Study Work Guide: Cry, the Beloved Country Grade 12 First Additional Language

By Lucille Smuts

How well do you know your prescribed novel? Do you understand the contents of your novel? Are you ready to write your exams? This study work guide has been compiled to help learners understand and grasp the novel, Cry, the Beloved Country, prescribed for Grade 12 English First Additional Language.
This study work guide has been compiled to the requirements of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) and all important aspects relating to the novel have been covered – in accessible language.
This guide cannot be used on its own as it refers to the novel in the prescribed text throughout.
What makes our study work guides different?
This study work guide forms part of a series. As the name suggests, this is not only a guide in which the novel is discussed, but also a workbook in which learners can make notes. This helps with revision for exams and tests and keeps valuable notes from going astray.
The contents of this study work guide
• An in-depth discussion of the novel – all three books within the novel.
• Pre-reading, during reading and post-reading activities.
• Contextual questions (with space for learners’ answers).
• Complete analysis of key passages in the novel (with extracts from the novel).
• Enrichment activities.
• A glossary of literary terms.
• Plot summaries.
• Examples of examination questions.
All study work guides in this series have been compiled according to CAPS requirements.
This study work guide supplements the prescribed novel Cry, the Beloved Country for Grade 12 English First Additional Language.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Best Books
• Release date: Feb 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781776070633

Lucille Smuts

Lucille Smuts (Annamarie Mostert) observed and evaluated workplace-based teaching practice of pre-service/in-service teachers in schools for the past 26 years as lead teacher, head of the English Department at Springs Hugenote Girls’ High School, as Subject Advisor in the Northern Cape and as Quality Assurance Chief Education Specialist at the Department of Basic Education in South Africa. Now retired, she compiles educational material for the FET phase.

Book preview

Best Books Study Work Guide: Cry, the Beloved Country

for Grade 12 First Additional Language

Compiled by

Lucille Smuts

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The layout in this digital edition of the Best Books Study Work Guide: Cry, the Beloved Country for Grade 12 English First Additional Language may differ from that of the printed version, depending on the settings on your reader. The layout displays optimally if you use the default setting on your reader. Readers can experiment with the settings to enhance display.

The page references in this version refer to the pages in the printed book.

In instances where learners are asked to ‘answer the questions below’ the questions may appear on the next page depending on the device being used. Where learners are asked to answer questions in the book, we suggest jotting down answers in a separate workbook.learners are asked to ‘answer the questions below’ the questions may appear on the next page depending on the device being used.

References to the back cover of the book refer to the About the book section in this version.

Foreword

Dear Grade 12 Learner

What is the message of Paton’s novel Cry, the Beloved Country? What does this message mean to you, today? Who is Alan Paton and when, where and why did he write the novel? You can only answer these questions when you build your own knowledge and understanding of Cry, the Beloved Country. This you will do before and while you are reading the novel and when you think and write about what you have read.

Making meaning of the message in Cry, the Beloved Country

Your study work guide

The purpose of this study work guide is to guide you in making meaning of the novel and to write what it means to you in your own words; it should deepen your own understanding of the novel’s message. When you do the pre-reading, reading and post-reading activities, you will gain confidence in forming and communicating your understanding and interpretation of its message. You will also discover and appreciate how the author uses the art of novel-writing to communicate the central ideas of his message.

This study work guide uses explanatory notes, activities and questions to sharpen your reasoning, reading and writing skills. When you do the activities, please practise your writing skills by writing your answers in full sentences. Write your thoughts in clear sentences so that your communication makes perfect sense. Reread your answers to check whether they make sense to you. If they do not, edit your writing so that the meaning of the sentences is clearer. Also check your spelling and punctuation.

Your study work guide is divided into four main sections: A, B, C and D. Section A guides your understanding of the whole text of Cry, the Beloved Country, its purpose and structure. It helps you to see the big picture.

Section B guides your in-depth reading of Books One, Two and Three in the novel. This section will help you to trace connections (links) between the novel’s big picture outlined in Section A and the supporting detail in the text. The contextual questions guide your thinking in, about and beyond the text.

Section C asks you to explain and reflect on what the novel Cry, the Beloved Country means to you. This section provides three examples of examination questions; one per book.

Section D provides suggestions for enrichment activities. It is important to note that because Cry, the Beloved Country is a work of art, there is not only one correct way of interpreting and understanding its message. The interpretation offered in this study work guide is based on an intensive reading of the text and on extensive reading about the text.

The author and publisher

Section A: Making meaning of the novel as a whole

1. Pre-reading activities

1.1 Taking your first glance at the novel

When you have received your copy of the novel, don’t begin reading the text straight away! First do the following activities in your study work guide.

To do:

Quickly read (skim) information about the novel provided on its cover, in the introductory section of your copy of the novel and in your study work guide. Use this information and the activities in your study work guide to build your own understanding of the message in Cry, the Beloved Country.

Use the list below to check whether you have read all the information that you need. Find the item on the checklist and tick ✓ after you have read it. To help you find an item easily, indications of where you can find an item in your copy of the novel and in your study work guide appear in brackets after the item. Follow the steps in this checklist to get an overall impression of any novel you plan to read in order to decide whether you want to read it or not.

My information checklist

Notes and questions

1.Cover page: every picture tells a story!

The photograph on your novel’s front cover shows a black and a white man facing in opposite directions. Both are elderly. The clothing of the black man shows that he is a parson. He is leaning on a walking stick, which tells you that he uses it to support him on his journey. The white man is dressed plainly. The body language of the two people suggests that they could be suffering and that they could find it difficult to communicate with each other. This could be an issue that would need attention in the novel. However, they are sharing the same beautiful landscape. The way in which the title is printed on the front cover highlights the word Cry.

This word also tells you that the novel will be about suffering. The name of the author, Alan Paton, appears below the title on the front cover.

What does the front cover of your copy of the novel tell you?

2.The title page: more about the title

Read the title Cry, the Beloved Country and the subtitle A story of comfort in desolation together because the subtitle explains more about the author’s message in the novel. You can usually predict what the novel is all about by interpreting its title from clues that you find when you have a quick look at its front cover and its title page. For example, the word Cry in the title suggests pain and suffering. The phrase the Beloved Country tells you that Paton loves the country, South Africa. The word story in the subtitle tells you that the author chose to write about issues that cause pain and suffering in South Africa in the format of a story and not in the format of a historical record or a report. The story is about comfort in desolation. These words suggest that the author believes in the need for acts of caring to comfort and restore those who are suffering.

Do you agree with this interpretation of the author’s message? Write why you agree or disagree. Write your own interpretation of the title and subtitle to predict the message of Cry, the Beloved Country.

I agree/disagree _________________________________.

Why?

My own interpretation of what the message of Cry, the Beloved Country could be:

3.About the novel

The message of the novel is summarised on the back cover (the blurb). The purpose of this summary is to advertise the novel. It promotes the novel as a classic South African novel that is still relevant today.

Another example of how the novel’s message could be written follows:

Cry, the Beloved Country tells the story of Reverend Stephen Kumalo, an ageing isiZulu parson who leaves the security of Ndotsheni, a rural village in KwaZulu-Natal, to look for his sister and his son in Johannesburg.

He finds his family but he discovers how fear, greed, corruption and racial tension cause suffering and destruction in their lives. He also experiences the comforting power of kindness, hope, respect and love during his stay in Johannesburg and upon his return to Ndotsheni, where he starts rebuilding relationships and his community.

Do you agree that the issues and their solutions mentioned in the summaries could still be relevant today? Give a reason why you agree or disagree.

I agree/disagree _________________________________.

Why?

4.First publication of Cry, the Beloved Country

Paton’s novel was first published by Jonathan Cape in Great Britain in 1948. The first date of publication tells you when the novel was written. Keeping the information that you have already discovered in mind, you can predict that the novel paints a picture of how social and political problems during the 1940s affected relationships in South Africa.

5.About the author: Alan Paton’s life and Cry, the Beloved Country

In the novel, the author communicates his experiences and his views of human nature and nature, society and politics in South Africa during the 1940s. The table on p. 3 in your school edition summarises some of the main links between his life and the novel.

Reread your prediction about the message in Cry, the Beloved Country. Do you still agree with your answer after you have received more information about some links between the author and his novel? Edit your answers to reflect your growing understanding.

1.2 Taking a closer look at the Author’s Notes before reading the novel

Paton included messages to his readers in three editions of the novel. He wrote an Author’s Note to the 1948, 1959 and 1987 editions. The purpose of these notes is to share information which will further increase your understanding and enjoyment of the novel. Read these notes to build your background knowledge about the novel before you start reading the text. A summary of the information provided by Paton in each Author’s Note follows.

The 1948 edition: fact or fiction?

Paton mainly distinguishes between historical facts and fiction in his first note to the reader. A road runs from Ixopo to Carisbrooke and one looks down on the valley of the Umzimkulu. This river is called a great river but it is a small river in a great valley. The village of Ndotsheni and the farm called High Place don’t exist.

The characters in the novel are imaginary, except for two persons. Professor Hoernlé, a Professor of Philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand who fought for justice, and Ernst Oppenheimer, who, as the leader of a very important mining group, could use his influence to improve the conditions of the miners.

The author incorporates in his story events that really happened as a result of financial and social injustice towards black miners and workers. These events are: the bus boycott; the development of Shanty Town; the discovery of gold at Odendaalsrust and the miners’ strike. Seen from this viewpoint, the novel is a true record of social injustice.

The author explains that he has added a glossary at the end of the novel to increase the reader’s knowledge and pronunciation of unfamiliar words. He also adds statistics about the composition and numbers of the population in South Africa and in Johannesburg at the time.

Test your knowledge and understanding:

Are the following statements true or false? Write true or false in the space provided next to the statements below.

•The valley where the Umzimkulu River runs exists. ________________________________

•The Umzimkulu is a big river. ________________________________

•The village of Ndotsheni exists. ________________________________

•The farm called High Place doesn’t exist. ________________________________

•The characters in the novel are real. ________________________________

•The author uses events that really took place in South Africa in the 1940s in his story. __________________________

The Author’s Note below show Paton’s continued concern that his readers should receive updated information about the composition and numbers of the South African population. The signature at the bottom of the note indicates that he was living in the province of Natal in South Africa when he wrote it.

The 1959 edition: updated facts and statistics

Paton updates the statistics about the South African population and its composition. He comments on the tremendous growth of Johannesburg. This city now has one-and-a-quarter million inhabitants. He informs the reader that Mr Harry Oppenheimer has succeeded Sir Ernst Oppenheimer, who died in 1958.

In his last Author’s Note Paton gives information about the novel. He informs the reader where he had written the novel; he explains how the novel got its title, what kind of book it is and what value the novel holds for him and his family.

The 1987 edition: The title, format and value of Cry, the Beloved Country

The author explains that the novel is about South Africa, but that it was not written in this country. It was written in Norway and in America. It was sent to American publishers. Maxwell Perkins, Senior Editor of the publisher Charles Scribner & Sons, accepted the script at once. He told Paton that the land, South Africa, was one of the most important characters in the novel. The author uses questions and answers to structure the rest of his note.

How did the novel get its title?

Paton had a little competition about finding a title for the novel with Aubrey and Marigold Burns, who typed and sent the novel to publishers. All three of them wrote the same title Cry, the Beloved Country on a piece of paper!

Where did the title come from?

The title came from three or four passages in the novel that have the words Cry, the beloved country. The author quotes the text of one of these passages in his note. The passage is in Book 1, Chapter 12 (p. 69 in your school edition). Paton explains that he communicates his own love for South Africa in this passage. He explains to the reader that he has used the technique of poetic licence (the freedom of a poet to change rules in order to make a story more effective). The quoted passage offers no suggestions about how one could prevent oneself from loving the country too deeply.

What kind of novel is it?

Paton answers this question by quoting from another book of his: For you the Departed, published in 1969 by Charles Scribner & Sons. He answers that Cry, the Beloved Country is a love song for South Africa which expresses his longing for his country and for an ideal land where there will be no destruction, death, sorrow or crying. He continues to explain that it is a story of the beauty – and extreme fear – of human life.

The value of the novel to him and to his family lies in its worldwide success as a novel. It changed his family’s lives by opening up new opportunities, which they grasped. It has enabled the author to continue writing. He ends this note by expressing his gratitude for the empowering effect that the novel has had on their lives.

Test your understanding:

Answer the questions below. Remember to practise writing in full sentences and to communicate clearly what you want to say.

1.Paton wrote messages in the format of Author’s Notes to his readers. What is the purpose of these messages?

2.What kind of novel is Cry, the Beloved Country, according to the author?

1.3 The purpose and format of the novel

When you want to send a message about what you are thinking or feeling to someone or to yourself, the type of message that you send depends on the reason why you are sending it. For example, you could write a note, an SMS, a WhatsApp or a Tweet or post something on Snapchat to your friends to communicate why you like or dislike the latest Top Hits playlist. You would use a different format to communicate your thoughts and feelings when you write an examination essay on The Power of Money. The purpose of the message determines its format.

Why did Paton write Cry, the Beloved Country?

Purpose: to advocate the need for social and political change.

He communicates a powerful message of love and compassion needed to change the suffering of a land and its people caused by social and political injustices in South Africa.

In which format did Paton choose to write his message?

Format: A novel

He wrote his message in the format of a novel. Although Paton says that Cry, the Beloved Country is a love song, it is not written in the form of a song nor a poem. Poetry, drama and short stories also express messages in text, but according to the rules or conventions of their specific kind of literature (or genre). The novel is a specific genre in the art of writing literature. It expresses the author’s message in prose; it uses words and sentences that are spoken and written in everyday communication. The sentences are organised in paragraphs, chapters and, in this novel, in books.

Historical novel

Cry, the Beloved Country is a historical novel. The novel describes real events and refers to real personages but only in so far as these form part of a story with a plot and fictional characters. Its setting is the 1940s in South Africa. It shows how segregation and the migrant labour system could destroy values of love, caring and respect. It also illustrates the struggle to uphold these values through forgiveness and reconciliation.

Racial segregation means the separation of races in everyday life. When Paton wrote the novel, racial segregation was enforced by law. The purpose of racial segregation laws such as the Native Land Act of 1913, the Pass Laws and Native Urban Areas Act of 1923 was to restrict the freedom of the black people to buy land and to live wherever they wanted to live. They could only buy land and live in tribal areas called Reserves. These areas were not large enough for the growing population. The families who depended on crops produced by the land lived in poverty. They also had to pay taxes to the government. Men and boys aged eighteen and older had to go and look for jobs