Cry The Beloved Country1
The book "Cry, the Beloved Country" by Alan Paton is a book about agitation and turmoil of both whites and blacks over the white segregation policy called apartheid. The book describes how understanding between whites and blacks can end mutual fear and aggresion, and bring reform and hope to a small community of Ndotcheni as well as to South Africa as a whole. The language of the book reflects the Bible; furthermore, several characters and episodes are reminiscent of stories from the New Testament and teachings of Christ. Thus, Alan Paton, as a reformer and the author of "Cry, the Beloved Country", gives the people of South Africa a new, modern Bible, where he, like Christ, teaches to "love thy brother as yourself" in order to help whites and blacks overcome the fear and misunderstanding of each other. The language of the book from the very beginning reveals its biblical nature. "The great valley of Umzimkulu is still in darkness, but the light will come there. Ndotcheni is still in darkness, but the light will come there also." The style includes symbols such as light and darkness, short clauses connected by "and" or "but", and repetition. This style is used to represent speech or thoughts "translated" from Zulu.
In "Cry, the Beloved Country" Alan Paton teaches the attitude similar to Christ's philosophy. Christ leads people to love and compassion, both to friends and enemies. Alan Paton wrote the book with such strong biblical references to appeal to the people to follow biblical beliefs. Alan Paton calls for an end to racial injustice, misunderstanding and alienation of black and whites. In the end of the book, Jarvis plays the role of an angel coming down from above. When Jarvis returns to his "High Place," he doesn't view the problems of the black community in Ndotcheni as being below him as earlier, but plays an active role in reform. He hires an agricultural instructor to teach new methods of farming and sends milk daily to the sick children. Because of one man's understanding and change of heart, many lives are saved, and finally, there is a ray of hope, thanks to Jarvis, "an angel of God" (234). Gertrude, the sister of Stephen Kumalo, can be identified with a Samaritan woman in New Testament. Priest Msimangu describes Gertrude to Kumalo. "It would be better to say a€¦ that she had many husbands." (57) That means she is a prostitute. Likewise, Christ says to the Samaritan woman that she had many husbands, but none of them was her husband for real. When the reader notices the connection to the prostitute in the Bible, we are able to view her differently, and forgive her like Jesus Christ forgave the sins of the Samaritan woman.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Arthur Jarvis, South Africa, Alan Paton, Beloved Country, Stephen Kumalo, Moses Moses, Bible Christ, Jesus Christ, Kumalo Jarvis, Earlier Jarvis, arthur jarvis, cry beloved country, beloved country, whites blacks, alan paton, cry beloved, stephen kumalo, jesus christ, samaritan woman, blacks real, son son, arthur jarvis white, beloved country people, alan paton wrote, view blacks real,
Approximate Word count = 1822
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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