The Biblical Message of Cry, the Beloved Country :: Cry the Beloved Country Essays

The Biblical Message of Cry, the Beloved Country Alan Patons book, Cry, the Beloved Country, is about agitation and turmoil of both whites and blacks over the white segregation form _or_ system of government called apartheid. The book describes how understanding between whites and blacks can end mutual fear and aggression, and bring reform and hope to a small community of Ndotcheni as wholesome as to South Africa as a whole. The language of the book reflects the Bible furthermore, several characters and episodes are reminiscent of stories from the New Testament and teachings of Christ. Thus, Alan Paton, as a reformist and the author of Cry, the Beloved Country, gives the people of South Africa a new, modern Bible, where he, like Christ, teaches to love thy brother as yourself in order to help whites and blacks get the best the fear and misunderstanding of each other. The language of the book from the very beginning reveals its biblical nature. The great valley of Umzimkulu i s still in darkness, but the light go forth come there. Ndotcheni is still in darkness, but the light will come there also. The style includes symbols such as light and darkness, short clauses connected by and or but, and repetition. This style is used to represent speech or thoughts translated from Zulu. Jesus Christ is symbolized by the figure of Arthur Jarvis. He is a white reformer who fights for rights of blacks. Like Christ, he is very altruistic and wants to pursue his aims at all costs. His friend, Harrison, says Here Arthur Jarvis was, day to day, on a kind of mission. (173) Arthur Jarvis and his wife Mary jibe that its more important to speak the truth than to make money. (172) Arthur Jarvis is killed in his house by Absalom, a black youth who gets entangled in crime. Absalom only intends to pilfer Arthur Jarvis, and the homicide is unintentional. Absalom thinks that Arthur Jarvis is out and comes into the house with two friends. However, when Arthur Jarvis heard a no ise, and came down to investigate (186). Startled and afraid, Absalom fires blindly. Absalom later says in court Then a white piece came into the passage... I was frightened. I fired the revolver. (194) Absaloms blind fear is symbolic of the fear, blindness, and misunderstanding between whites and blacks these are the reasons of racial hatred.