Biblical Allusions In Alan Paton's Cry The Beloved Country

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your vision is clear, your whole body will be full of light” (). Ever since the creation of mankind, the eyes exist as the window to the soul. Taking one look into a person's eyes can leave you with more knowledge than ever thought imagined. Love, anger, lust, hatred, sympathy and guilt can all express themselves in just one glance. William Faulkner knew of this interesting trait and applied it to his 19___’s novel “As I Lay Dying”. Each character possesses their own unique traits and personalities which drive them to fulfill their end mission: burying their mother in Jefferson. To express their personalities, Faulkner incorporates a variety of similes and metaphors all relating to the eyes. This technique sheds light of their selfish ways. These selfish qualities, not the love for their mother, cause the Bundren children to succeed in their mother's dying wish.

First, symbolism, focusing on the symbols of blood and fire. In the first four pages of the story one would see blood being transparent on the first page,”The smell and sense just a little of fear because mostly of despair and grief, the old fierce pull of blood..He could not see the table where the Justice sat and before which his father…”(Faulkner 1). This shows us that before Sarty smells the “old blood” he was all sad and torn but, then realizing that familiar smell of his father Sarty starts to remember his duty or mission; Is to keep quiet and protect his family. The blood in this context, symbolizes the sense of family and always protecting one another. Because of Sarty’s desire to protect his family he refuses to respond to the lawyers and barely escapes without a conviction. However, the prosecutor demands the family leave town and never return. This in turn leads to Abner, his father, to beat the lights out of son. After the beating received his father starts to beat him once again to make him understand, and another instance of blood is presented on page 4, paragraph 6 stating,”You’re getting to be a man.You got to learn. You go to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood stuck

Cry, the Beloved Country In a country torn by segregation and hatred, one man seeks to rebuild his family and his tribe. Cry, the beloved country is a tale of forgiveness, generosity, and endurance. In the story, the main protagonist is helped by a number of characters. A South African man Stephen Kumalo loses his young son, but is still determined to improve the life of his people.

“She came here to look for her husband who was recruited for the mines… She lives in Claremont, not far from here. It is one of the worst places in Johannesburg… … that is her work, she makes and sells it… These women sleep with any man for their price… She has been in prison, more than once.” (53)

In this sentence, the author reveals to us that by using allusions from the Bible makes a work of literature much more timeless and relatable. The Bible is one of the most well-known books in the world and has been for centuries. By using the Bible and referencing the Bible, an author makes his work of literature more universal and profound.

In 2 Samuel the narrative shifts to the reign of David as he rises above Saul’s son Ish-bosheth to become the king, first of Judah and then of all the tribes of Israel (5:1–4). The book records David’s wars of conquest including the capture of Jerusalem and the relocation of the ark of the covenant to the City of David (6:1–19). But the author also records David’s failures: his adultery with Bathsheba (11:1–26), Absalom’s rebellion (15:1–18:30), Sheba’s revolt (20:1–26), and the disastrous census (24:1–25). Like all the prophetic writers, the author presents a portrait of his historical figures from the perspective of their faithfulness to God’s covenant.

Cry, the Beloved Country is a novel written by Alan Paton; the novel is filled with biblical allusions referring to II Samuel. Cry, the Beloved Country was first published in 1948 and stands as the single most important novel in twentieth-century South African literature. Cry, the Beloved Country; a work of blazing artistry, is the intensely moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom, and how they were set against the background of a land and a people divided by racial injustice. Cry, the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope, courage and endurance, born of the dignity of man. The author, Alan Paton parallels II Samuel and Cry, the Beloved Country which heightens the understanding of the novel.

Although not always recognizable, biblical allusions enhance the writing of novels, and connect specific themes to the Bible. Throughout Cry, The Beloved Country, Alan Paton has placed numerous biblical allusions, corresponding to the common theme of Man’s relationship with God. Some of these allusions pertain to actual verses from the Bible placed into the story. Others are abstract and are representations of themes from the Bible. Generally, Alan Paton has ingeniously placed biblical allusions to emphasize the relationship between man and God.

In the first chapter of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, every trip a protagonist takes becomes a quest in the story. These quests often entail a Quester (the protagonist), a specific place to go, a reason to go to a said place, obstacles, and challenges on the way, and the Quester’s real reason to go to said place. Whatever is gained from this quest can vary from unlimited wealth to a whole lot of nothing, but the Quester seems to always be guaranteed to receive one thing: self-knowledge. In chapter 2, Foster emphasizes the point that whenever people eat or drink together, it’s communion. Basic survival states that people need food to be able to live.

In HTRLLAP by Thomas C. Foster he talks about how many authors include biblical allusions in their stories. The transformation of turning into an insect could actually symbolize his desire not to have to return to a job he hates. In part one it says, “Gregor goes back to bemoaning his life as a traveling salesmen.” The transformation into a bug can be seen as a freedom from the from what he thought to be a boring life.

C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of books that contain a countless amount of biblical allusions. In each of the seven total books of the series, there are references to both characters and major themes in the Bible. For example, in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, there are many allusions to the Bible such as when Edmund betrays not only his brother, Peter, and two sisters, Susan and Lucy, but also Aslan in order to stay with the Wicked Witch in her palace. This is similar to the story of Judas and the way that he leaves the disciples and betrays Jesus. Furthermore, in the same book, Aslan is killed by the Wicked Witch for the sake of Narnia similar to how Jesus is crucified for the sins of his people. Additionally, both

"I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight. These things I will do unto them and not forsake them” Isaiah 42:16. God promises to be there for His people as long as one believes in Him. The Kumalo family lives in a poor colored city in South Africa where they are constantly surrounded by the brokenness of the world. Knowing God will not forsake them helps one with building a strong connection with him. It is through this faith that Stephen, a priest, and devoted father, is able to find hope in the dark world he faces. Throughout the book Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton the flawed main character, Stephen Kumalo is able to go through the redemption cycle because of his relationship with God.

Allusions can be found in nearly every work of literature and art due to the influence they have in creating a universal understanding. Biblical and mythological references are the most common allusions because they are regarded as primary sources for the basis of human reason. William Shakespeare alludes to both religion and mythology in Hamlet in order to emphasize the importance and failure of religion and to reveal the nature and psychological complexes of characters.

Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton, is the timeless novel about South Africa in the 1940’s. As powerful white men use the land for their own benefit, the tribal system of the African natives is broken down and replaced by poverty, homelessness, fear, and violence. A black priest, Stephen Kumalo, ventures to the great city of Johannesburg in search of his lost sister and son. His journey demonstrates the unhealthy lifestyle and mutinous atmosphere of the black people; yet he is the beholder of forgiveness, love, hope, and the restoration of a country overwhelmed with problems.

The novel commences with the introduction of this particular family setting. Sethe initially had two daughters and two sons. During their escape from their slave master, she lost one of her daughters as her two sons went away from home. Sethe is married to Paul D who is the father figure in the family setting. After their escape from slavery they settled in 124 Bluestone Road, Cincinnati (Koolish 67). The society in this area is mostly slaves who escaped from their masters. The neighborhood is however, good for settlement as both Sethe and Paul D felt comfortable in the region.