Arthur Jarvis was a man of great importance to South Africa because his fear and sorrow developed into a deep love and caring for the country. Though the reader does not receive a direct narration from the position of Arthur Jarvis, Jarvis’ character is developed through his essays. This effect is great on the reader because he or she can observe the society’s thoughts on his writings after he is gone. Also, the reader discovers what an influential man Jarvis was. Jarvis devoted himself entirely to South Africa and the betterment of the land. He was especially concerned with the apartheid, and called for social justice for natives. He notes in his manuscripts about his childhood and how he had learned nothing of South Africa from being with his parents in the sheltered village of Ndotsheni. Jarvis’ other various writings are compelling because the reader understands Jarvis’ deep and genuine love for South Africa because of the intelligence and courage he possesses, enough so to write these manuscripts. Most importantly, Jarvis recognized his indifference to South Africa, his blindness to its happenings, and instead of sitting with that indifference and that apathy, he was able to promote change and develop a deep love for the people of South Africa and for the land of South Africa itself.
Arthur Jarvis is extraordinary, for in his “Private Essay on the Evolution of a South African,” he admits that he knew nothing of South Africa. “From them [his parents] I learned all that a child should learn of honour and charity and generosity. But of South Africa I learned nothing at all.” (pg 207) As a young boy, he was blind and sheltered from the entirety and the truth of his so-beloved land. “One can read, as I read when I was a boy, the b...
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...the country. Jarvis’ initial fears and sorrows aligned with those of the Europeans, because his parents in Ndotsheni sheltered him. Although as Jarvis goes to Johannesburg, he is more aware of the truth of South African problems and issues of apartheid and decides that change must be instituted. The ideals and concepts outlined in Jarvis’ essays demonstrate his passion and love for South Africa. Due to that love and passionate emotions towards Ndotsheni, Jarvis musters enough courage to address the apathy, or indifference, and fear that the European’s possess, concerning native crime. Overall, Jarvis had initial love and care for South Africa, but was blind to its real issues. It was only once Jarvis was able to go to Johannesburg and learn of all the bad of the country was he able to replace the fears and sorrows he possessed about natives, with his love and care.
McCandless’s family and peers expect him to live life a certain way, to follow the family tradition, however, it is McCandless’s high social standards for himself, and his sharp view of right and wrong, that would define the blueprint of his tragic flaw that caused him to go into the wild. In High School, McCandless would start to show some of his radical ideas about how he could help fix society. McCandless’s high school buddies explained that “’ Chris didn’t like going through channels, working within the system.”’ (113) Instead, McCandless would often talk about leaving school to go South Africa to help end the apartheid. When his friends or adults responded by saying that you are only kids, or you can’t make a difference, McCandless would simply respond “so I guess you just don’t care about right and wrong ‘” (113). McCandless would grow to learn that hi...
Alexander, N, (2002) “’Race’ and class in South Africa historiography: An overview”, An ordinary country, Scottvile: University of Natal Press.
Although the struggle for equal rights, food, welfare and survival were all central themes in both narratives, through this essay one could see how similar but at the same time distinctive the injustices for race relations were in South Africa’s apartheid regime and in the Jim Crow South’s segregation era were. The value for education, the struggle to survive and racism were all dominant faces that Anne Moody and Mark Mathabane faced on a day to day basis while growing up that shaped they their incredible lives with.
Cry, the Beloved Country is such a controversial novel that people tend to forget the true meaning and message being presented. Paton’s aim in writing the novel was to present and create awareness of the ongoing conflict within South Africa through his unbiased and objective view. The importance of the story lies within the title, which sheds light on South Africa’s slowly crumbling society and land, for it is the citizens and the land itself which are “crying” for their beloved country as it collapses under the pressures of racism, broken tribes and native exploitation.
In 1930’s and 1940’s South Africa, many people suffered through traumatic events, whether it be a robbery, a loss of livelihood, a beating, or the ultimate tragedy, the loss of a loved one. In his novel Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton makes sure that this is not left out of his true-to-life, albeit fictional, account of life in South Africa. James Jarvis is the recipient of this tragedy in the novel. His son, Arthur Jarvis, is murdered in his home by Absalom Kumalo during a botched robbery attempt. This sudden loss breaks Jarvis’ heart and sends him reeling. He goes to Johannesburg for the trial and ends up realizing that he really didn’t know his son at all. Reading his son’s writings causes him to have a moral conversion, and he begins his new life when he returns to Ndotsheni. Even though James Jarvis is a man of few words, he has much to say after his son’s death and he speaks through his actions.
The society of the small urban town called Ndotsheni, from which both Stephan and Author come, is based largely on the native African tribal system. This town also suffers from a drought that drives away the young men to work in the mines of Johannesburg. Johannesburg directly contradicts Ndotsheni with no tribal system and the brake down of the moral fibers of its people. Yet in Johannesburg there is also hope for the future and ideas that help lead to the restoration of Ndotsheni. During the time the story is set in Johannesburg the reader is introduced to two exceptionally different characters. The first is John Kumalo, the brother of Stephen Kumalo. He is a corrupt politician with the voice of a “lion,” but a week hart, who spoke about the injustices of the whites to the blacks and their need to revolt. The other an enlightened priest, Msimangu, who prayed for loving and restoration through coming to amends. Their influences help to shape Kumalo into a new person. Furthermore, throughout his story Paton stresses the idea of irresponsibility contradicted by individual responsibility. Eventually the idea of unified responsibility is shown to be the only manor by which South Africa can be saved.
In understanding Mandela as a nationalist, one must first have an idea of the brutal laws which he f...
Durbach, Errol. ??Master Harold? ?and the boys: Athol Fugard and the Psychopathology of Apartheid.? Allison 68-77
Bibliography w/4 sources Cry , the Beloved Country by Alan Paton is a perfect example of post-colonial literature. South Africa is a colonized country, which is, in many ways, still living under oppression. Though no longer living under apartheid, the indigenous Africans are treated as a minority, as they were when Paton wrote the book. This novel provides the political view of the author in both subtle and evident ways. Looking at the skeleton of the novel, it is extremely evident that relationship of the colonized vs. colonizers, in this case the blacks vs. the whites, rules the plot. Every character’s race is provided and has association with his/her place in life. A black man kills a white man, therefore that black man must die. A black umfundisi lives in a valley of desolation, while a white farmer dwells above on a rich plot of land. White men are even taken to court for the simple gesture of giving a black man a ride. This is not a subtle point, the reader is immediately stricken by the diversities in the lives of the South Africans.
1. Thesis: Nelson Mandela’s courage brought justice to his country and greatly improved South Africa overall.
The young man’s predicaments all revolve around his need to satisfy those that will judge him and he becomes trapped between the apartheid rule and humanity’s desire for equality and respect towards others. This is purely a personal issue that can be resolved solely by him, but should take into the consideration of those involved. We see glimpses of this coming through the young man, but being raised in an era of apartheid it overpowers his common understanding of respect.
Bottaro, Visser and Nigel Worden. 2009. In Search of History Grade 12. South Africa Oxford University Press.
Old South Africa is best described by Mark Uhlig, “The seeds of such violent conflict in South Africa were sown more than 300 years ago, with the first meetings of white settlers and indigenous black tribes in an unequal relationship that was destined one day to become unsustainable” (116).
Mathabane, Mark. “I Leave South Africa”. The Many Worlds of Literature. Ed. Stuart and Terry Hirschberg. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2006.
I was treated well in prison; security guards grew a certain respect for me. I decided not to waste my time, so I informed my cellmates about the apartheid, and their horrible laws. They listened attentively, and wanted to help, so together we organized hunger strikes and protests. After 27 years, on February 11, 1990 I was released from jail. I could’ve got out of jail in 1985, P.W. Botha offered me a release but only if I would stop the armed conflict. Without a doubt, I chose to stay in prison because I believed that the right thing to do was to put an end to apartheid. P.W. Botha was an evil man, he committed to state terrorism and to thwart black majority rule. He had a stroke in 1989 and Frederick Willem replaced Botha. Frederick on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Botha. He set me free from jail.”