Cry the Beloved CountryAlan Paton 1903-1988

Author’s Background Born in Pietermaritzburg in the Natal

province of eastern South Africa, a region formerly known as Zululand.

Parents were devout Christians Studied mathematics and physics at Natal

University College Was principal of the Diepkloof Reformatory

for black youths in Johannesburg—improved conditions and sought to rehabilitate.

Umzimkulu

Ixopo

Drakensburg

Cry the Beloved Country Published February 1948 Novel was a huge success in Europe and

US but was unpopular in South Africa The novel was translated into Zulu and

a number of other languages and has sold well over 15 million copies

Johannesburg

Paton’s Social Conscience Paton is considered a reformer and used

his novels, short stories, and essays as vehicles for his strong philosophical and moral viewpoints.

Strove to promote social change, particularly with regard to the treatment of native South Africans and the preservation of the land

Comments on Cry “Although circumstances drew Paton into

political activity, it would be improper to regard this novel as a political document. While a primary concern of art is a formal beauty that may reflect justice, a primary concern of politics is the pursuit of power, and literature that serves it is propaganda, not art. Cry the Beloved Country is not propaganda.” Professor Callen

Literary Techniques Intercalary Chapters or “Inserted”—a passage

that is not part of the narrative and does not involve the main characters. Usually used to make a thematic point or describe a scene that is apart from the action.

Dialogue—Paton’s use of dashes, rather than quotation marks, serves to quicken the pace of the dialogue and to emphasize words, rather than the speaker. Speaker is rarely identified, requiring the reader to pay careful attention.

Genre: The Social Realism Novel Movement began the second half of the 19th

century as artists and writers rebelled against Romanticism’s idealized portrayal of life.

Focused on the harsh realities of the Industrial Revolution and the problems created by a growing urban migration.

The goal of art for the Realist is to achieve verisimilitude—to portray people, landscapes, and social situations as they actually were—giving a “slice of life” with photographic accuracy

Classic Traits of Social Realism Vivid, unflinching, and usually unsentimental

descriptions of actual places, though frequently these places are given fictional names

A plot that centers on a social or political conflict. Common thematic ideas are racial injustice, the oppression of the poor, the degradation of the land, and problems caused by urban migration.

Complex and often flawed characters or archetypal characters that represent different facets of society.

History of South Africa Dutch arrived in 1652 and established Capetown.

Within five years, they began importing slaves. Over the next 100 years, Dutch, German, and

French Huguenot immigrants settled South Africa, pushing deeper into tribal regions. These settlers were known as Afrikaners or Boer, who developed a common language known as Afrikaans.

In 1795 Britain wrested control of Capetown from the Dutch which let to a century of sporadic fighting over control of the region.

More History In 1820 British immigrants settled on

the eastern coast of South Africa in an attempt to push back the native tribes in that region.

British missionaries, opposed to slavery, arrived in the early 1800s and caused further division between the British and the Slave-owning Dutch.

And More Boer History After Britain outlawed slavery, the Boers

began moving north and east of Capetown and formed two republics—the Orange Free State and the Transvaal or ZAR.

This division led to the Boer Wars in the late 1800s/early 1900s in which Britain emerges as the victor.

Apartheid—”Separateness” 1948-1990—Laws aimed at segregating races

and maintaining strict control over non-whites—legalized racial discrimination by:

Prohibiting inter-racial marriages Barring blacks from holding jobs classified as

“skilled labor” (most high-paying jobs) Mandating separate schools and hospitals Restricting the movement of blacks through

“pass laws” which required blacks to carry passes with ID and fingerprints

Restricting land ownership of blacks Requiring all South Africans to register by

race

Soweto Slum

Apartheid in the 50’s & 60’s 1951—government established reserves or

“homelands” and assigned Africans to these homelands according to their tribe of origin. This stripped native blacks of their South African citizenship.

1960s—the UN called for sanctions against the Republic of South Africa to protest apartheid and human rights but had little effect for three decades.

1964—Nelson Mandela, the leader of the anti-apartheid movement was tried for treason and sentenced to life in prison

End of Apartheid 1976—a peaceful march by

Soweto schoolchildren turns deadly when police fire in the crowd, sparking rioting and international outrage

1980s—international pressure mounted

1990—South Africa freed Mandela and began repealing apartheid laws

1994—blacks and mixed-race South Africans were allowed to vote, electing Mandela president. He served until 1999