he asked because the government doesn´t allow the news
to print something like that especially about police beating black people. Woods had trained to be a
lawyer. Because of that, he hated how the police treat black people and the brutality against them.
Woods also wrote about Steve Biko and his Black Consciousness. Consequentially, the next day, Dr.
Mamphela, who works with Biko in a clinic, was very angry and then she came to Woods office to
spook to him about the article. After that, she arranged a meeting between them. Woods meets
Steven Biko in an old church in white town. The meeting starts with woods being very uncertain and
critical toured Biko. Bike drove the conversation to exchange of roles. Then the ideas and beliefs of
Bike’s sank into Woods mind. As Woods saw the intelligent of Biko’s reactions and reasons, he knew
that this is a start to something new.

Chapter 3  and 4:

After a while, Biko went with Wood to a clinic far away from Zanempiko, which Biko and other black
doctors have built. Black doctors and black workers run the clinic, only for black people, funded
poorly by black people. Woods still think that black and whites could and should work together
building the country. He wants the black to be treated like witches, as a right of another human
being, not as a privilege given by Whites. Black want to live their life as they want to, not like what
white man like to. At the end of the chapter, Woods had seen how black people really live in South
Africa and how they were traded. Being banned from the government, Biko wore like what other
black workers wear and went to a black township with Wood. They took a walk through the houses
and streets of the black South Africans. Biko and Wood had a conversation about the detailed
frighten and scurry life of a black child. They talked about the unjust system that they suffer with.
Biko side, “the black child, clever or stupid, are born into this. And, clever or stupid, you will die in it”

Chapter 5  and 6:

Biko and Wood went to eat in Tenjy Mtintso’s home. It was the first time for wood to eat with a black
family. They discussed the system of the country and the history of black people and black culture. In
addition, they talked about the history in which how the white people came to South Africa and how
the black people got to the bad situation they are in now. After this visit, Wood’s mind has changed,
because, for the first time, he saw how worse the black people of South Africa have to live. And also,
he saw how strong they work together to achieve their goals. By the end of the chapter, Biko and
Wood became friends. Six weeks later Woods gives Tenjy and Mapetla, black educated man and
woman, a job at his newspaper. Woods action was strange for the other employees. After a while,
Wood and Ken attended a soccer match for black people where Biko gave a speech to black people
about the future they need to reach. His speech was very convincing and powerful, all the crowd
cheered. Wood and Ken liked his speech and were convinced by Biko’s ideas for the country’s future
and the black people of South Africa.
Chapter 7  and 8:

The government did not like the fact that a black leader is talking and provoking the black community
against them. Therefore, the police capture Biko after the match. A black informer had told the police
about the speech. In the police office, Captain De Wet held Biko in a chair and hit him. Biko was
anger as he defended himself.  After that, two police officers throw Biko out. Two weeks later in a
court in Pretoria, in front of the State Prosecutor and Judge Regter, Biko was the main witness of two
students’ organizations who arranged a large meeting in support of the new government in
Mozambique, Biko was in the defense said. Biko stood tall and proud and answered all the questions
amazing the attendants during the trial period. Woods helped by printing what happened in the
court. After the court event, Captain De Wet and two other police officers wear masks at night went
to the church that Biko built and destroyed most of the things inside it. Donald Woods was facing a
problem printing the incident in his newspaper because the only witness was a black man called
Dilima. Wood was Afraid for Dilima’s life. Therefore, he did not print anything. Instead, Woods went
to the Minister of Police captain Kruger and speaks with him about the incident. The minister was
collaborator saying that he will fix this problem because he doesn´t tolerate such thing to happen in
his town.

Chapter 9  and 10:

What Wood except from the Minister of Police was wrong because the next day two policemen come
and asked around want to know the name of the witness that Woods told the Minister about. Woods
refused to give them the name. Woods got angry because Kruger had betrayed him. One night,
Woods heard some noise. The two police officers was harassing Woods black housekeeper Evalina by
asking for her legal papers. Woods poled a gun to them and kicked them from his property. The next
day, the police wanted to revenge from Wood and the blacks. So, Three men kidnaped Mapetla and
after a week he was ended dead. In addition, two days later, Tenjy was arrested without any
charges. The most provoking thing about it was the official explanation of the Mapetla death, which
was “he hanged himself”. But, Biko and Woods did not believe that for once, so Biko demands an
inquest. After all that, the judge closed the case.

Chapter 11  and 12:

Biko was panned from going out said Cape Town. So, one day he drove to speak in an meeting for
black students organization. On the way, the rode was under snooping by cops. Than the car was
stopped by the police. They asked about Biko’s papers without knowing that he was Biko at first. As
they recognize the person is Biko the famous leader, they arrest him. In prison, they beat him and
torture him. They even asked for a doctor to look at Biko. His body was covered with bruises, his
forehead and eyes was seriously injured and he was hurt on other arias of his body. The doctor
recommended that Biko to be put in hospital. The police did not want that, they did not want anyone
to see him like that. So, they put him in the police hospital in Pretoria. The doctor’s hand was tied; he
cannot say or do anything. By chapter 12, Biko died in unclear manner. After that, Woods felt sad
about the lost of his friend and wanted to save his cause. So, he printed an article titled “Biko Dies In
Custody”. The reason that The Minister of Police announced about Biko’s death was very week and
lacked evidence.  He said that Biko starve himself to death. One day after Biko’s dead Woods, Ken,
and Ntsiki, who is the wife of Biko, went to the mortuary office to see Biko’s body. Biko’s appearance
was shocking, his body was tormented with. Ken and without the workers of the mortuary knowing
puts out a camera and toke some photos of Biko´s body. The other day thousands of black people
and friends gathered in Biko’s funeral. He was buried like how heroes would be buried.
Chapter 13  and 14:

The government wanted to close Woods newspaper, the Daily Dispatch, because of constant conflict
with the government and it constant support for black people like Biko. They even terror other
newspapers from writing like the Daily Dispatch. After that, Wood decided that the only way to fight
is to travel to America. In addition, he sends Biko’s death photos to England and America demanding
the world to investigate. However, the government stopped him at the airport. Two securities
brought him to their office where Wood was told that he has become a banned citizen and have to
stay in the country. In the warrant, Woods was banned for five years. Even though the police are
watching and making sure that Wood is not writing the book story of Biko’s life that he wanted,
Wood believed that Biko’s ideas must live on. So, after deep consideration of the fact that if he wrote
this book he and his family would be in danger, he decided to escape from South Africa. Woods wife,
Wendy, did not like the idea at first. But, after a tariffing attack on her children by poisoned shirts
send to them by anonyms, Wendy changed her mind on the matter and decided that their safety is
much important to her. In addition, she wants Biko’s ideas to see the light.

Chapter 15 and 16:

After all the attacks and threats, Wood began to think of a plan to escape the country. Carefully,
Father Kani and Bruce McCullough helped him think that plan. On the New Year eve of the 31
December, Wood’s plan was in motion. He dressed as a priest. Concealed in the back seat of Wendy’s
car, so that the police watching outside their home can not know about him, she drives Woods to
King Williams town. From there Wood hitchhiked and began escaping. In the way, he met Father
Kani, who drove with him to a river. As scheduled, Wood was supposed to cross the river by 1
January. However, he could not because of the wideness of the river. Therefore, he went to the edge
of the river. By chapter 16, Wood met with Tami, a friend of Biko. Time gladly helped Wood and
drove him to the Telle Bridge, ending their meeting with a promise to meet again in the future. Wood
find himself in front of a locked gate and he had to cross the rivers, suddenly, a Land Rover stop
behind him. Here, he met Moses. Moses work with the postal service, and he offered Wood a ride to
Maseru. At the passport station, Wood was nervous but he tried not to show his feeling to anyone,
after that, he cross the river without any problems. He even danced a little after he crossed. He drove
to Lesotho where he called his family.

Chapter 17 and 18:

The road is almost finished, Wood meet Bruce through the help of Moses who still thinks that Wood
is a priest. They continued to Maseru, where Wood had the chance to talk to the British acting High
Commissioner. He asked them for help to enter their country. The next morning, Wood met his
family after they also escaped from the country but in a different path. The United Nation helped
them to gain passports and helped them to fly by a privet plane and pilot. Even though they are
happy to be unharmed during this adventure, Wood felt sad as he looked at the window. He might
not see his country again. Nevertheless, he is happy that his book about Biko will be published. At the
end of it all, the sound of thousands of people singing at Biko’s funeral is clear in his mind.