Is mercy depicted in the novel Cry, the Beloved Country?When Stephen Kumalo and James Jarvis take refuge in the church during a rainstorm, Jarvis...

This is a fascinating question. The part of the story you
relate occurs in Chapter 32, when Jarvis inquires of Kumalo if there is mercy for
Absalom. However, when I first read this question I remembered what happened in Chapter
30 and the prayers that Stephen Kumalo offered up to God for his safe return to the
village. Kumalo prays:

Tixo, we give thanks to Thee for Thy
unending mercy. We give thanks to Thee for this safe return. We give thanks to Thee for
the love of our friends and our families. We give thanks to Thee for all Thy
mercies.

This leads me to think that there is mercy offered
in this excellent and moving novel, but not the kind of mercy that we would expect.
There is no "mercy" in the traditional sense of the word for Absalom Kumalo, and yet he
is apparently able to meet his death with calmness and confidence in God, as we can
discern from his letter. Likewise, in a sense, we know that the quest of Kumalo to
rebuild the tribe and keep the people from leaving the land is flawed at best, and yet
mercy is shown in the provision of so many things from Jarvis. Lastly, no mercy is shown
to Kumalo in living to out live his only son, and yet mercy is shown in the shape of the
daughter and grandson that he gains.

Mercy is present in
the novel, but perhaps we need to change our perspective to have eyes to see that mercy.
The two lead characters, Kumalo and Jarvis, have gone through experiences that
definitely change their perspective and understanding of life, which enables them to see
and appreciate the mercy that is shown.