Cry, The Beloved Country

• Paton often goes into great detail to describe the land in South Africa. How is the land symbolic in relation to the story and to Paton's overall message?

    
   In Cry the Beloved Country, the author goes into detail describing the land in South Africa. The author says, "The hills are grass covered and rolling. The grass is rich and matted, you cannot see the soil. It holds the rain and the mist, and they seep into the grounds in every kloof." The author put this description in the first chapter because he wanted to give a visusal image of that part of Africa. Also, the author put this in the book because he probably felt it would be an addition to the book and maybe it will explain something later in the book. The reason the author described Africa that way was because its showing besides the chaos going on in the book Africa is really a beautiful place. Another part also says, "Stand unshod upon it, for the ground is holy, being even as it came from the Creator."I think the author put this in the book because it is a refrence or is related to Kumalo, being a priest and Msimangu being a preacher. I think it also represents peace. In Chapter 12 it changes, it says, "Have no doubt it is fear in the land.Who can enjoy the lovely land, who can enjoy the seventy years, the sun pours down on the Earth, when there is fear in the heart? Who can lie peacefully abed, while the darkness holds some secret?" That excerpt from the text has much meaning to it, and it can represent many different things. For example, in Chapter one it was saying how the land was beautiful and peaceful, but in Chapter 12 it says how there is fear in the land, and in their hearts. So this symbolizes that in Ndotsheni it is a different atmosphere than in Johannesburg. Then, in Chapter 13 it refers back to fear again. It says, "Why fear the one thing in a great city where thousands upon thousands of people?"