Russian Revolution

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Cry, The Beloved Country

            In Cry, The Beloved Country Paton uses great detail to describe the land in South Africa, this is symbolic in relation the Patons over all message in his book.  The metaphors and similes he uses describe how the land and the native people are alike.  He shows how the land is greatly influenced by the people of South Africa.

            In chapter one of the book, Paton describes the land and the influences people make on it.  The land starts out wonderful and full of “life” to drab and lifeless.   He describes the land as “lovely, beyond any singing” and that the “grass is rich and matted, you cannot see the soil.” The land is “well-tended and not too many cattle feed upon it.” In this place in the book the land is very well tended to, the land is held with the upmost respect by the natives.  The land represents the beauty and goodness of Africa. The land is able to nourish and sustain a large number of people and give them happiness. 

            The lifelessness begins as you venture into the valley the theme changes, the happiness and liveliness changes to despair and lifelessness. “Where you stand the grass is rich and matted, you cannot see the soil” but as you “fall into the valley bellow” the grass is not rich and matted “for they grow bare red and bare, it cannot hold the rain and the mist” because there is “too many cattle who feed upon the grass.” The poor land and living conditions are damaged by poor farming and over grazing.  With the lack of education and the limited farming land, the villagers damage the land and the beauty of it.