Abraham Lincoln once stated that, “If you look for the bad in people and expect to find it, you surely will.” Stephen struggles with detecting the faults in other people's lives throughout the book Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. Anticipating people to embody a bad reputation could ruin his relationships with the people he meets. When Stephen, a father and Umfundisi looking for his family, visits his son’s girlfriend and his sister in the city of Johannesburg, the conditions they live in shock him and he immediately judges them because he expected to discover something bad and he did. Stephen evinces the redemption cycle through his interactions with Absalom's girlfriend and his sister Gertrude. Stephen sinned against Absalom’s girlfriend, a pregnant and soon-to-be widow, because he tested her to see if she will be loyal to his son and reconciled with her by taking her into his home and raising her as his daughter. When Stephen went to see the girl, he found out that she had three husbands before Absalom. He asked her if she would be willing to sleep with someone else, after she said no he asked, “not even...if I desired you?”(Paton 146). Immediately after Stephen said this and he realized that he should not have asked her this question because she never had a father figure in her life to teach her that this choice is wrong. Using the word “desired” shows how hard Stephen wanted to test her. He wanted to make it hard for her to make a decision to see if she would
He seeks to imply that judgement of a person should be based more on the content
On September 11th 2001, 70 years old Rita Laser lost her brother. Along with Kelly, Colleen, David, Eva, and Amber who as well lost someone special to them in the attack. Many of the victims families hid in silence after the attack, full of sadness, the government was trying to get revenge for the victims that were lost in the attack. However Rita Laser had a different outlook, she and others did not want revenge by killing other, her, Kelly, Colleen, David, Eva, and Amber were all trying to install peace into the world not start a war. In Sue Halpern’s “A Peaceful Mourning” describes that in the aftermath of the attack they have all devoted their lives into advocating peace throughout the world, in their lost one’s name.
“And there was a third time, but that was without knowledge, for she was away, and he had been sorely tempted to commit adultery with one of the teachers at Ndotsheni, who was weak and lonely”(305). Stephen accepts himself and is comfortable enough to tell his wife something his wife did not know about. “But if he was awake, then oh Christ of abundant mercy, be with me. Over this he prayed long and earnestly”(310). Stephen praying very long and earnestly shows that family is an important aspect in his life. Stephen has gone through many different situations that has changed him emotionally and physically.
There is a line of thinking out there that would lead a person to believe that everything is always as it appears – everything is on a nice straight plane. Look at the surface of the ocean, and all that needs to be seen is seen. This admittedly shallow line of thinking can lead to multitudes of problems, especially in the case of this class when looking at something like literature. That especially rings true when observing a novel like Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Parton, where a deeper meaning seethes out of every word in what originally looks to be a straightforward tale. This is particularly true in the all-important intercalary chapters of the book, as they provide a break from the main plot and an aside into something different
In “A good man is hard to find”, revelations” and “Everything that rises must converge” by Flannery O’Connor clearly portray a theme of racism based on selfishness, pride and grace. All three main characters undergo a prophecy like moment that eventually leads to the loss of their dignity and selfish attitude and in turn they each achieve grace. This paper will provide a detailed analysis on how all three main characters go from being selfish to eventually self-analyzing themselves and in turn they mature and gain grace and change the way they view others. My investigation of these stories will show how each protagonist had to experience some form of tragedy in order to become self-aware of the way people perceive them. O’Connor presents in these stories how each main character and also in reality people in life need to be brought to a tragic like moment in life that causes them to not continue in the ways they are accustomed to.
You selected a few different poems to interpret this week then my self. You have a marvelous post summarizing each peculiar one. I likewise read Nostalgia by Billy Collins this week. My conception of the author is he practically ridicules the diverse periods of time as they were portrayed. I enjoyed this poem considering the composer certainly drives the point home with this topic. An abundance of humanity complains about past generations although trends were not the greatest it's persistent rebalance of pros and cons about all aspects of life. I couldn't agree more with you that the theme of the poem demonstrates that humanity wishes regression to the way life once
In the case study, Crying and Marching, Zack Will is a fourth grader boy who seemed to cry for at least 30 minutes every day in different school settings (e.g. cafeteria, classroom, hallway, and music class). According to the information provided in this case, the school guidance counselor, Ms. Ellis, mentioned how Zack’s mother provided information about some difficulties that she was also having with him. Apparently, Jack’s father had moved out, and the mother’s new boyfriend moved in, causing some issues and misbehavior on Zach’s part (p. 56). The school principal, Mrs. Debaliviere, had decided to implement an intervention plan that had been proven to be effective with another student in the past. The principal had assumed that Zack’s crying behavior occurred only to obtain teacher attention. Based on this, Principal Debaliviere had told all teachers to bring Zack to the office as soon as he exhibited the behavior, where he was going to be put in a time-out chair in a corner.
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.
In the Novel “Cry the Beloved Country” by Alan Paton, two fathers are trying to put the pieces of there families back together while also keeping themselves together. They each go through a variety of struggles, with one learning his sister is a prostitute and his son is a murder while the other deals with his sons death and tries to move passed it. Throughout the novel, racial tension is a theme frequently seen from the beginning of the book til the very end. Paton uses the setting of South Africa to underscore racial tension associated with the apartheid movement to illustrate these themes. The concept of racism is prevalent during the story as it is used by the government to caused both blacks and whites to fear each other which eventually tears apart Kumalo’s family.
The time of the 1940’s in South Africa was defined by racial oppression of the native inhabitants of the country by the Dutch Boers, also known as the Afrikaners. These people were the demographic minority yet also the political majority. They executed almost complete control over the lives of the natives through asinine rules and harsh punishments. The highly esteemed novel Cry, the Beloved Country tells a story of Stephen Kumalo, a black priest dealing with the struggles of living in the South Africa during this time. His son killed a white man and on the day his son is to be hanged for this crime, Kumalo climbs a mountain in order to reflect on the current situation both in his family and in his country. In chapter 36 of Cry, the
"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.
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.
Even though often times people judge each other based on their appearances and social class, there are still many similarities individuals have in common with someone else than one would think. Throughout life, people learn similar moral lessons during tough situations that they face. They recognize that there are more important factors than one’s race or their status in society because no matter who someone is, they will face death eventually. Whether it is losing someone that they love, or whether it is they themselves who die, they will come in contact with death and no one can change that reality. Also, even though people may be different, sometimes they go through the same situations as one another. In the novel Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton, Stephen Kumalo and James Jarvis are from two separate races; however, they experience similar fates. Therefore, there are deeper similarities between people. Whether it is the events that occur in their life, the lessons that they learn, or their feelings, they are all parallel to each other.
Power, religion, frustration, and family all are aspects of man’s relationship with man. These things bring people together and tear them apart. Throughout Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton utilizes anaphora to develop this theme of man’s relationship with man. The anaphora emphasizes these aspects and highlights their importance.
was the husband of Gertrude, who in turn, went to look for him and found other men