Advanced Search
Print - Close Window
www.greenwood.com/catalog/GR3508.aspx
All Greenwood Products
Understanding Cry, the Beloved Country A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents
Ngwarsungu Chiwengo
ISBN: 0-313-33508-7
ISBN-13: 978-0-313-33508-2
248 pages
Greenwood Press
Publication: 1/30/2007
List Price: $45.00 (UK Sterling Price: £31.95)
Discount Price: $22.50 Sale Price for U.S. Customers Only. Save 50%. Ends 12/31/2009.
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Hardcover
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects: Reviews:
  • Chiwengo analyzes the literary and historical background of the novel Cry, the beloved country written by Alan Paton in 1948 about racial tensions in South Africa, and collect excerpts from primary sources for deeper study. The 38 excerpts document the roots of apartheid, work conditions in the mines, social and economic conditions, and the status of South African women.
    —Reference & Research Book News
    5/1/2007
Description: Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country is one of the most influential works of South African literature. Appearing at a time when the South African political system was being increasingly questioned, the novel drew worldwide attention to the horrors of apartheid, a political institution promoting segregation and discrimination. This book overviews Paton's novel and its social and political contexts. It discusses South African history and provides a sample of documents related to the origin of apartheid and the challenges facing South Africans under the segregationist regime. In doing so, it helps students understand the political climate of South Africa under apartheid, as well as the challenges of racism that continue to plague contemporary society.

Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country (1948) is one of the most influential works of South African literature. Appearing at a time when the South African political system was being increasingly questioned, the novel drew worldwide attention to the horrors of apartheid, a political institution promoting segregation and discrimination. However, because historical and social issues figure prominently in the novel, it is sometimes difficult for modern students to understand. But because of the enduring plague of racism, it is all the more important for students to come to terms with the issues Paton raises. This book overviews Paton's novel and relates it to its social and political contexts.

The book begins with an analysis of the novel and gives attention to adaptations and films based on it. It then overviews South African history. This is followed by a selection of primary documents related to the origin of apartheid, the history and work conditions of miners, the social and economic conditions in urban and rural areas, the challenges facing South African women, and the state of post-apartheid South Africa. While the book does much to illuminate Paton's novel, it additionally helps students use the novel to explore important social concerns still present in society.
About the Author: Ngwarsungu Chiwengo is Associate Professor of English at Creighton University. her work has appeared in such journals as South Atlantic Quarterly, Journal of Black Studies, and African Literature Association Bulletin.
PDF Catalogs:
All rights reserved. Copyright © 1999-2009 ABC-CLIO
130 Cremona Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93117 805-968-1911