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.

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.

History of South Africa

• 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• 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

I. Novel Structure

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

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

ways• 2. Johannesburg--new place

• 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 meet

November 2012

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

November 2012

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

• 5. Chapters of narrative: All others

Cry, the

Beloved Country

by Alan Paton

SWBAT – understand

similarities & differences

between Kumalo & Jarvis while connecting to

character conflict

BEFORE THE LESSON - • Rate yourself on your score sheet: While considering the author’s use of characterization in Cry,

the Beloved Country, how well do you understand Kumalo and Jarvis’s similarities and differences?

BEFORE THE LESSON - • Rate yourself on your score sheet: While considering the author’s use of characterization in Cry,

the Beloved Country, how well do you understand Kumalo and Jarvis’s similarities and differences?

How To…Compare• The Venn Diagram-A fantastic tool for comparing using

similarities and differences…

• With a partner – create Venn Diagram while documenting the similarities and differences between Kumalo and Jarvis.

DURING & AFTER THE LESSON -

• Rate yourself on your score sheet: While considering the author’s use of characterization in Cry, the Beloved

Country, how well do you understand Kumalo and Jarvis’s similarities and differences?

BRAINSTORM WITH A PARTNER: OFTEN TIMES, AUTHORS USE

MAIN CHARACTERS TO REVEAL THEMES THROUGH CONFLICT. COME UP WITH AT LEAST THREE THEMES THAT ARE SHOWN THROUGH CONFLICT.

D. Themes1. Love of fellow man = solution to

disintegration of culture2. Family (fathers/sons, mothers,

brothers)3. Obsession with wealth v.

spiritual wealth4. Journey (metaphorical)

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.

• 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

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

• 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.

* Justice* Prejudice

* Love* Family

* Progress* Home

Title Inference

Looking 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