Cry, the

Beloved Country

by Alan

Paton

What I Know About South Africa

Pre-write anything that you know about South Africa.

We will later explore some of the features of South Africa as they relate to Paton's work and as they give a context for contemporary South Africa.

Alan Paton- Born on January 11, 1903, on the east coast of southern Africa (formerly Natal) to evangelical Christians

- South Africa did not yet exist; it was established in 1910 following the Anglo-Boer War.

Johannesburg

In 1886, gold mines were discovered and gave rise to the creation of this city.

The setting for Cry, The Beloved Country, it provides a realistic stage for the unfortunate racially based tension that mounted at the end of World War II due to the increasing number of people moving to Johannesburg from nearby outlying rural areas in Africa.

Johannesburg, a major setting in Cry, the Beloved

Country

Current Population:

1,675,200

Johannesburg - 1931

English vs. Afrikaner vs. ZuluThe tension between British imperialists and the Afrikaans, or white South African inhabitants descendant of the Boers, pales in comparison to the struggles between the Afrikaans and native black Africans.

The respective languages of these two groups, Afrikaner and Zulu represent a pronounced difference in culture and perspective.

Jan Hofmeyr

Hofmeyr helped Paton to make possible the Diepkloof Reformatory, an institution that approached the issue of juvenile delinquency in terms of education rather than imprisonment.

Cry, the Beloved CountryPublished in February 1948 in New York, Paton's masterpiece has been translated into some twenty different languages since.

The work captures the ethnic, political, and spiritual essence of the setting in which it is based. It also brings to surface universal considerations, such as love, retribution, and justice.

Cry, the Beloved CountryThe London publication of this work included the subtitle, “A Story of Comfort in Desolation,” which makes reference to the underlying tone of hope in the midst of desperate events of which the main character becomes aware throughout the work.

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History of South Africa

• . 1487: Bartholomeu Dias (Portuguese) reaches Cape of Good Hope• 1652: Dutch and French settlers create a colony for East India Co.• 1700s: Dutch colonize and Christianize South Africa• 1806-1820s: British take control and settle Dutch colony• 1833: Slavery abolished in British Empire• 1834: Dutch war with Kaffirs• 1838: Dutch conquer Zulus, take Zululand (Natal)• 1852: South African Republic (Transvaal) founded by Boers (Dutch farmers)• 1877: British Empire takes control of all Dutch colonies.• 1885: Gold discovered• 1899-1902: British war with Boers: Brits win.• 1910: Union of South Africa becomes a Dominion in British Commonwealth• 1931: Becomes independent• 1948: Nationalist Party takes power, institutes apartheid• 1961: Becomes a Republic

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I. Novel Structure

• A. Character• 1. Stephen Kumalo--Father/father• 2. James Jarvis: father• 3. Msimangu: Father• 4. Absalom--son• 5. Arthur--son

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• B. Setting• 1. Ndotsheni--Stephen’s home--old

ways• 2. Johannesburg--new place

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• C. Plot• 1. Book I• a. The “sorrows” of the Kumalos• b. Journey to Johannesburg (literal

and figurative)• c. Murder of Arthur• 2. Book II• a. The “sorrows” of the Jarvis’s• b. Trial• c. Kumalos/Jarvis’s meet

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• 3. Book III• a. Return home• b. Darkness and dawn• c. The secret

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• 4. Chapters of commentary: 1, 3, 9, 12, 18, 23, 26, 28, 35

• 5. Chapters of narrative: All others

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• D. Themes• 1. Love of fellow man = solution to

disintegration of culture• 2. Family (fathers/sons, mothers,

brothers)• 3. Obsession with wealth v. spiritual

wealth• 4. Journey (metaphorical)

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II. The title of the novel

• A. References to crying in the novel:

• The crying of the titihoya• Cry for the broken tribe, for the law and

the custom that is gone.• Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn

child that is the inheritor of our fear.••

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• B. Africa as the beloved country:• It is Africa, the beloved country.• Yes, God save Africa, the beloved

country.• C. Grammatical interpretations:• The country itself cries (because it is

disintegrating).• (You) cry for the country, which is

disintegrating

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III. Literary

• A. Motifs: recurring images associated with theme

• 1. travel• 2. clothing• 3. farm/land• 4. Letters/mail• 5. Money• 6. Home• 7. Mines/resources• 8. Titihoya (bird)• 9. Meals/food/communion• 10. Secrets

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• B. Character names

• 1. Absalom: King David’s favorite but rebellious son (II Samuel 18:33)

• 2. Arthur: King Arthur, “Father” of GB• 3. Gertrude: Adulterous mother in

Hamlet• 4. Theophilus (Msimangu): “lover of

God”

Preconceived Concept Associations

For the following terms, write a two-sentence response to what each means to you. Avoid clichés.

JusticePrejudice

LoveFamily

ProgressHome

Title InferenceLooking only at the title, Cry, the Beloved Country, write what you might assume is a central theme to the novel.

Consider questions like the following: Is “Cry” the name of the country? Is there irony in the title? Is this an imperative statement? Is “beloved” being used in the present or past tense?

The Work's Acclaim

Cry, the Beloved Country is noted for its ability to make others aware of South Africa and the ills of apartheid. Paton provides a combination of despair and hope that helps to enlighten the reader who is ignorant to the unjust events that occur in this part of the world that is often unrevealed to Americans.

South Africa's Acclaim

South Africa's President Kgalema

Motlanthe

Population: 43,997,828

Total Area: 471,008 sq mi

Today, eleven languages are recognized as the official language.

IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001)

South Africa during Paton's Life

1910 - Formation of Union of South Africa by former British colonies of the Cape and Natal, and the Boer republics of Transvaal, and Orange Free State.

1912 - Native National Congress founded, later renamed the African National Congress (ANC).

1913 - Land Act introduced to prevent blacks, except those living in Cape Province, from buying land outside reserves.

South Africa during Paton's Life

1914 - National Party founded.

1918 - Secret Broederbond (brotherhood) established to advance the Afrikaner cause.

1919 - South West Africa (Namibia) comes under South African administration.

Apartheid set in law

South Africa during Paton's Life

1948 - Policy of apartheid (separateness) adopted when National Party (NP) takes power.

1950 - Population classified by race. Group Areas Act passed to segregate blacks and whites. Communist Party banned. ANC responds with campaign of civil disobedience, led by Nelson Mandela.

1960 - Seventy black demonstrators killed at Sharpeville. ANC banned.

South Africa during Paton's Life

1961 - South Africa declared a republic, leaves the Commonwealth. Mandela heads ANC's new military wing, which launches sabotage campaign.

1960s - International pressure against government begins, South Africa excluded from Olympic Games.

South Africa during Paton's Life

1964 - ANC leader Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment.

1966 September - Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd assassinated.

1970s - More than 3 million people forcibly resettled in black 'homelands'.

1976 - More than 600 killed in clashes between black protesters and security forces during uprising which starts in Soweto.

South Africa during Paton's Life

1984-89 - Township revolt, state of emergency.

1989 - FW de Klerk replaces PW Botha as president, meets Mandela. Public facilities desegregated. Many ANC activists freed.

1990 - ANC unbanned, Mandela released after 27 years in prison. Namibia becomes independent.

1991 - Start of multi-party talks. De Klerk repeals remaining apartheid laws, international sanctions lifted. Major fighting between ANC and Zulu Inkatha movement.

Works Cited

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107983.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1069402.stm