The title, Cry, the Beloved Country, represents the chaos, destruction, and corruption in South Africa. It is significant because it symbolizes the breaking of the nation through the historical context, the country’s turmoil, and the land.
Cry, the Beloved Country, was written in 1948 about the racial inequality. Paton wrote this novel because he had felt compelled to turn it into a cry against the injustice in South Africa and as a yearning for justice (Paton 24). During this time, the country went through great chaos. Both, black and white people suffered greatly. The people of South Africa suffered through both, racial segregation and prejudice. There was a very high crime rate, and many whites had been killed during this time due to the fear of the black people. The whites had the power, and they did nothing to help the blacks, which led many blacks to commit crimes against them. The blacks and the whites feared each other, and neither helped each other. This led to the breaking of the nation, and the cries. The people cried out for the breaking of the land, for the people, to God, and for peace.
There are three political leaders in this novel, who bring a cry of hope for changes to the people. These three political leaders are John Kumalo, Dubula, and Tomlinson. They were all strong men, each standing up for the people of their country. While the country was in chaos, these three continued to cry out for justice for the country they loved. Each had their own characteristic which they used to bring out hope to others. Dubula had the heart, and he did everything he could for his country. He was a dedicated man, who loved his country, and would do anything for them. John had the voice, he spoke out and gave out hope to the people. He was able to get people to listen to him, and he was a very loud man, who you couldn’t miss. He could change people’s opinions, and his voice was very fearful. And lastly, there was Tomlinson, who had the brains. Through all the difficulties that the three political leaders went through, Tomlinson was able to think things through, and bring out hope. He gave out ideas to the group to maintain the improvement of the country and the people.
The major theme of this novel, land, is a major example of the inequality among the South African people. The blacks and whites are separated by their lands, also. The whites get the good land, which is said at the beginning of the novel, “The grass is rich and matted, you cannot see the soil… It is well-tended, and not too many cattle feed upon it; not too many fires burn it; laying bare the soil” (Paton 33). As for the black peoples’ land, “Too many cattle feed upon the grass, and too many fires have burned it. Stand shod upon it, for it is coarse and sharp, and the stones cut under the feet” (Paton 34). The black people suffer from their land. They lack the materials that they need from it, which the white people are able to obtain. As we go on through the book, we get to Johannesburg, where more suffering from the land is seen. It is a loved place, but it is full of destruction. The blacks have nowhere to live, the crime rates are high, the people become corrupted and there is much destruction. Once family members leave their homes to Johannesburg, they are not heard from again. Their lives are turned around from good to bad. A perfect example is in Steven Kumalo’s son, Absolom Kumalo. He goes from being a good boy, to a boy who is trouble, to a head student in a reformatory school, to having a good job, then finally to becoming a murderer. But even after suffering from finding out about all that has happened to his son, Steven Kumalo still goes on trying to fix things.
Through the destruction of the sons Absolom and Arthur because of the land of Johannesburg, Steven and James try to mend what has happened to the broken nation. Their eyes begin to open to what is going on, and they cry out for the country, which they love. Through their strength and love for their sons, they help each other help the country. This makes me believe that the ending has an optimistic ending. The people all have hope left, even after what has happened to them. They realize what has gone on for so long, and join together and try to fix it. Both Jarvis and the blacks have a “cry” of hope.
No comments:
Post a Comment