Alan Paton’s novel, Cry the Beloved Country is a socialist novel of the historical fiction genre. It was published in 1948, just before apartheid is introduced to South Africa. According to Paton, “the story is not true, but considered as a social record it is the plain and simple truth. “ Paton continues, “the accounts that did occur in history are the boycotts of the bus system, gold rush in Odendaalsrust, the erection of Shanty Town, and the miners’ strike.” Paton includes many details that help the reader imagine the conditions of South Africa leading up to apartheid. This imagery allows the reader to see how events in the novel served as a catalyst for apartheid in South Africa. A downfall of using Paton’s novel as a primary source is
…show more content…
With the discovery of gold came more power for the whites to exert over the blacks. White overlords control the land and at one-point pulled black mineworkers away from their families with the means of increasing the overlords total profit. In order to maximize the overlord’s total profit, the overlord would make the blacks work in the mines for longer hours for cheaper wages. This system of greed and inequality is a contributing factor to the corruption in Johannesburg. Clark and Worger support this claim in stating that, “most of the profits from the mines were reinvested in Europe and the Americas and did not contribute to the growth of additional industries in South Africa.” (cite). It clear to the reader that this system is unjust and only benefiting the Europeans at high costs to the fertility of South Africa’s land.
The benefit to using historical fiction as a primary source is it offers the reader several perspectives on a particular event. In Cry the Beloved Country, the reader is offered the story line from multiple perspectives. Like in the mineworkers strike example already mentioned, different perspectives help the reader get the big picture of the event itself. Using multiple perspectives allows the reader to understand the individual’s perspective as well as an overall view of what is going on in South …show more content…
A large part of the novel is accounts of segregation throughout the novel. Real accounts of history like boycotting the bus system, gold rush in Odendaalsrust, the erection of Shanty Town, and the miners’ strike are present throughout the novel. Clark and Worger can take historical events such as the mineworkers’ strike of 1946 and use Paton’s novel to enhance their works. By using the novel, historians will provide the reader an overall picture of South Africa. Paton’s novel presents the reader with a complete view of the social, economic, and racial conditions of South Africa using multiple views. Cry the Beloved country can be utilized as a primary source because of its historical accuracy along with the complete picture the novel
With the discovery of gold came more power for the whites to exert over the blacks. White overlords control the land and at one-point pulled black mineworkers away from their families with the means of increasing the overlords total profit. In order to maximize the overlord’s total profit, the overlord would make the blacks work in the mines for longer hours for cheaper wages. This system of greed and inequality is a contributing factor to the corruption in Johannesburg. Clark and Worger support this claim in stating that, “most of the profits from the mines were reinvested in Europe and the Americas and did not contribute to the growth of additional industries in South Africa.” (cite). It clear to the reader that this system is unjust and only benefiting the Europeans at high costs to the fertility of South Africa’s land.
The benefit to using historical fiction as a primary source is it offers the reader several perspectives on a particular event. In Cry the Beloved Country, the reader is offered the story line from multiple perspectives. Like in the mineworkers strike example already mentioned, different perspectives help the reader get the big picture of the event itself. Using multiple perspectives allows the reader to understand the individual’s perspective as well as an overall view of what is going on in South …show more content…
A large part of the novel is accounts of segregation throughout the novel. Real accounts of history like boycotting the bus system, gold rush in Odendaalsrust, the erection of Shanty Town, and the miners’ strike are present throughout the novel. Clark and Worger can take historical events such as the mineworkers’ strike of 1946 and use Paton’s novel to enhance their works. By using the novel, historians will provide the reader an overall picture of South Africa. Paton’s novel presents the reader with a complete view of the social, economic, and racial conditions of South Africa using multiple views. Cry the Beloved country can be utilized as a primary source because of its historical accuracy along with the complete picture the novel