Views On Society Through Novels
Whether done intentionally or not, many authors’ beliefs and views are portrayed through their own text. Ideas of the author can be found subliminally throughout the compositions they write. Many authors use metaphors such as William Golding in Lord of the Flies, others are more blunt like Albert Camus in The Stranger, while some use their own knowledge and experiences to preach their views as Alan Paton did in Cry, the Beloved Country. Golding, Camus, and Paton use each of their novels to reveal their views on society. In Lord of the Flies, Williams Golding reveals his viewpoint on the savagery of society. Golding uses a group of young boys as a metaphor of civilization in the raw. The boys find themselves stuck alone on a deserted island and in need of the structure of society. They attempted to follow the “old rules” of laws and morals by electing two leaders, one to provide food and the other to provide hope for rescue. As they begin to form a hierarchy, conflicts arise and principles are compromised. “Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was t
Alan Paton, author of Cry, the Beloved Country, was born in Africa and witnessed the racism and segregation between blacks and whites that Africa was well known for. He was there for the time approaching apartheid and tension was building between the two races. In Cry, the Beloved Country, society in Africa had been torn apart. The old tribes had split up; civilization had no hierarchy and was desperate for structure. Paton uses this novel to portray his view on society in Africa and to demonstrate his hope to reconcile the people while bringing equality to Africa. “The white man has broken the tribe. And it is my belief—and again I ask your pardon—that it cannot be mended again. But the house that is broken, and the man that falls apart when the house is broken, these are the tragic things. That is why children break the law, and old white people are robbed and beaten.” (Paton) These words were spoken by Msimangu. This quote is an example of the realization that Africa needs a structured civilization, along with equality, to survive. This was one very clear point that Paton gets across in his novel, Cry, the Beloved Country. Here Meursault states that he is lonely and the only companion he needs is a crowd of spectators that hate him. He is not bothered by the fact that he is going to die. Camus uses The Stranger to declare his existential view that life, along with society ultimately have no meaning in the universe. This is the beginning of the corruption in a society which initially held hope. Rodger is pushing the boundaries that had once limited him in his old life. Evil has begun to invade and savagery is taking over. This is Go
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Approximate Word count = 1128
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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