Cry, The Beloved Country - 953 Words

The human race, in its nature, often changes when a horrific event happens. Take September 11, 2001, for example. America was forever changed on that sunny, fall day. It was only after the fact that America started to implement actions against its enemies. In Alan Paton’s story Cry, The Beloved Country, there are people who are changed after a terrible event happens. James Jarvis, a white farmer living in South Africa, goes through a transformation in his life after his son is killed by a black man. After his son is killed, instead of being angry and hostile towards black people like most would expect, Jarvis comes to realize the discrimination that is taking place and actually starts to help the poor, black families living nearby. Through the unfortunate death of his son, Jarvis changes his life to help others, and thus, profoundly impacts the theme of the story that good can come out of tragic events. In the very beginning of the story, the narrator foreshadows Jarvisâ€℠¢ change of heart: â€Å"They [the hills of a valley] fall to the valley below, and falling, change their nature† (Paton 33). Since Jarvis was only rarely mentioned in the first half of the book, the reader does not know him very well. In chapter 18, Jarvis becomes the narrator of the story. He lives in a wealthy home overlooking the town of Ndotsheni (Paton 161). The reader gets the sense that Jarvis is of a high class in society because he has a servant that works his farming ground and even the location of hisShow MoreRelatedCry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton838 Words   |  3 Pagesthis problem in Cry, the Beloved Country. Throughout the story, Paton adds specific personalities to his characters to contribute to change. Characters in Cry, the Beloved Country went through hardships that changed them to realize reality and its outcomes. Paton accordingly creates a picture throughout his story to explain the problems in South Africa. There are many contributing factors of Paton’s idea to identify as being important for change to occur in Cry, the Beloved Country. In Paton’s bookRead MoreEssay on Racism Exposed in Cry, the Beloved Country1121 Words   |  5 PagesRacism Exposed in Cry, the Beloved Country      Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of Cry, the Beloved Country, is to awaken the population of South Africa to the racism that is slowly disintegrating the society and its people.   Alan Paton designs his work to express his views on the injustices and racial hatred that plague South Africa, in an attempt to bring about change and understanding. The characters that he incorporates within his story, help to establish a sense of the conditionsRead More Cry the Beloved Country Movie versus Film Essay1055 Words   |  5 Pages Cry, the Beloved Country is a moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom. They live in an Africa torn apart by racial tensions and hate. It is based on a work of love and hope, courage, and endurance, and deals with the dignity of man. The author lived and died (1992) in South Africa and was one of the greatest writers of that country. His other works include Too Late the Phalarope, Ah, but Your Land Is Beautiful, and Tales from a Troubled Land. The book was madeRead MoreFamilies Breaking Apart in Alan Patons Cry: The Beloved Country 754 Words   |  3 PagesIn Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton shows us how two families are breaking apart. The natives are suffering but they are not the only one who are suffering. A white person’s family is also falling apart. Stephen Kumalo is a native from Ndotsheni and he has trouble with his family from the start. John Jarvis is a white person and he is also experiencing trouble with his family. Stephen Kumalo’s family is in a bad condition. His sister, Gertrude, and his son, Absalom, left Ndotsheni a long timeRead MoreTurmoil in South Africa in Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton626 Words   |  2 PagesAgitation and turmoil of whites and blacks filled South Africa. A major theme that Alan Paton develops throughout the novel, Cry, the Beloved Country is the importance of acting with kindness. The author promotes the idea that kindness is a part of the solution to the problems in South Africa. Being able to be kind helps people understand one another which can help bring reform and hope to the small community of Ndotcheni. Alan Paton through the novel teaches the idea of love thy brother as yourselfRead MoreCry, The Beloved Country994 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Harrison in Cry, The Beloved Country While a subsidiary character in Alan Paton s Cry, The Beloved Country , John Harrison offers a glimpse into the attitude of the younger generation toward the black population in South Africa, one that seeks change but isn t always willing to exert the necessary effort. Who is John Harrison? People enter our lives all the time. Some become close friends. Others are here one day and gone the next. There are some with whom we rarely speak, but when weRead MoreCry, The Beloved Country1710 Words   |  7 Pages Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country takes place during the late 1940’s in Southern Africa. Specifically, in High Place, Ndotsheni, and Johannesburg. It takes place during a time of social change. There is racial inequality taking place during the late 1940’s. The novel shows what it was like to be living during this time. Cry, the Beloved Country has an urban and crowded feeling for most of the novel. This novel is written in past-tense, third-person omniscient point of view. Occasionally, theRead MoreCry, The Beloved Country1145 Words   |  5 PagesCry, the Beloved Country as a Quest Novel Human nature compels everyone to quest after things they have lost. In Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country Stephen Kumalo goes out in search of his family when his tribe is being torn apart by family members leaving and never coming back. He leaves Ndotsheni in search for his sister and his son, prompted by a letter from Reverend Msimangu in Johannesburg. Upon arrival in the great city, Kumalo meets Msimangu who leads him to to Gertrude. Kumalo reconcilesRead MoreCry, the Beloved Country1064 Words   |  5 PagesEssay Question #2 It has been said that the land is itself another character in Patons novel, Cry, the Beloved Country. What role does the landscape play in the novel? What does the valley surrounding Ndotsheni represent? Keep it, guard it, care for it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men. Destroy it and man is destroyed (Paton 33). In Cry, the Beloved Country, this bold statement reflects both the beauty of the land of South Africa and the peace and harmony of men. Both of their relationsRead MoreCry, the Beloved Country640 Words   |  3 PagesChange is often thought of as horrible things occurring that ruins one’s life, but change can also bring one’s life to a new start. In the book, Cry the Beloved Country, the author, Alan Paton, examines changes that can be challenging, but he refers to these problems as a necessity for progress. Paton identifies the experiences that occur in the characters of Stephen Kumalo, Absalom (Stephen Kumalo’s son), and James Jarvis and how it hinders a change in these people. Paton distinguishes these changes