Cry, the Beloved Country

1. Cry, the Beloved Country By Alan Paton

2. Book 1 Main Characters • Reverend Kumalo—Native African parson (umfundisi) in village of Ndotsheni • Travels to the industrialized city of Johannesburg • Sister—Gertrude Kumalo • Brother—John Kumalo • Son—Absalom Kumalo

3. 3. The THREE GROUPS • Native Africans—black Africans (Stephen Kumalo and family) • Afrikaaners—want separation of the races; believe in apartheid—whites • British (and others)—do not believe in apartheid—whites

4. 4. Before Europeans: • South Africa was populated by African tribal groups • San, Khoikhoi, Bantu; Ancestors of modern Zulus • Lived relatively peacefully with no wars within or conflicts with other nations • No whites had settled the country for years when they were conquering other African nations

5. 5. Mid-1600s • Dutch (people from The Netherlands) arrived • Wanted to set up a trade base at the Cape of Good Hope • South Africa was like a midway point between Europe and India • Instituted slavery in 1668 (imported and within the country)

6. 6. Mid 1700s • Dutch (and Germans, and French) had begun to settle deeper into Africa • White settlers in South Africa were known as Boers or Afrikaaners • Developed a language called Afrikaans (mixture of Dutch and tribal African languages) • Forced African tribes off their traditional lands • Brought diseases from Europe that killed many Africans (small pox)

7. British Arrived • British settlers arrived in 1795 • Wanted to make South Africa into a British colony—wanted to prevent others from having trade access to India • British seized Cape Town

8. Conflicts develop • Conflicts between the British and the Boers (Afrikaanerss) and the African natives • British banned slavery when British missionaries arrived (but many racial segregation practices still occurred) • Afrikaaners moved inland (taking more African tribal land)

9. Boer Wars • British vs. Afrikaaners • Diamonds and gold had been found in new Boer territories • British won the war—forced Afrikaan women and children into concentration camps, where ½ of them died • 1910-Union of South Africa established as a British colony

10. In 1948 . . . • President of South Africa, Daniel Malan (an Afrikaaner), declared apartheid to be the law of the country as a way to retaliate against British rule (and abolition of slavery) • Apartheid was an “unofficial” policy long before 1948 • Apartheid means “separation” in Afrikaans • Law separated the races into 3 groups • British and Boers (white) • Black Africans • People of mixed descent

11. Apartheid • Established laws about: • Where each group could live • What jobs each group could hold (Blacks could not have skilled labor jobs) • What type of education people could receive • Prohibited contact between races • Allowed segregated public facilities (schools, hospitals) • Denied representation of nonwhites in national government • Blacks had to carry passes with their ID and fingerprint • Restricted land ownership by blacks

12. Alan Paton • Born in Pietermaritzburg in South Africa • Parents were devout Christians • Was principal of Diepkloof Reformatory for black youths in Johannesburg—improved conditions and sought to rehabilitate • Founder of the Liberal Party in South Africa which opposed apartheid • Died in 1988

13. Cry, the Beloved Country • Published in February 1948—before apartheid was law; he was like a prophetic voice • Huge success in Europe and U.S. but unpopular in South Africa • Novel promotes social change with regard to the treatment of native South Africans and the preservation of the land • An account about the inhumanity of apartheid

14. Genre: Social Realism Novel • Social Realism movement began in the second half of the 19th century; authors rebelled against Romanticism’s idealized portrayal of lie • Focused on harsh realities of Industrial Revolution and the problems created by urban migration • Goal is to be “realistic”