1. Background information and context
by Alan Paton
Background information and context

2. Alan Paton ( )
Click info on Paton:

3. Background you need to know:
Apartheid in South Africa:

4. Background (2):
European Colonization of South Africa:

5. Background (3): Johannesburg founded in 1886
Mining town vast, newly discovered gold deposits
Center of the most populated region of South Africa.

6. Key Facts
Narrator: 3rd person omniscient primarily; also many other points of view on temporary basis
Point of View: Books I & III told from Kumalo’s point of view; Book II from Jarvis
Other chapters told from montage of voices from different areas of S African society
Narrator also shows things from other characters’ perspective occasionally
Intercalary chapters: chapters which do not move the plot along, but give key information necessary to understand the novel

7. More Key Facts Tone: lyrical, grieving, occasionally bitter
Tense: past
Setting:
Mid-40s, just after WW2
Ndostsheni & Johannesburg, SA
Protagonists: Stephen Kumalo & James Jarvis
Major Conflict:
Stephen Kumalo struggles against the forces: white oppression, corruption of city life that destroy his family & country

8. Plot Summary black priest from Ixopo, Stephen Kumalo
goes to Johannesburg to search for his son and sister
discovers that his sister has become a prostitute
his son has murdered the son of a white Ixopo farmer
Stephen Kumalo returns to Ixopo with his pregnant daughter-in-law, and his sister's son—sister remains behind
Kumalo seeks to reconcile with the murdered man’s father
bring Gertrude back to the village.

9. Story Chart Rising Action: Climax Falling Action
Kumalo travels to Johannesburg to search for his son
Climax
Absalom is arrested for the murder of Arthur Jarvis
Falling Action
Absalom is sentenced to death
Jarvis works with Kumalo to improve conditions in the village
Absalom is hanged

10. Biblical Reference: Absalom
There are many biblical references throughout the novel.
Names: Absalom, the son of Stephen Kumalo, shares his name with the son of King David, who rose up against his father in rebellion.
Also, in the New Testament Book of Acts, Saint Stephen was a martyr who died rather than give up his beliefs.

11. More Biblical Allusions
Absalom requests that his son's name be Peter
Name is one of Jesus's disciples
Peter's known for impulsiveness
after Christ's arrest, he denied knowing Jesus three times, and later wept in grief over this.
After the resurrection, Peter renewed his commitment to Christ and to spreading the Gospel.
All of this suggests Absalom's final repentance, and his commitment to the faith of his father.

12. More Allusions
Arthur Jarvis is described as having a large collection of books on Abraham Lincoln, and the writings of Lincoln figure heavily in the novel.
Paton describes Arthur's son by using the same characteristics that Arthur had when he was a child. This alludes to the rebirth of Christ.

13. Stephen Kumalo One of the 2 protagonists in novel
Elderly Zulu Anglican priest
Spent entire life in quiet country village: Ndotsheni
Quiet, humble, strong faith in God
Has outbursts of anger; his words occasionally cause pain to his family
Dignity & faith despite the suffering he sustains
Moral center of novel
His journey is a physical one to find his son & sister in the corrupt city

14. James Jarvis Novel's other protagonist
White landowner whose farm overlooks Ndotsheni
Jarvis a conservative farmer
Man of few words
Only son, Arthur, murdered
Leads him to Johannesburg
Begins to rethink his opinions and his relationship to the villagers that live below his farm.
His journey is a spiritual, mental one

15. Theophilus Msimangu Young minister at the Mission House in Sophiatown
Msimangu understands the problems that face South Africa
He helps Kumalo understand the people and places
Sympathetic to Kumalo, makes Kumalo's quest his top priority.

16. Absalom Kumalo Stephen Kumalo's son Leaves home for Johannesburg
Absalom turns to crime
Commits murder
Lack moral compass, influenced by bad companions

17. John Kumalo Stephen Kumalo's brother
Formerly humble carpenter and a Christian
John Kumalo becomes a successful businessman
One of the three most powerful black politicians in Johannesburg
He has a beautiful and powerful voice, uses to speak out for the rights of black South Africans, but he fears punishment & is corrupted.

18. Arthur Jarvis Arthur Jarvis first appears after he has been murdered
He is an engineer and fierce advocate for justice for black South Africans
Is shot dead in his home by Absalom Kumalo

19. Mrs. Kumalo Strong-minded, supportive, loving wife
Makes household decisions with her husband as an equal
She bears hardship gracefully
Kumalo is inclined to brood
She rouses him to action
She supplies the courage needed to read the bad news the mail brings from Johannesburg

20. Gertrude Kumalo Stephen Kumalo's sister
Original reason for his trip to Johannesburg
Gertrude, twenty-five years younger than Kumalo
Went to Johannesburg to find her husband
Turns to alcohol and prostitution
Her young son returns to Ndotsheni with Stephen Kumalo, but she remains in Johannesburg

21. Form & Structure Problem or sociological novel
Social issue is racial discrimination in South Africa
Propaganda novel?
Strongly influenced by Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath
Books are alike in structure:
Chapters 9, 12, & 23 are intercalary or inserted chapters
Give you a picture of society as a whole
Do not advance the plot
Lead to full understanding of the setting for the story

22. Structure Novel is circular
Begins in Natal-Moves to Johannesburg-Ends in Ndotsheni in Natal
Plot & Themes presented in 3 part structure
Book 1: search for Stephen Kumalo’s son & sister
Theme of tribal disintegration stronger than tribal rebuilding in this book
Book 2: trial, intercalary chapters give more social issues background
Both major themes appear, but breakdown of traditional order is still stronger
Book 3: resolution; Kumalo & Jarvis work to change village of Ndotsheni
Stress on theme of rebuilding; promise of hope for future

23. Style Realistic Uses symbols: Language Names of characters
Titihoya bird—symbol of land
Meals sometimes a communion
Mountains & uplands seen as good places
Valleys, places of decay—except Johannesburg
Language
More common English patterns when white man is thinking
Harsh & to the point; more complicated than his main style

24. Language Paton invented special style for the book
Simple vocabulary
Use of biblical patterns
Use of Zulu & other Bantu languages
Symbols like light & darkness
Short clauses connected by but or and
Repetition
Used to represent speech or thoughts translated from Zulu & give comments from the omniscient narrator
Both styles are seen in Chapter 22 where prosecutor’s style contrasts with Absalom’s

25. Theme: Reconciliation between fathers & sons
Search of 2 fathers for their sons
Kumalo’s is a physical search
When Kumalo & Absalom are reunited they are strangers to each other
Trial brings them closer; but verdict allows Kumalo to finally understand his son
Letters from prison show repentance & the little boy he remembers

26. Jarvis & his son Not a physical search
Realizes knows nothing about his son
Arthur was an advocate for South Africa’s black population
He & his father disagree on this
Reconciliation with a dead man occurs
Jarvis finds the way through Arthur’s writings
Gives Jarvis clear insight into who Arthur has become
Jarvis feels pride for his son

27. Inequality & Injustice
Massive inequalities towards non-whites
Black Africans can only own limited amounts of land poor quality, overworked
Land won’t support young adults—they must leave to work in the mines or Johannesburg
Absalom & Gertrude—examples
Economic lure of city leads to danger
Limited opportunities to earn money; separated from family and tradition turn to crime
City full of slums and gangs

28. These conditions lead to anger and violence
Rob white homes
Whites become afraid and loose sympathy for the blacks
More injustice occurs and this makes situation worse
Absalom’s lawyer claims Absalom is society’s victim
Whites get government troops to crack down and the situation explodes

29. Christianity and Injustice
Kumalo’s main source of strength is God
Christianity also aids in resisting oppression
Arthur Jarvis calls the mine policies un-Christian
Religion is seen as a way to bring social justice without violence
Christianity is also part of the injustice
Black priests paid less than white ones
Religion says to suffer; not fight back
Arthur Jarvis also discusses that religious figures claim God wants whites to rule blacks

30. Depiction of Nature
Contrasts the beauty of Natal against the ugliness of South Africa
Hills & Rivers of the whites more fruitful & lovely
Land of the black farmers barren, dry, hostile
Contrast between beauty of the land vs. ugliness of society shows necessity of change
Also, offers hope
Land can be restored
Titihoya bird represents the land—has deserted the barren land around Ndotsheni, but still around the white farms higher up

31. Repentance Many characters lose temper in novel
Msimangu when learns Absalom abandoned his girlfriend
Young man at reformatory is mad at Absalom
Kumalo loses temper at wife, son’s girlfriend, his brother, sister
Sometimes scenes are ugly
Acts are met by repentance
Characters are forgiven
Pattern demonstrates power of caring to overcome bitterness

32. Repeated Phrases Phrases repeated: show subtle changes in meaning
As was the custom/or it was not the custom
Kumalo expects to be treated as an inferior
When the custom is broken—phrase shows how important these small acts are
Not a thing done lightly shows this
Reconciliation scenes
Repetition of these phrases shows how often these taboos are changing

33. Symbols Church Ndotsheni church simple, rough structure
Represents faith that is humble—leaky roof, little shelter
Church closely linked to Kumalo
Jarvis’s offer to build a new church is symbol of his commitment to the village & friendship with Kumalo

34. Kaffir Boy-Mark Mathabane
Excerpt from a novel
Author born in South Africa, 1960
Mother dragged him to school when he was 7—stayed in school to spite his father who beat the mother for taking him
Lived in Alexandra, a township outside Johannesburg
Approximately 150,000 lived in an area of 1 square mile
Lived in a shack 15’ by 15’ and slept on cardboard sheets under the kitchen table

35. Story excerpt
Excerpt we read was when his Grandmother took him to her employer’s home
They gave him books and occasionally work
Also gave him a used tennis racket
He will teach himself to play and enters a tournament in 1977
Loses tournament but gains scholarship to school in US
At 18 leaves South Africa
Tennis was his way to further his education and get out of South Africa
Only through education would blacks gain rights

36. Mathabane conclusion
From experience with the white family who helped him learned are good and bad whites; just as good and bad blacks
Experience in US taught him racism everywhere just less obvious here
Has worked to gain opportunities for urban youth both here and in South Africa

37. “A Life for a Life” Short story by Alan Paton
Brutal act of violence of a violent person who is acting with the authority of society
The white farmer is killed so someone must pay for this—someone of color
Title important because the death/murder of Enoch Maarman by Robertsse
Deliberate act of murder against an innocent man that is allowed by society
Maarman is a Hottentot an African tribe located around Capetown, South Africa

38. Hottentots Khoekhoe Proper term for this tribe
Hottentots is considered offensive as name was given by European settlers who took over the area around Capetown
This group was one of the 3 original inhabitants of South Africa with the Bantu and San tribes

39. “Drink in the Passage” Also by Alan Pato
Liberal whites long to have a relationship with the African blacks
Edward Simelane personifies all that is best in the natives according to them
Their fear however keeps them from inviting him into their homes and so he is left standing in the hallway
This puts him at even greater risk
Whites in story represent ineffectual & ambivalent efforts of the liberal whites in South Africa
Protest treatment of natives yet lack power

40. “Drink . . .” continued
Protests attract government attention and more repressive acts towards natives
Paton worries that South Africa will never change
Much like the white family in Kaffir Boy excerpt— want to help but in a way that won’t take away from material wealth of the whites

41. Mother and Child
by Mike Munyaradzi

42. Why is this novel so important?
Doris Lessing, the novelist and 2007 Nobel laureate in literature said:
“What you have to remember is that the whole of southern Africa was seen as a very happy, fun place full of satisfied blacks…. Cry, the Beloved Country destroyed that vision.”
“[Cry, the Beloved Country is] the greatest novel to emerge out of the tragedy of South Africa, and ‘one of the best novels of our time.’”
~The New Republic

43. Helpful Hint:
As you read the book, remember to refer to the back, which has a GLOSSARY of African terms you may not be familiar with.