Essay About Author Uses Commentary And South Africas Greatest Writers

Social Views in Cry, the Beloved Country
Social Views in Cry, the Beloved Country
In Alan Paton’s novel, Cry the Beloved Country, the author uses commentary and examples to depict his stance on South African society and politics.
Paton was one of South Africas greatest writers, he wrote Cry, the Beloved Country in 1948 before the apartheid laws were passed. His messages in the book were not understood at the time of the publishing and the racial segregation continued for a while after. South Africa was divided between the European settlers and the native Africans. The whites dominated society and had more money although their population was so much smaller. During the time of writing the book, the government was trying to make a “legal segregation law.” Two years after the book was published Apartheid was made into a law. “Apartheid is a system of legalized racial segregation enforced by the National Party South African government between 1948 through 1994.” (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) In Cry the Beloved Country, Paton effectively presents the suffering that the native Africans went through as well as the country of South Africa during the apartheid period. In the beginning Paton talks of how beautiful South Africa is when the tribe is there to care and use it correctly. The author then goes on to tell what is currently happing in South Africa, “But the rich green hills break down. They fall to the valley below, and falling, change their nature. For they grow red and bare; they cannot hold the rain and mist, and the streams are dry in the kloofs. 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. It is not kept, or guarded, or cared for, it no longer keeps men, guards men, cares for men.” (