Cry, the Beloved Country
For each section of assigned reading, you need to select at least 4 quotes. The first TWO will target
author's STYLE through parallelism*, diction, figurative language, and persuasive appeals. You will
include a lead-in, incorporate the quote, cite the page number following MLA citation, and follow it up
with at least two sentences of commentary. These are due at the beginning of class each day,
and they will not be accepted late.
*See other side for directions on the OTHER TWO nightly quotes*
*for examples of parallelism, see the bottom of this sheet
PARALLELISM
In the opening descriptions of Ixopo’s hills, the land is described as something that must be revered: “Keep it, guard it,
care for it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men. Destroy it and man is destroyed” (Patton 33). By using such
deliberate chiasmus, the author is able to capture the importance of the bond between humans and the land. The parallel
syntax emphasizes the precarious balance that must occur and the symbiotic nature of this relationship.
DICTION
People view the great valley through which the train runs in different ways: “Some people do not like it, and find it cold
and gloomy. But others like it, and find in it mystery and fascination, and prelude to adventure, and an intimation of the
unknown” (Patton 41). The diction such as “cold and gloomy” set a contrasting tone to others’ interpretations of the valley,
as they see it containing a more mysterious and exciting energy. Thus the language shows that people have different
interpretations of the valley and probably different reasons for going on the train. However, whether it is dread or
excitement that is present, one can feel a sense of the unknown.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
When Kumalo arrives at the train station in Johannesburg, “his heart beats like that of a child, there is nothing to do or
think to stop it” (Patton 48). Using the simile of comparing Kumalo to a child emphasizes his emotions of the time. As
someone who has never seen the city and who is immediately overwhelmed, it is as if he is a child, full of wonderment
and fright.
PERSUASIVE APPEALS
The destruction of the land is evident in the opening description of the hills: “The earth has torn away like flesh…the dead
streams come to life, full of the red blood of the earth” (Patton 34). The earth is personified in order to humanize the land,
and the violent imagery enhances the narrator’s point that the earth is being torn open and bleeding. This disturbing
description sets a severe tone which displays the tragedy of what is happening to the land, creating an emotional appeal.
PARALLELISM: similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses
Example: “He tried to make the law clear, precise, and equitable. However, others saw the law as muddled, confusing,
and unfair.”
CHIASMUS: parallelism where the order of the terms in the first of two parallel clauses is reversed in the second.
Example: “Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure.” - Lord Byron
Example: "They say money don't make the man but man, I'm makin' money." - Tupac
ANAPHORA: parallelism that uses repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginnings of successive clauses
Example: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the
streets, we shall fight in the hills.”
Winston Churchill, June 4, 1940
ANTITHESIS: the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in parallel structure
Example: “Our knowledge separates as well as it unites; our orders disintegrate as well as bind; our art brings us together
and sets us apart.” J. Robert Oppenheimer, 1955
In addition to finding two quotes related to author's style and writing lead-in and commentary for each
quote in proper MLA style, you will also need to find TWO other quotes and do the same procedure to
analyze central ideas connected to possible themes. Your three quotes must connect to one of
the following central ideas:
Father-Son Relationships
When James reads his son Arthur's unfinished manuscript, he "sat deeply moved. Whether this was because this was his
son, whether because this was almost the last act of his son, he could not say" (Patton 188). Jarvis' reaction to reading
the words of his son overwhelms him because he is developing knowledge of his son's thoughts and feelings he never
had before, however it is now too late to be able to speak to his son and relate to him about such things. Jarvis also is
developing a newfound respect for the work his son did while alive, and there seems to be regret on the part of James
that Arthur can't continue his work.
Religion
Patton describes Jarvis' view of Christianity by describing Jarvis' opinion of the nearby mission: "There was a mission
near him, at Ndotsheni. But it was a sad place as he remembered it. A dirty old wood-and-iron church, patched and
forlorn, and a dirty old parson, in a barren valley where the grass hardly grew" (Patton 174). Because Kumalo's church
and the land of the natives are described as hopeless, dirty, and barren, Patton is showing that Jarvis saw Christianity in a
similar fashion, as religion seemed unable to restore the land or Kumalo's spirit. The imagery of the broken-down church
and dead earth contrasts to imagery traditionally associated with Christianity of brightness and "new life."
South African Racial Policies/Politics
Harrison, Arthur's father in law, tells James that he believes "the natives as a whole are getting out of hand" (Patton 182).
Patton uses Mr. Harrison to represent the views of many upper class whites at the time who saw any sort of a power and
authority in the hands of the native blacks as somehow dangerous. The white's who shared this opinion had racial and
social prejudices against the native blacks and they expected them to remain passive and subjugated, thus any protests
or speaking out by the blacks represented "getting out of hand" according to their unfair expectations.
Beauty/Power of Nature and "The Land"
The destruction of the land is evident in the opening description of the hills: “The earth has torn away like flesh…the dead
streams come to life, full of the red blood of the earth” (Patton 34). The earth is personified in order to humanize the land,
and the violent imagery enhances the narrator’s point that the earth is being torn open and bleeding. This disturbing
description shows that Patton's attitude is one of intense anger and sadness at the way a resource which represented
more than just property was being neglected and it also had a symbolic connection to the plight of the native black
population at the time.
NIGHTLY READING ASSIGNMENT:
 Minimum of 4 quotes
 Each quote requires proper lead-in, author and page number citation, and at least two
sentences of commentary
 Quotes should be organized and labeled as seen in the examples
 At least two quotes should connect to and analyze style as shown through parallelism, diction,
figurative language, and persuasive appeals
 At least three quotes should connect to central ideas and possible themes as shown
through father-son dynamics, religion, politics/racial issues, and nature/the land