Cry The Beloved Country Essay

Within the chaos and quarrelsome enclosed in society, individuals often lose sight of aspirations. They then become lost with that absence of hope; they become consumed by anarchy and misfortune. In the 1940th century, historical fiction novel, Cry, The Beloved Country, Alan Paton uses asyndeton to create an overwhelming presence in Johannesburg’s environment, modifying human morality and ambition.
Paton describes Johannesburg as a place of “great high buildings” and a place of chaos when he says, “It is too much to understand” (45). Its overcrowded streets and complicated architecture emphasize the difference between it and Ndotsheni. Paton develops bewilderment by comparing the two very different settings. Johannesburg contains too many difference presences. Paton emphasizes these through Kumalo’s perspective, illustrating it to the readers because he also sees it for the very first time. However, as time goes on even familiar sights and sounds appear to be corrupted. These foreign surroundings allow him to see a loss of tribal values. More and more individuals within Johannesburg lose their morals and changes occur.
An individual’s morality changes due to their environment, influences, events, and more.
Paton explains how the city becomes “uncountable,” causing “confusion” creating difficulty and pandemonium when moving (47). This barbarousness allows individuals to become disoriented; the atmosphere does not provide any sense of calmness or equanimity. Destinations may become easily forgotten. A large amount of anarchy devours individuals and prevents the ambition for goals. Gertrude’s priority of searching for her husband ends due to the many influences within Johannesburg. She loses her morals and obtains numerous new husbands because of
this.
After arriving in Johannesburg, Kumalo visits his brother, John. However, living in Johannesburg changes John. During Kumalo’s visit, his brother speaks in a strange voice, telling him that “an experience” seizes him in Johannesburg and he now sees things differently. Paton portrays him now as an influential politician, instead of his former, humble self. The people here rally and admire him and he speaks for them. Yet he acts as only a voice, nothing more. He lacks any ambition to help the people due to his own fear. He also breaks his family ties by leaving with his wife and no longer communicates or corresponds with his family. He now speaks English more often than in his native Zulu. Lastly, Paton dehumanizes him by saying he addresses his brother as if he were making a speech to an invisible audience.
The true nature of Johannesburg reveals itself when Paton says that people change when they go there: “…when people go to Johannesburg, they do not come back” (39). He illuminates a malevolent atmosphere. Individuals lose their sense of reason, allowing themselves to forget what they hoped to accomplish. Absalom and Gertrude show the truth in that statement. Absalom, travels to Johannesburg searching for Gertrude, yet he does not return. Instead, he involves himself with criminals and corrupts his mind. He travels and with his experiences, he gains a threatening reputation. In the future, he also seals his fate by killing a man. While Gertrude fled Ndotsheni in search of her husband. Once there, she prostitutes herself and sells cheap liquor in the worst area of Johannesburg. Crimes have been reported committed at her home and she has also been to jail. Lastly, she creates a bad environment for her son.
Suffering thrives in Johannesburg. Many inhabitants lack shelter because everyone travels to Johannesburg. Paton reveals the hardship and discomfort there:
The house is not broken, but it is overflowing. Ten people in two rooms, and only one door for the entrance, and people to walk over you when you go to sleep. But there is a little more food for children, and maybe once a month a trip to the pictures. (Paton 84)
This creates an overwhelming feeling. Overpopulation occurs due to the large number of people journeying to Johannesburg. Overtime, individuals begin losing hope. Food becomes scarce and lacking. Individuals lose their morality and develop a sense of urgency. Paton doesn’t even display the individual talking at some points because they speak for everyone. Everyone suffers this hardship. Only few possess the privileges and items they acquire through status. The entire country morns. Society creates despair in individuals through the loss of aspirations and hope. As time goes on, people are subject to their environment’s influences. In Cry, The Beloved Country, the main setting throughout the book is Johannesburg, a city containing hardship, corruption, and chaos. Each character entering the city faces changes in principles due to the persuasive setting and people. Through his book, Paton warns his readers of the immense amount of danger of malicious environments.