Author, Background, Context, and Setting (Grade 12 NSC Matric English FAL): Revision Notes
Author, Background, Context, and Setting
The author
Alan Paton was born in 1903 in Pietermaritzburg, Natal. His life experiences directly influenced his writing of Cry, the Beloved Country. At just 22 years old, Paton became a teacher, and by 1935 he had risen to become the Principal of Diepkloof Reformatory, which housed African boys who had been imprisoned.
Paton's personal experience working closely with young African men in the reformatory system gave him deep insights into the social challenges facing black South Africans, which would later inform the authenticity and emotional depth of his novel.
As a liberalist, Paton worked to remove some of the harsh restrictions placed on his students and helped prepare them for life beyond the reformatory walls. His extensive travels took him to prisons and reformatory schools across Europe, the United States, and Canada. During one of these trips, he began writing Cry, the Beloved Country, which was published in 1948.
Paton's commitment to promoting racial equality earned him the Freedom Award. When he died in 1988, over 15 million copies of the book had been sold worldwide. The novel is particularly praised for its ability to raise awareness about South Africa's social problems and the injustices of apartheid.
Background and historical context
The novel is set in 1946, during a crucial period in South African history. To understand the story fully, you need to know about three key aspects of life during this time: colonisation, the Pass laws, and the implementation of Apartheid.
Colonisation
Before Europeans arrived in the 1600s, South Africa was home to different African tribal groups, including the San, Khoikhoi, and Bantu-speaking peoples. In 1652, the Dutch East India Company established the Dutch Cape Colony, initially intended as a small port for ships travelling to India.
The British gained control of South Africa because it was strategically important for trade routes to India. Between 1795 and 1814, control of the colony switched between the Dutch and British through various battles. By 1814, the Dutch formally agreed that the colony belonged to the British Empire.
Key Historical Timeline: The Great Trek and Settlement
In 1820, British Settlers arrived and settled in the frontier area of what is now the Eastern Cape, whilst another group moved to Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal). This led to conflict between different groups, and in 1833 the Great Trek began when Dutch settlers (called Boers) moved inland to form their own republics: the Orange Free State and Transvaal.
The discovery of diamonds (1860s-1880s) and gold (1886) dramatically increased interest in the region. The Witwatersrand Gold Rush led to the establishment of Johannesburg. However, tensions between the British and Boers resulted in the Anglo-Boer wars, with the second war occurring from 1899-1902.
The discovery of valuable minerals transformed South Africa from a strategic stopover into one of the world's most economically important colonies, fundamentally changing the social and political landscape.
The British government wanted to create a unified country within its Empire. In 1910, the Union of South Africa was established as a self-governing member of the British Empire, bringing together both Afrikaner (Boer) and English communities.
The Pass laws
After the Union of South Africa was established, white people gained significant advantages. The Land Act of 1913 was a crucial piece of legislation that started the process of land segregation. This act prevented black people from owning land in white areas.
The Natives (Urban Areas) Act of 1923 declared urban areas in South Africa as white-only zones. All black African men in cities and towns had to carry a pass at all times, and no black person could enter a white area without special permission. Anyone found without a pass would be arrested immediately and sent to a rural area.
The Passbook System
The passbook was a comprehensive document containing:
- The bearer's fingerprints and photograph
- Their name and address
- Their employer's name
- How long they had been employed
This system severely restricted the movement and freedom of black South Africans, controlling where they could live and work.
The implementation of Apartheid
The Land Act of 1913 gave black people only 7% of the total land in South Africa, which was to be ruled by traditional chiefs. This small percentage increased to only 13% by 1936 with the Land Act of 1936, but by then the land was already overgrazed and overpopulated.
Because black people were not allowed to own land outside the reserves, many migrated to Johannesburg to find work in the mines. The black people were used as cheap labour, and since cities were reserved for whites only, black people were forced to live in hostels or shantytown on the outskirts of cities. Living conditions were extremely poor.
Effects of Migration to Cities:
The forced migration created a devastating cycle that tore apart traditional family structures:
- Men went to work in the mines, leaving their wives and children in rural areas
- Workers sent money home to their families every month
- Workers in the city became lonely, leading to drinking, gambling, and prostitution
- Not all migrant workers found employment, so criminal activities increased
In the novel: John Kumalo runs a business in Sophiatown, a poor black urban area, which reflects this historical reality.
The significance of the title
Every word in the title "Cry, the Beloved Country" carries important meaning and reflects the novel's central themes.
"Cry" can refer to several things:
- The cry of the titihoya (an African plover bird with a distinctive plaintive cry) mentioned in chapter 1
- The people crying for their tribe, the law, and customs that are disappearing
- People crying for the unborn child that will inherit their fear
- The emotions people experience as they go through hardships
Titihoya - An African plover with a distinctive plaintive cry. This bird's mournful sound echoes throughout the novel as a symbol of the country's suffering.
"Beloved country" refers to South Africa. Even though people are experiencing tremendous hardships, they will always love their country.
Title Interpretations:
The construction of the title suggests two possible interpretations:
- The country itself cries because it is disintegrating
- The people cry for their country, which is falling apart
Both interpretations emphasise the deep emotional connection between the people and their homeland, despite the pain and suffering they endure.
Setting
The setting of a novel refers to where and when the story takes place, and in this novel, both time and place carry deep symbolic meaning.
Time
The story is set in 1946, during the apartheid era in South Africa. This timing is crucial as it represents a period of increasing racial segregation and social tension.
Place
The novel has two main settings that are highly symbolic and represent contrasting ways of life:
Ndotsheni represents rural, traditional African life:
- Life is simple with a focus on tradition
- People are poor and their lives are hard
- However, they care about one another
- This setting represents community and moral values
Johannesburg represents urban, corrupted modern life:
- It symbolises corruption, crime, drunkenness, and immorality
- People are afraid of each other
- Money is seen as the root of all evil
- This setting represents the breakdown of traditional values
These contrasting settings help Paton explore the effects of urbanisation and the breakdown of traditional African society. The journey between these two places becomes a metaphor for the larger social and moral struggles facing South Africa.
Characters
Understanding character roles is essential for analysing the novel and recognising how Paton develops his themes through individual personalities.
Protagonist: The central character in a story. In Cry, the Beloved Country, there are two protagonists - Stephen Kumalo and James Jarvis.
Antagonist: A character who opposes or conflicts with the protagonist. In this novel, the main antagonist is not a person but a place and system - Johannesburg and the apartheid system, specifically representing injustice.
Understanding Characterisation
Characterisation is the way an author reveals characters' personalities through describing their thoughts, feelings, expressions, and actions. As you read the novel, look for evidence that shows how characters' personalities and emotions develop and change throughout the story.
Key Points to Remember:
- Alan Paton was a liberalist educator who wrote from personal experience working with young African men in the reformatory system
- The novel is set in 1946 during the early apartheid period, when Pass laws severely restricted black people's movement and land ownership
- Historical context is crucial: the Land Acts of 1913 and 1936 gave black South Africans only 7-13% of the land, forcing migration to cities for work
- The title has multiple meanings - both the country and its people are "crying" due to social breakdown and injustice
- Two contrasting settings: Ndotsheni (rural, traditional, moral) versus Johannesburg (urban, corrupt, immoral) represent the conflict between traditional and modern life