Paton: Cry, the Beloved Country (1948)

I am deeply saddened, angered and touched. I just finished by Alan Paton‘s “Cry, the Beloved Country“. Saddened, because in this book, written in 1958 about South Africa there is barely a character who comes out as a winner after tribulation. I am angered, because the aforementioned tribulations are moree structural than personal. That is the strength of Paton’s book to show through the stories of individuals what was wrong with his society. Also angered,because even today in the US there are people who are racist, because they are unable to see the structural damage that was caused by slavery, Jim Crow and segregation. The blaming the victim mentality and focusing on symptoms of societal problems instead of (or rather in addition to ) the causes is maddening. But mostly I am touched by the beauty of simple words, simple life and simple story of Kumalo, his family and circles. I can certainly see Steinbeck’s influence on him. Very tight writing without any unnecessary adjective.