Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Symbolism plays a huge role in the novel Cry, the Beloved
Country. Paton uses things like imagery and foreshadowing to tie symbolism
into the story. The first 2 chapters of his novel make his overall message in
the story clear. By using imagery we started to see the symbolism in the text.
The broken down land symbolizes the breaking down of kumalo’s family. The
overall message is the importance of family.
In chapter one we get a visual representation of the wore down piece of land. “Too many cattle feed upon the grass and, too many fires have burned it. The great red hills stand desolate, and the earth has torn away like flesh.” Red symbolizes blood. The earth is bleeding from being so beat up and worn out. “The men are away, the young men and girls are away.” This piece of land is crying for its people back. We later on see that just like the land, kumalo is crying for his family back.
In chapter 6 kumalo finds his sister Gertrude. She had lost touch with him and had stopped writing. The reason being is because she had been selling liquor and prostituting. She also had a child. Kumalo is a very religious person because he’s a priest so hearing this news upset him but, even though he was mad he wanted his family together again and decided to take his sister and her son with them.
In the next chapter kumalo is reunited with his brother john. Even though family is a big thing to kumalo he realizes that he won’t be able to get his brother back. He also learns that his brother has turned his back on the church. “That is my experience, he said. That is why I no longer go to the church.” Again hearing news like this breaks kumalo’s heart and he wants his brother back but realizes that unlike his sister he doesn’t want help john thinks life in Johannesburg is perfect for him. Instead of getting discouraged and just turning around to leave with his sister and her son he has one more family member that he wants to reach out to, his son.
After learning in chapter 10 that his son was sent to the reformatory and is soon to be married to a woman in Pimville kumalo is filled with doubt, especially after he has to visit his son in jail for being charged with murder. Instead of getting upset and just quitting on his son he goes to find him a lawyer to help him get out of jail. He even agrees to let his soon to be wife come with them. “I shall come for you when everything is ready for the marriage. Have you clothes?” “I have some clothes, umfundisi. I shall prepare them.” “And you must not live here. Shall I find you a place near me?”
You can see that kumalo has a big heart and an even bigger love for his family. So the purpose of the imagery in chapter 1 was to show the readers how the falling apart of a family affects more than just them. It shows how important family is to Paton and the overall message of the importance of family
In chapter one we get a visual representation of the wore down piece of land. “Too many cattle feed upon the grass and, too many fires have burned it. The great red hills stand desolate, and the earth has torn away like flesh.” Red symbolizes blood. The earth is bleeding from being so beat up and worn out. “The men are away, the young men and girls are away.” This piece of land is crying for its people back. We later on see that just like the land, kumalo is crying for his family back.
In chapter 6 kumalo finds his sister Gertrude. She had lost touch with him and had stopped writing. The reason being is because she had been selling liquor and prostituting. She also had a child. Kumalo is a very religious person because he’s a priest so hearing this news upset him but, even though he was mad he wanted his family together again and decided to take his sister and her son with them.
In the next chapter kumalo is reunited with his brother john. Even though family is a big thing to kumalo he realizes that he won’t be able to get his brother back. He also learns that his brother has turned his back on the church. “That is my experience, he said. That is why I no longer go to the church.” Again hearing news like this breaks kumalo’s heart and he wants his brother back but realizes that unlike his sister he doesn’t want help john thinks life in Johannesburg is perfect for him. Instead of getting discouraged and just turning around to leave with his sister and her son he has one more family member that he wants to reach out to, his son.
After learning in chapter 10 that his son was sent to the reformatory and is soon to be married to a woman in Pimville kumalo is filled with doubt, especially after he has to visit his son in jail for being charged with murder. Instead of getting upset and just quitting on his son he goes to find him a lawyer to help him get out of jail. He even agrees to let his soon to be wife come with them. “I shall come for you when everything is ready for the marriage. Have you clothes?” “I have some clothes, umfundisi. I shall prepare them.” “And you must not live here. Shall I find you a place near me?”
You can see that kumalo has a big heart and an even bigger love for his family. So the purpose of the imagery in chapter 1 was to show the readers how the falling apart of a family affects more than just them. It shows how important family is to Paton and the overall message of the importance of family
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