Symbolism of South Africa

    In “Cry, the Beloved Country” Alan Paton, the author, uses symbolism to explain his message by describing the land of South Africa. I can tell that Alan Paton tries to make the readers understand that his characters, especially Stephen Kumalo, worships and cares deeply for the land. Alan Paton uses symbolism to explain that the land was cared for, free, and peaceful, but then it all became corrupted.

                Paton uses symbolism to make a point that while there were only natives in South Africa everything was taken care of, but when the Europeans came in, they corrupted the land. Paton states in the first chapter that the land was “well-tended, and not too many cattle feed upon it; not too many fires burn it, laying bare the soil.” Paton was making us, as readers, understand that the people had respect for their land, and did not neglect it. The people cared for their land, which could mean that the natives cared for each other. The novel goes from the people caring for each other and the land to the people not caring for the land. Then, the people stop caring for each other and the land. Paton later states, “Too many cattle feed upon the grass, and too many fires have burned it.” This antithesis shows that the land became neglected by the people. The land is now old and used.  Since the land is now corrupted it points out that the people now do not care for each other.

                “Below you is the valley of the Umzimkilu, on its journey from the Drackensberg to the sea; and beyond and behind the river, great hill after great hill; and beyond and behind them, the mountains of Ingeli and East Griqualand.” Paton symbolizes the freedom of the land. He makes it seem like you could look out and see everything. Which I believe when I can see everything I feel free, and like I can do anything, or go anywhere. The natives felt as they could go anywhere, and do anything.

            In the beginning of chapter one of Book one Paton describes the land as being peaceful. He states that “there is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills” and that there are “hills that are grass covered” and that “they are lovely beyond any singing of it.” It uses words like "lovely" and then he also calls the land "holy." I believe it gives you a sense of peacefulness. He is symbolizing the idea that there was peace in the land before the Europeans arrived. The natives worshiped their land, and the land was their sense of peace.

            Paton uses many pieces of text to symbolize the land. He uses antithesis to symbolize that the land is cared for, free, and peaceful, but then it is all corrupted. The land was cared for, and that symbolized how the natives had respect for their land. The natives felt free to roam the land before Europeans came. Then the land also symbolized peace to state how the natives felt as though the land was peaceful. The antithesis explains how the land went from being cared for, free, and peaceful to being filled with roads, crime, and hiding.