Cry, the Beloved Country
In Cry, the Beloved Country, the author, Alan Paton used two main characters to present both the whites and Africans' point of view. James Jarvis, Paton's European characters experienced a subtle but yet also impacting transition; His indifference towards the evolving problems of the society later surprisingly transformed into the courage to take actions in solving these problems. Through his journey in Johannesburg, trying to understand his son's "liberal" view and witnessing a downfall of an African girl, Jarvis found out that his apathy only worsened the predicaments faced by his country; For he could not be a spectator after his son's death, Jarvis decided to "...about doing whatever good is within his power." However, Jarvis discovered that "such thing [helping Africans in anywhere he could] is not lightly done", but required boldness and determination to fulfill these goals.
As the book II of Cry, the Beloved Country unfolded, Paton described Jarvis as a white British farmer looking down at the valley from his "high place", an narrow minded person who only saw things from his point of view, "... if they [Africans] got more land, and if by some chance they could make a living off from it, who would work on the white man's farm?". In his stay at Johannesburg, Jarvis learned that his recent murdered son, Arthur Jarvis who fought and spoke about the very problems of the society that his father ignores and avoids. "Yes, he [Arthur Jarvis] was always speaking here and there ... Native crime, and more native schools, and he kicked up a hell of a dust in the papers about the conditions at the noneuropean hospital.". Devastated by the death of his deceased son and confused by "this boy of his who had gone journeying in strange water", Jarvis found himself beginning to doubt his principles and moral. "I didn't know it would ever be so important to understand him [Arthur Jarvis]" Indeed, Jarvis found that indifference is slowly degenerating the society around him, "...she went to the bad and started to brew liquor ...she was arrested and sent to jail... I do not know... And I do not care." Later, as Jarvis comes upon an essay written by his son, "From them [James and Mary Jarvis] I [Arthur Jarvis] learned all that a child should learn of honor and charity and generosity.
John Howard Griffin The black man in the Deep South of America was greatly despised during the 1950’s. The world that the Negroes lived in was not the same as whites in their society. In this book, John Howard Griffin sacrifices his life as a middle-class white man and becomes a dirt poor Negro, trying to survive in the South. He simply did all of this in order to bring out the truth about what it is really and truly like to be a Negro in the South during the 1950’s.
middle of paper ... ... King continues to appeal to the emotion by individualizing the injustices suffered by many. He gives specifics of his young daughter crying and his son asking why white people treat him so poorly. These images work to evoke empathy for Kings cause and the civil rights movement.
At first, Walter starts as a man who does not have many traits and characteristics that a leader in the family should has. He feels frustrated of the fact that his mother can potentially support his sister, Beneatha, in her education career. Walter complains and feels depressed about his current life when he has many aspects that not many African men had during his time. Walter has a happy family, a loving wife, and an acceptable occupation. Unfortunately, Walter wants more in his life, and he feels hopeless and depressed when something does not go in his ways. Walter starts to change when he experiences and learns Willis’s betrayal, his father’s hard work, his son’s dream of becoming a bus driver, and his mother’s explanation about the Africans’ pride. Through many difficulties, Walter becomes the man of the family, and he learns the importance of accepting and living a happy life with his family. Like Walter, many African men had to overcome the challenges and obstacles. They had to face and endure through racism. These two ideas often led to many tragic and depressed incidents such as unequal opportunities, inequality treatments, segregation, and
In my experiment, I will use an overall volume of 50 cm³ of 2moles of
In Alan Paton's novel Cry, the Beloved Country two characters, Absalom's girl and Gertrude, show the how society in Johannesburg is as a whole. Absalom's girl symbolizes how girls her age are mothers and have even become divorced several times before. On the other hand Gertrude, Kumalo's sister, illustrates the qualities of a young woman who becomes corrupt from Johannesburg's filthy system of stealing, lying, and prostitution. Both of them show the ways of Johannesburg as a whole.
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.
Fear and Redemption in Cry the Beloved Country & nbsp; Fear grips all black societies and is widespread not only among black people but also white people. An unborn child will inherit this fear and will be deprived of loving and relishing his country because the greater he loves his country, the greater will be his pain. Paton shows us this throughout this book, but at the same time he also offers deliverance from this pain. This, I believe, is the greater purpose of this book. & nbsp; When Stephen goes to Johannesburg, he has a childlike fear for "the great city" Johannesburg. Khumalo's fears about his family are exactly the same as every other black person in South Africa.
Lucy believes that even though she has gone through so much pain throughout her life, it can always be worse; there are people having more difficulties in their lives. For example, she brings up this ideology when she is watching the horrors of Cambodia loomed on TV. She expresses that “she feels lucky to at least have food, clothes, and a home” in comparison to these people that have nothing. In addition, she mentions how great would it be if people stop complaining about their situations and see how much they have already; “how they have health and strength.” Likewise, James expresses a positive view about the African American outcome after the slavery period. He realizes that the acceptance of the black man in society “not only has created a new black man, but also a new white man.” He’s not a stranger anymore in America; he’s part of a new nation. Because of this achievement, he concludes, “this world is no longer white, and it will never be white
A terrible terrorist act was committed on American soil on September 11, 2001. Airplanes were hijacked, taken to important cities, and crashed into important buildings. This dreadful happening shocked all of America. Most are still in denial and grieving over the tragedy. It seemed that America was getting little support from other countries; unlike the support America gives many other nations when they are in trouble. One reporter from Canada, Gordon Sinclair, thought this was a terrible injustice. In a report given by Sinclair, many times America has helped out, even its enemies, were pointed out. Sinclair points out the fact that America has some of the best technology, the fact that America has helped its enemies with restitution after wars and bombings, as well as the fact that America is a watchdog that helps those who have domestic problems.
“But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings. That there will be a place with no more suffering.” These are lyrics from a song by Jeremy Camp and describe the story of the Joad family in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Kumalo and his tribe in Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. Throughout the novels, the characters are faced with many difficult situations. They rely on their hopes to get them through. Like the lyrics say, they hold on to hope that there will come a time of no more suffering. A sense of hope in difficult times gives people the strength and courage to keep going.
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.
Hope is the strong feeling of desire for something good to happen. Hope is a driving force in the progression of life. The idea of hope is powerful because it can lead to patience, courage, and happiness. Hope is an important concept in Cry, the Beloved Country. Hope is what the main character Stephen Kumalo must use to keep fighting for his beliefs, for his son, and for his tribe. The power of hope is one of the only things that people had to overcome apartheid in South Africa. If hope were not present, Stephen Kumalo may have gave up on restoring himself, his son, and his tribe. Hope is the concept that helps Stephen Kumalo and other characters develop during the span of the novel. Hope is found in the characters, the tribe, and the land.
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.
Racism Exposed in Cry, the Beloved Country. The purpose of Cry, the Beloved Country, is to awaken the population of South Africa to the racism that is slowly disintegrating the society and its people. The. Alan Paton designs his work to express his views on the injustices and racial hatred that plagues South Africa, in an attempt to bring about change and.
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.