Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton, is set in the tense and fragile society of South Africa. The degradation of the land causes both social and economic turmoil. Without control, the country is kept in a constant of fear and violence. The racial groups are divided and each has a desire for dominance. The author envisions that the only way for the country to strive is for all to work together. The act of love and compassion toward each other will overcome suffering and restore stability to the country. The author uses a unique style in order to draw out the themes of degradation and restoration.
Paton describes the two main cultures of South Africa, Natives and European, in order to bring out the degradation that has occurred within society. The unjust conditions sweep across the entire country and both urban and rural areas are affected. The novel begins in the countryside where Stephen Kumalo lives a quiet life as a priest. He is an old man who remembers that "the grass is rich and matted." He recollects the rich and fertile farmland that provided abundant crops. However, the land is now destroyed because "too many cattle feed upon the grass, and too many fires have burned it." The land cannot produce up to its potential and the yield is significantly smaller than in the past. Because of poor conditions in the countryside, many natives move to large cities where they can live a better life. Kumalo's idea of the traditional tribal life is no longer important to the people. The people recognize that "if the crops fail, there is work in Johannesburg. If there are taxes to be paid, there is work in Johannesburg." The belief is that the city offers new hope and provides answers to all problems. This idea occurs within Kumalo's family and his brother, sister, and son all choose to move. His brother delights in the new life because he is "a man of some importance, of some influence" in the city.
Violence in: Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton In the novel, Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton, an important scene in the story is one of violence. ... Violence can sometimes play a big part in something positive in a novel as it did in Cry, The Beloved Country....
Cry, The Beloved Country, by Alan Paton Father Steven Kumalo is a father figure to Absalom in Cry, The Beloved Country. Conflict that contributes to the story is Absalom gets murder charges dropped on him and he gets a girl pregnant. Father Kumalo and his brother fight for African freedom w...
His meaningful novel, "Cry, the Beloved Country", owes him a large amount of his success. ... (Alan) With this being said he continued to be a very active opposer of the Apartheid laws and continued after writing the novel to be active in changing the country of South Africa. ... "Cry, the Beloved Country" was written a year before the laws of Apartheid began, but the segregation was still at a high. ... (Paton) His love for literature kept the process of creating "Cry, the Beloved Country" alive. ... From research It is easy to see that while Paton provided an am...
Human Qualities in Cry, the Beloved Country Set in apartheid South Africa, Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country portrays realistic characters by making them have human qualities, both negative and positive. ... However, negative traits like fear are also present in the novel, exhibited in Gertrude and a country that is also portrayed as its own character, South Africa. ... Furthermore, the fear will rob everything off everyone who loves and gives too much like Stephen, who nevertheless overcame his dread at the end of the novel and saw hope for his country. ...
Alan Paton's 1948 novel, Cry, the Beloved Country addresses these problems of South Africa as well as their consequences. ... During a debate about the native crime, the author points out, "Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. ... Cry, the Beloved Country, describes the breaking faith and bond between Stephen Kumalo and Absalom, James Jarvis and Arthur Jarvis, Stephen Kumalo and God, White people and God, people and the land, and the future of mankind and South Africa. ...
Cry, The Beloved Country, by Alan Paton, is a book which tells the story of how Arthur Jarvis, a wealthy estate owner, because of his own busy life, had to learn of the social downgrading in South Africa through the death of his only son, Arthur Jarvis. ... When Jarvis gave the money to the club, he didn't just decide to give it to them, but knew that if he gave it, the club would use it to improve the country's condition. ... Cry, The Beloved Country is a book meant to teach the ways racial views can affect people in different ways. ...
As authors began to write about their home country, talking about both the negative and positive, people from other places can see the similarity between the respective countries. ... In Cry, the Beloved Country Alan Paton brought out three specific problems that were obvious in South Africa, what he may not have realized was that these problems are prevalent throughout the world. ...
In the 1940th century, historical fiction novel, Cry, The Beloved Country, Alan Paton uses asyndeton to create an overwhelming presence in Johannesburg's environment, modifying human morality and ambition. ... The entire country mourns. ... In Cry, The Beloved Country, the main setting throughout the book is Johannesburg, a city containing hardship, corruption, and chaos. ...
The movie, "Cry, The Beloved Country," was directed by Darrell Roodt, and is based on the popular book by Alan Paton. ... When Msimangu begins to argue with her she looks as if she was going to cry and says "I am afraid". ... Director Darrell, successfully portrayed three aspects of fear in the movie "Cry, The Beloved Country." ...
