Deterioration of the Tribal System in Cry, the beloved Country

1312 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effect of white power in south africa

Throughout the entirety of the novel one of the main points that Paton stresses very heavily is the fact that the tribal system was and is continuing to do deteriorate from start to finish. While his points of view and his opinions on the crumbling of the system are irrelevant Paton does make a fair point in saying that the tribal system and he shows it in various yet numerous parts in the book.
Even from the first chapter of the book when Paton is describing South Africa through the eyes of Kumalo, he shows signs that the tribal system is becoming a thing of the past if not already there. In this quote “They are the valleys of old men and old women… The soil cannot keep them anymore”(pg. 34) Paton is doing a couple of things at once, firstly he is using this for foreshadowing of how a few of the things in the book are, at the same time he is also using it to make an allusion to the tribal system.
When Paton uses the foreshadowing at the end of chapter one very skillfully. He makes it a point to make sure that the reader has no illusion as to how the circumstances are. He foreshadows the feelings of Kumalo and many others by stating “the soil cannot keep them anymore” this becomes overly apparent in the next few chapters of the book when Kumalo talks about his family members that have left the small town of Ndotsheni to head to Johannesburg in search of many things if not just work. He speaks of his sister, who turns out to be a prostitute among other things, his brother, who ends up being a well-known politician, and lastly his son, whom he finds in prison for murder. All these situations show that people are no longer following the traditions of the said “tribal system” and due to this degradation they are leaving their birt...

... middle of paper ...

...rt illustrating how oppressed the natives are by the new system that replaced the tribal one. The miners are being kept uneducated and unskilled for a reason, and that reason is so that the whites would be able to hire them very cheaply, for one because they were natives, and for two they were uneducated which meant that employers could pay them less due to their ignorance.
All in all there are many things that display the destruction of the tribal system and the people that used it too. Also the book gives a very detailed description of how atrocious the new structures, and laws that were put in the place of the tribal system. Among them are the actions of the people that include Arthur Jarvis, Absalom, Msimangu, Gertrude, And Kumalo himself are able to show the reader many things through their recounting of their stories and how they came to be where they were.

Show More
Related

  • Disciplined Hearts by Theresa O'Nell

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is not out of line to expect Native Americans to live like their ancestors, and I agree with the way that O'Nell made the government look like the wrongdoers. She talks like "indians" are just part of stories or like they have not kept up with the times. This book points out many of the problems for native americans by bringing out problems in identity, culture, and depression dealing with the Flathead Tribe in Montana. The book is divided into three parts to accomplish this. Part 1 is about the American government's policies that were put on the reservations and how it affected the culture of the Flathead Tribe attached to that reservation. This is the base for is to come in the next two parts, which talk about how lonliness an pity tie into the identity and depression.

    Read More

  • The Forest People By Colin Turnbull

    2097 Words  | 5 Pages

    His writing is very informal as he studies this tribe and also compares and contrasts the group of Pygmies to Africans in a local town (newer tribe). He takes the BaMbuti tribe (pygmies) who are perhaps a 10,000-year-old tribe, and he compares them to a group in the Bantu village, who lives right next to the forest and are a more recent tribe. He begins his writing by introducing the readers to the pygmies. He goes through and introduces multiple families and their family members, making it more real. He introduces Ekianga and his multiple wives, Kenge, and others.

    Read More

  • Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    Paton is able to convey the idea of racial injustice and tension thoroughly throughout the novel as he writes about the tragedy of “Christian reconciliation” of the races in the face of almost unforgivable sin in which the whites treat the blacks unjustly and in return the blacks create chaos leaving both sides uneasy with one another. The whites push the natives down because they do no want to pay or educate them, for they fear “ a better-paid labor will also read more, think more, ask more, and will not be conten...

    Read More

  • Comparison of Paton's Cry, The Beloved Country and Conrad's Heart of Darkness

    1344 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Cry, the beloved country, Alan Paton tells the story of his journey across Africa, his experiences with the colonized Africa, and the destruction of the beautiful, pre-colonialism native land of Africa. Heart of Darkness also tells the story of a man and his experiences with colonialism, but a man who comes from a different time period and a very different background than Alan Paton’s Stephen Kumalo. Although, both Joseph Conrad and Alan Paton portray the colonized areas as very negative, death filled, and sinful places, it is when one analyzes the descriptions of the native lands of Africa that the authors reasons for their disapproval of colonialism are truly revealed. When comparing the writing styles of Alan Paton and Joseph Conrad, their descriptions of the land and the people in both works reveal their different attitudes and views towards colonialism. While Paton and Conrad ultimately oppose colonialism, Paton is concerned with the disappearance of African tribal tradition, whereas Conrad is concerned with the perceived corruption of the white colonists.

    Read More

  • History and Relocation of Native Americans

    2304 Words  | 5 Pages

    The underlying theme is that throughout the hardships and adversity forced onto the Indians, they find a way trough the triumph of human spirit and it's own agency to emerge with their tribal identities intact, but one that is revered as an inspiration to all people striving through injustices and discrimination to endure and push forward for equality. I believe that so much can be learned from the history of the Indians and can serve as a template for the future of ow people of different cultures should be treated, because we can now look at the injustices that were committed against this group of people, and how we as people of the world can avoid repeating these kinds of practices from happening.

    Read More

  • Cry the Beloved Country Movie versus Film

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    The book was made into a movie starring James Earl Jones and Richard Harris. The book takes you to South Africa, where the land itself is the essence of a man. It as if the mountains, soaring high above the clouds, are the high moments in life, and the valleys are those low and suffering times. Next, you will take a journey to a place called Johannesburg. While reading the pages, the reader begins to envision Johannesburg being a polluted, very unkind, and rushed city. The setting is more of an emotional setting than a physical setting. As I stated, it takes place in South Africa, 1946. This is a time where racial discrimination is at an all time high. The black community of this land is trying to break free from the white people, but having little success. It is this so called racism that is essential to the setting of the story. Without it, the book would not have as much of an impact as it does. This film, the second adaptation of the book, has little room for hatred or anger. Instead, its underlying tone is one of a profound grief that the title hints at. Taken as a whole, Paton's novel promotes healing and understanding, and it speaks as powerfully to audiences today as it did when it was first published, fifty years ago. The book ends with a tone of ...

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart: The Relationship Between Cultural Relativity and Superiority

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    By utilizing an unbiased stance in his novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe promotes cultural relativity without forcibly steering his audience to a particular mindset. He presents the flaws of the Ibo tribe the same way he presents the assets—without either condescension or pride; he presents the cruelties of the colonizers the same way he presents their open mindedness—without either resentment or sympathy. Because of this balance, readers are able to view the characters as multifaceted human beings instead of simply heroes and victims. Achebe writes with such subtle impartiality that American audiences do not feel guilty for the cruel actions of the colonizers or disgusted by the shocking traditions of the tribesmen. The readers stop differentiating the characters as either “tribesmen” or “colonizers”.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of Cry, the Beloved Country

    535 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Alan Paton's novel Cry, the Beloved Country two characters, Absalom's girl and Gertrude, show the how society in Johannesburg is as a whole. Absalom's girl symbolizes how girls her age are mothers and have even become divorced several times before. On the other hand Gertrude, Kumalo's sister, illustrates the qualities of a young woman who becomes corrupt from Johannesburg's filthy system of stealing, lying, and prostitution. Both of them show the ways of Johannesburg as a whole.

    Read More

  • Fear and Redemption in Cry the Beloved Country

    553 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fear and Redemption in Cry the Beloved Country & nbsp; Fear grips all black societies and is widespread not only among black people but also white people. An unborn child will inherit this fear and will be deprived of loving and relishing his country because the greater he loves his country, the greater will be his pain. Paton shows us this throughout this book, but at the same time he also offers deliverance from this pain. This, I believe, is the greater purpose of this book. & nbsp; When Stephen goes to Johannesburg, he has a childlike fear for "the great city" Johannesburg. Khumalo's fears about his family are exactly the same as every other black person in South Africa.

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    With a socially imposed and personal devotion to attain a highly regarded status in his clan, Okonkwo’s life was one that valued traditional authority, customs, and kinship. As a protagonist, Okonkwo’s story exemplifies the altering role of the state as the marching boots of colonialism enter his village, Iguedo. In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, he illustrates the societal life of the Umuofia clan prior to the arrival of and the encounter with early colonizers - offering an Igbo account of the transformation of local institutions. Once wielded by elders and the spiritually divine, the power of control fell into the hands of foreigners. Worship of ancestors, the supreme deity Chikwu, and other Earth gods transferred to the God revealed in the Bible. The interactions between the institutions of rule, belief, environmental management, and trade are each delicately reliant on each other, so that in Iguedo the ability to rule fails to exist without belief, religious believes are derived from the environment, and the mercy of environmental conditions dictates agricultural trade. Through the life and death of Okonkwo, the novel presents how the experience of the Igbo and their interaction with the state witnessed unquestionable change.

    Read More

  • culture collision

    642 Words  | 2 Pages

    When the Europeans arrived in Africa during the late eighteenth century the culture and the lives of the people of Africa are altered. Colonialism and Imperialism in Africa has adversely changed the way of life of the African people, and changed their culture, that had developed for so many years, unscathed by any distraction from the outside world. This dominant European influence has led to poverty in the African continent for the next 100 years, because of the institutions that were put into place by Europeans. In Things Fall Apart, it becomes clear that the Ibo culture responds in a distinct way to the European colonization; when compared to other villages and ethnic groups in Africa. These foreigners had such an enormous effect on the Ibo tribe that many of the clansmen decided to abandon the traditional ways or were too afraid to rise against the takeover of their tribe by the Europeans since the natives lacked the adequate technology to fight off the Europeans. The culture collision between Europe’s culture and the Ibo culture causes Nwoye’s sense of identity to be challenged and causes him to distance himself from his family and his tribe because of the introduction of Christianity and western ideals.

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart

    1115 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart the life of a man named Okonkwo and the tribe of Umuofia is depicted in three chapters which each represent a significant era in the tribe. In the first chapter, Achebe describes the life of the native African tribe before the coming of the white man. This chapter enables the reader to understand and respect the life of the Igbo. The second chapter describes the beginnings of colonialism and introduction of the white man. Suddenly, the Igbo way is questioned. The natives lives are turned upside down as they search for a way to understand the new religion and laws of the Europeans. The third chapter describes the effect of colonialism on the Igbo tribe. This section explores the many ways which the Igbo people try to adapt to the new society. From the suicide of Okonkwo to the abandonment by other tribe members, it becomes apparent how difficult it was for the African’s to adjust to the change. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness tells of an English man named Marlow and his journey into the Congo and interest in a colonist named Kurtz. Marlow is the narrator of the novel. He describes the natives and the Europeans from a somewhat objective view. He finds colonialism questionable, but also cannot relate to the Africans. Kurtz is the antagonist who exploits the Africans to make money by selling ivory and subsequently goes insane. Both novels depict the colonization of Africa, but each has a markedly different perspective on the African’s lives which were irreparably altered when Europeans came to conquer their land and convert them to Christianity.

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart Theme Essay

    1621 Words  | 4 Pages

    Before the arrival of the Europeans, Achebe did a excellent job portraying how the life of Igbo was before they were forced to oppose their own culture. To support this theme, Achebe included detailed descriptions of social rituals within each family, the justice system, religious practices and consequences, preparation and indulgence of food, the marriage process and the distributing of power within the men. Achebe shows how every man has an opportunity to prove himself worthy to achieve a title on the highest level, based merely on his own efforts. One may argue that the novel was written with the main focus on the study of Okonkwo’s character and how he deteriorates, but without the theme that define the Igbo culture itself, we would never know the universe qualities of the society that shaped Okonkwo’s life. The lives of the Igbo people was no different to the actual lives of the Ibos people back in the early days of Africa. Just like in Things Fall Apart, in actual African tribes there was never a ruler. “Very interesting thing about these villages is that there is no single ruler or king that controls the population. Decisions are made by including almost everyone in the village” (AfricaGuide). Using the theme, Achebe educated readers on by mirroring real African life in her

    Read More

  • Change And Tradition In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, struggle between change and tradition is one of the most relevant issues. The Igbo villagers, Okonkwo, and his son Nwoye all experience this problem in many different ways. The villagers have their religion defied, Okonkwo reaches his breaking point and Nwoye finally finds what he believes in. People have struggled to identify and cope with change and tradition throughout history, and will continue to struggle with this issue in the

    Read More

  • The sacrificial Egg

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    The small African village in this story has being taken over by the western culture. Westernization is shown in the beginning of the story. “Julius Obi sat gazing at his typewriter.” “There was an empty basket on the giant weighing machine.” In these two quotes the typewriter and the weighing machine, odd objects for the African native of this village show perfectly how this town has being westernized. “Julius Obi was not a native of Umuru. He had come like countless others from some bush village island. Having passed his Standard Six in a mission school he had come to Umuru to work as a clerk in the offices of the powerful European trading company …”This quote shows how Julius has himself being westernized. Westernization wasn’t welcomed by many of the Umuru natives. The natives had long prayed for their town to prosper and grow. “The strangers who came to Umuru came for the trade and money, not in search of duties to perform…” This shows that people who now came to town, came strictly for business and money, which tells the reader how the town isn’t what it used to be. “And as if it did not suffice, the young sons and daughters of Umuru soil, encouraged by schools and churches were behaving no better than the strangers. They neglected all their old tasks and kept only the revelries.” This show how even the young ones of this village have being westernized to the point, where they completely neglect their own traditions and beliefs.

    Read More

More about Deterioration of the Tribal System in Cry, the beloved Country

Open Document