During the summers before 11th and 12th grades, I had to read numerous books and keep a reflective journal focused on my readings. Some of these journal entries are provided below.
An Enjoyable Book [entry dated August 20, 1997]
Why can't every book be like Cry, the Beloved Country? Amazingly enough, this book was not boring! Goodness gracious, this cannot be right! I actually enjoyed a book on the summer reading list.
Perhaps we should analyze why Cry, the Beloved Country was an enjoyable book. First and foremost, it was enjoyable. World Book defines "enjoyable" as "that which gives joy; pleasant." And this book met both criteria.
The book "gave joy" by enabling the reader to view with an optimistic perspective the tense racial relations in South Africa in the late 1940s. Understanding this time was an integral purpose of this book. Because we understand this time period, we are therefore more enlightened. Enlightenment is a joyous occasion. Thus, the book "gave joy."
The book was also "pleasant." This is a broad term, but, specifically, the book was not a chore to read. This brings us to the next point in our discussion. Why was this book, above all others, fun to read?
There is no one answer to that question. There are many answers, each contributing a small percentage of the total. First of all the characters are dynamic and life-like. We are not reading about cardboard cutouts of people as in the book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. (Let it be known that it was not Austen’s inability to write dynamic characters that leads to aforementioned point; rather, it was the custom of the times, and indeed the message of the book, that people did not care what was on the inside of a person, so long as the outside was acceptable.) We are reading about a man, Kumalo, who has basically lost his family, goes on a search to reunite his family, only to find that things have changed and those who were once his family are no longer, and some who were before not family are now. And Kumalo’s odyssey is a microcosm for South Africa’s larger trek: South Africa has lost the unity of its family (the whites and blacks are separated), has embarked on a quest to reunite the family, but does not realize that things will never be the same again.
It is for these reasons that the book Cry, the Beloved Country is such an excellent book. It is the only book I have thoroughly enjoyed so far.
Name Symbolism [entry dated August 29, 1997]
Several of the names in Cry, the Beloved Country are so unusual that they bring to mind other people with the same name preceding them in history. Other names are more commonplace, but still have a historical background.
One of the unusual names in Cry, the Beloved Country is Absalom—Absalom Kumalo. "Absalom" recalls the rebellious son of King David in the Bible (Fitzwater 48). In the Bible, Absalom was a favorite son of King David and a handsome young man proud of his long, luxuriant hair. The story, related in II Samuel, depicts Absalom as restless and wicked. David ignored Absalom’s insults until Absalom joined David’s enemies in armed rebellion. Ironically, Absalom’s spectacular hair caused his downfall. Riding beneath a tree, his flowing hair got caught in a branch. David’s men killed him as he hung there. Instead of rejoicing, David bitterly mourned Absalom’s death. It does not take much to see the similarities between the Bible story and Cry, the Beloved Country.
"Stephen" Kumalo is another significant name. The Stephen in the Bible was a deacon of the early church (Fitzwater 50). His job was to handle members’ complaints. A courageous man, he became the first Christian martyr when he was stoned to death for his beliefs.
"John" Kumalo is another interesting study. There are two Johns in the Bible. One is John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, a preacher who attracted huge crowds. The other John was an apostle, the hot-tempered son of Zebedee and brother of James, an equally hot-tempered man. Both brothers, originally fishermen, became leaders in the early church. John was also known as an apostle especially close to and loved by Jesus.
"Matthew" Kumalo is the last name with Biblical ties in Cry, the Beloved Country. Matthew in the Bible was a tax collector at the time of Jesus. People hated tax collectors for routinely extorting additional money for their own use. Jesus made Matthew an apostle anyway.
"Arthur" Jarvis is a name with special significance in Cry, the Beloved Country. Arthur suggests King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and Camelot. Arthur, like Jesus Christ, had both a mission in life and devoted disciples.
Name symbolism is an important part of understanding the action, plot, symbolism, and themes Cry, the Beloved Country tries to bring across. By understanding these, the book makes much more sense.
Style [entry dated August 29, 1997]
The style of Cry, the Beloved Country can be summed up in one word: simple. Alan Paton utilizes an amazingly simplistic nature to relay the story of Stephen Kumalo. Hidden within the style of the novel are elements that are meaningful to the story.
Perhaps one reason Paton uses a simple writing style is to convey the simplistic nature of Stephen Kumalo, the main character in the novel. Kumalo is a plain man who uses plain words to express plain ideas. By using this style, the ideas of Kumalo are given credit, although the ideas themselves may not be expressed in the most elegant ways.
Another aspect of the novel is the language pattern and flow. The flow reminds the reader of the King James version of the Bible. This insinuates to the reader that Kumalo learned English in a missionary school by utilizing the Bible as his "learn-to-read" book. The flow also implies that Kumalo is very familiar with the Bible and knows his religion well.
The use of Biblical rhythms demands that the reader give the novel Cry, the Beloved Country a deeper sense of respect. By demanding this respect, Paton assures himself that the book is to be taken seriously. Another advantage of using familiar Biblical rhythms is to universalize the characters, that is, to make the characters known to the reader as human beings, not South Africans.
The final advantage of using the Bible as a stylistic basis for the novel is that the reader may see the connection between the story of Kumalo and the Biblical story of Job more easily. In the Bible, the Lord declared Job a most faithful servant. The Lord then allowed Satan to test Job’s faith by inflicting a series of misfortunes on Job. Undaunted, Job’s faith does not crumble, and the Lord returns Job to prosperity. The parallels between the story of Job in the Bible and the story of Kumalo in Cry, the Beloved Country are easily seen. Kumalo is a faithful servant of the Lord. A series of misfortunes befall Kumalo, and at the end of the story the reader is left believing that Kumalo and his people will be returned to prosperity.