Conflict And Conflicts In Cry The Beloved Country By Alan Paton

Jack Fischer

Ms. Turkowski

English H Period

5 March 2015

Hope for the Oppressed In the novel Cry the Beloved Country, author Alan Paton tells the story of the breakdown that is occurring in his native country of South Africa and ways in which to fix it. In the novel, the main character Reverend Stephen Kumalo embarks on a mission to the city of Johannesburg in order to find his missing son Absalom. Throughout his journey, Kumalo sees and experiences many injustices that clearly illustrate the growing divide between blacks and whites in the country. Paton incorporates his diagnosis of the racial divide and the reasons behind it. Paton uses the setting of South Africa and relationships of people to illustrate hope for the oppressed groups, even

From the beginning of the novel he emphasizes that the people must respect and care for the land because of its beauty and sacredness. Due to the racial tension and conflict, no one thinks about taking care of the land that is invaluable to the country. Paton stresses the land’s importance by stating, "Stand unshod upon it, for the ground is holy, being even as it came from the Creator. Keep it, guard it, care for it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men. Destroy it and man is destroyed" (Paton 33). The land is sacred because God gave it directly to the people of South Africa. However, what Paton says also foreshadows what happens over time when the people do not take care of the land--their race will end up being destroyed along with the land. The direct relationship between the racial conflict and the land is clearly outlined on the next page when Paton reports, "The men are away, the young men and girls are away. The soil cannot keep them any more." (Paton 34). The soil that he is referring to is the soil of the countryside, their homeland. Many people, including Kumalo’s son Absalom leave their native villages to migrate to the major city of Johannesburg. This is the root of the racial divide, which other problems stem from. When the people of South Africa cease to care for the land of the countryside they are no longer protected by the land. Kumalo

In Cry the Beloved Country, Paton proves through the conflict of the races that the land of South Africa is in grave danger of being lost. However, Paton does have a vision of what can help the country and that is when individuals from different racial groups in the land are willing to take action toward one another and work toward coexisting in peace. Paton 's novel shows that no matter how oppressive life can get between people, there are ways to work toward peace and justice for