Cry, the Beloved Country, written by one of the greatest writers of South Africa, is the compelling story of how man-made evils in the city of Johannesburg affect the lives of each member of the Kumalo family. Stephen Kumalo, an old priest, has a major problem: he lost his brother, sister and son to the city. Losing them was one thing but later he is shocked to witness what his family has become. His brother, a politician and carpenter, has left the Church, his once decent sister has now moved on to become a prostitute and an alcoholic, but what he least expected was his own son committing crimes, such as robberies, and one going horribly bad. Naturalist writer, activist, and reformer Alan Paton has done an excellent job in showing the evils of the city. Not only has he done this, but in his writing Alan Paton uses Biblical references frequently. Throughout the novel we see characters changing and becoming more of a Christ or God figure. Through this style of writing, Paton has given South Africa a new, more modern Bible in which he teaches that one must love another in order for blacks and whites to live together.
In Cry, the Beloved Country, one sees many Biblical references such as names of characters, descriptions, and actions of characters. One may also notice a Christ figure emerging from the characters. In Cry, the Beloved Country one can surely see that Arthur Jarvis is a Christ figure in many ways. A Christ figure would be one that has suffered greatly, endured agony, recognized as a martyr, and is most likely betrayed. Arthur Jarvis fits perfectly in this category for he has several characteristics such as we mentioned above. For one he was determined to make a change, he made sure to pursue his aims at all t...
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...ves and finally understanding the problems of South Africa and trying to become united with the blacks, one can see that Mr. Jarvis is quintessential of a God figure.
Alan Paton did a wonderful job of using Biblical references in his magnificent novel. One can see this novel as a parable with a Christ and God figure easily. One can see that Arthur Jarvis resembled the Christ figure with all his agony, betrayal, and sacrifices while his father resembled the God figure, in that he embraced all and saved lives. Alan Paton is a magnificent author whose compelling novel which has many Biblical references in it surely enlightens one on what was occurring during this period of time. South Africa is progressing one step at a time and Alan Paton shows us this through this entrancing read.
Works Cited
Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. New York, NY: Scribner, 2003
Throughout the novel “a prayer for Owen Meany,” by John Irving, the main character is portrayed as a very religious martyr. In the Christian faith Jesus Christ is a martyr as well. Although there are many differences between the life of Jesus, as depicted in the bible and Owen Meany, there are many similarities as well, so many in fact, that the reader is forced to ponder if these similarities are intentional.
In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King, Jr. uses a catalogue of personal experiences in order to appeal to the emotions of the reader, also called pathos, by utilizing concrete language, semicolons, and lengthy sentences. He not only entices the emotions of the fellow clergymen he is addressing, but also society in general, attempting to reveal the true situation of the oppressed Negroes during this time in the Civil Rights Movement.
In MK Asante’s Buck, you’ll notice many life related issues, such as the main character, Malo getting into problems and having many issues with his family. People who struggled and been through many challenges in life, will understand every issue the characters experienced. I’ve felt like I didn’t have a voice once in my life, which was when I faced one of my biggest fears, that I thought I would never get over. Losing my mother was one of the hardest experiences I’ve ever had to face, felt like my identity was stripped from me. The purpose of this essay is to examine the theme of “voiceless” in the MK Asante’s Memoir, Buck, through a post colonialism theoretical framework in regards to Malo, his mother, and Uzi.
The narrator’s father is being freed from slavery after the civil war, leads a quiet life. On his deathbed, the narrator’s grandfather is bitter and feels as a traitor to the blacks’ common goal. He advises the narrator’s father to undermine the white people and “agree’em to death and destruction (Ellison 21)” The old man deemed meekness to be treachery. The narrator’s father brings into the book element of emotional and moral ambiguity. Despite the old man’s warnings, the narrator believes that genuine obedience can win him respect and praise.
William Faulkner claims it’s the writer’s duty to focus on the universal feelings of love, honor, pity, pride, compassion, and sacrifice. Unfortunately, modern writers no longer concern themselves with “the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself” (Faulkner). These authors only wish to illustrate the story, thinking the lesson lies in the conclusion. However, the greater morals remain with the characters’ responses to these adversities, so the story is only a vessel in which the “universal truths” are conveyed. Using the emotional appeals of the story, the author must “help man endure by lift his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past.” All people have felt and understand these emotions, but by ignoring them, modern writers have not left a “scar” on readers. Faulkner hopes to enlighten these young writers so that they continue the meritorious work of helping man to endure. Without Faulkner’s standard of good literature, all emotion will be lost in modern informative literature.
In Cry, the beloved country, Alan Paton tells the story of his journey across Africa, his experiences with the colonized Africa, and the destruction of the beautiful, pre-colonialism native land of Africa. Heart of Darkness also tells the story of a man and his experiences with colonialism, but a man who comes from a different time period and a very different background than Alan Paton’s Stephen Kumalo. Although, both Joseph Conrad and Alan Paton portray the colonized areas as very negative, death filled, and sinful places, it is when one analyzes the descriptions of the native lands of Africa that the authors reasons for their disapproval of colonialism are truly revealed. When comparing the writing styles of Alan Paton and Joseph Conrad, their descriptions of the land and the people in both works reveal their different attitudes and views towards colonialism. While Paton and Conrad ultimately oppose colonialism, Paton is concerned with the disappearance of African tribal tradition, whereas Conrad is concerned with the perceived corruption of the white colonists.
Cry, the Beloved Country is a moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom. They live in an Africa torn apart by racial tensions and hate. It is based on a work of love and hope, courage, and endurance, and deals with the dignity of man. The author lived and died (1992) in South Africa and was one of the greatest writers of that country. His other works include Too Late the Phalarope, Ah, but Your Land Is Beautiful, and Tales from a Troubled Land.
Cry the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton is a novel inspired by the industrial revolution. Paton describes in detail the conditions in which the Africans were living during this time period, 1946. This story tells about a Zulu pastor who goes into the city in search of his son and siblings who left in search of a better life. The pastor sees this immense city where a ruling white group is oppressing the black population. This novel is more than just a story, but it depicts the effects imperialism and the Industrial Revolution had on South Africa. Although the government has intervened to protect the people, some of these effects are still present in our societies.
In 1930’s and 1940’s South Africa, many people suffered through traumatic events, whether it be a robbery, a loss of livelihood, a beating, or the ultimate tragedy, the loss of a loved one. In his novel Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton makes sure that this is not left out of his true-to-life, albeit fictional, account of life in South Africa. James Jarvis is the recipient of this tragedy in the novel. His son, Arthur Jarvis, is murdered in his home by Absalom Kumalo during a botched robbery attempt. This sudden loss breaks Jarvis’ heart and sends him reeling. He goes to Johannesburg for the trial and ends up realizing that he really didn’t know his son at all. Reading his son’s writings causes him to have a moral conversion, and he begins his new life when he returns to Ndotsheni. Even though James Jarvis is a man of few words, he has much to say after his son’s death and he speaks through his actions.
Cry the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton, is the story of the two fictional characters, Stephen Kumalo and James Jarvis, who lose their sons in South Africa in 1948. In his story, Alan Paton used the George Hegel's Dialect of thesis, antithesis, synthesis, in order to expose social injustices in a microcosm of South Africa that correlate to the macrocosm of the issues faced by the entire country and what must be done to fix these injustices. Paton subdivided his story into three books. The first of these books, depicts the Journey of Stephen Kumalo, to try and restore his family, is a cry against injustice. The second book focused mainly on James Jarvis’s plight to understand his deceased son, depicts the yearning for justice. While the final book displays the restoration and repair of the injustices derived from the yearning for justice.
One great paradox of human life is the balance between security and independence. Many people would say that they are self-sustaining, that they can make it on their own. The question is not always whether or not they can make it, but what the cost of their security is. Some value their personal freedom more than their security, for others it is the opposite. In “Cry, the Beloved Country” characters often wrestle with this issue. Every character responds uniquely according to their situation. The results are meaningful and give information about who they really are and what they value.
The story clearly illustrates that when one thinks of their ideal lifestyle they mainly rely on their personal experience which often results in deception. The theme is conveyed by literary devices such as setting, symbolism and iconic foreshadowing. The abolition of slavery was one step forward but there are still several more steps to be made. Steps that protect everyone from human trafficking and exploitation. Most importantly, racism is something that needs to stop, as well as providing equal opportunity to all without discrimination.
Cry, the Beloved Country is such a controversial novel that people tend to forget the true meaning and message being presented. Paton’s aim in writing the novel was to present and create awareness of the ongoing conflict within South Africa through his unbiased and objective view. The importance of the story lies within the title, which sheds light on South Africa’s slowly crumbling society and land, for it is the citizens and the land itself which are “crying” for their beloved country as it collapses under the pressures of racism, broken tribes and native exploitation.
Bibliography w/4 sources Cry , the Beloved Country by Alan Paton is a perfect example of post-colonial literature. South Africa is a colonized country, which is, in many ways, still living under oppression. Though no longer living under apartheid, the indigenous Africans are treated as a minority, as they were when Paton wrote the book. This novel provides the political view of the author in both subtle and evident ways. Looking at the skeleton of the novel, it is extremely evident that relationship of the colonized vs. colonizers, in this case the blacks vs. the whites, rules the plot. Every character’s race is provided and has association with his/her place in life. A black man kills a white man, therefore that black man must die. A black umfundisi lives in a valley of desolation, while a white farmer dwells above on a rich plot of land. White men are even taken to court for the simple gesture of giving a black man a ride. This is not a subtle point, the reader is immediately stricken by the diversities in the lives of the South Africans.
“A garment of light to drape over a man broken by the immensity of absence and make him beautiful(45).” The garment of light is represented by Karl’s children who can either choose to live past the genocide or continue it; their hatred or unity will fuel the outcome of Rwanda’s future. Karl’s children are the ‘garment of light that make him beautiful’ because Karl puts effort and hope into his children being the ones to “succeed in freeing him of his pain…to see life go on…break the chains of infinite grief