Cry The Beloved Country Essay

One who is afraid, regardless of the reason, or lack thereof, is often motivated to act irrationally. Such actions attempt but fail to alleviate the fear, inadvertently harming others in the process. Alan Paton makes this evident in the novel Cry, the Beloved Country, where the fear of losing power drives apartheid and renders pain upon the land. Through Stephen Kumalo’s frequent reflections of his journey and of the entire country, it is shown that those controlled by groundless fear and worry suffer abiding pain and severe devastation.

During a period of idleness in his search for Absalom, Kumalo reflects on how his worrying about Absalom has impacted him. Initially playing with his sister’s son, Kumalo shifts focus to his search for his

Kumalo associates the loss of his son with the ravaged wasteland, his worries and fears causing him to immediately picturing this when the thought of his son arises. The phrase “deep melodious names” is juxtaposed against words such as “waste,” “desolate,” and “pitiless” to illustrate the destruction caused by fear: complexity and thoughtfulness replaced with chaos. The use of the word “pitiless” serves to emphasize the severity of the effects of fear. The streams are analogous to Kumalo: he has temporarily ceased his activities due to his worrying, just as “the streams ceased to run.” The earth is described as “rootless,” both to describe the barren land pictured, as well as a description of much of fear in general: it is often without logical reason. The entire description of the ruined land also serves to show how the entire country has suffered,

Reflecting first on his losses, he then shifts his focus to the fear that is behind apartheid: “And now for all the people of Africa, the beloved country. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, God save Africa. But he would not see that salvation. It lay afar off, because men were afraid of it … what was there evil in [the actions feared]? Yet men were afraid, with a fear that was deep, deep in the heart, a fear so deep that they hid their kindness, or brought it out with fierceness and anger, and hid it behind fierce and frowning eyes” (Paton 310-311). The phrase “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika,” which refers to a hymn, is mentioned multiple times in the novel, but is left unsung, signifying that the novel’s conclusion does not coincide with the conclusion of fear and apartheid. By heading the reflection with mention to this hymn, Kumalo makes clear that the effects of fear are long-lasting and abiding. The passage begins with an incomplete thought, which reinforces the idea that the effects of fear mentioned have not ended. The use of the word “salvation” enforces this with the impression of a miracle needing to occur prior to the end of apartheid. The tone of the passage is one of despair, supported by the use of phrases such as “would not see,” “hid their kindness,” and “brought it out with … anger.” This despair affirms the idea of fear causing long-term devastation. Repetition of