CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY

Title: Cry, The Beloved Country

Author: Alan Paton

Publishing House: Scribners and Jonathan Cape

Publication Date: December 1948

Genre: Novel

Language: English

RELEVANCE OF THE TITLE

The title is very important and relevant because it summarizes the content of the book in only four words. It is a very strong title. But when you read it for the first time, you cannot immediately understand the situation and the story. However the reader can understand the importance of the word "cry". It means that probably the book speaks about a difficult and a sad situation. The other words, "the beloved country", make the reader imagine that the plot of the book is tightly connected to the place where it is set and also that the author loves it a lot.

TOPICS

•         Problems in South Africa

•        The breakdown of tribal customs

•         Social instability

•        The disintegration of the tribal community

•         Native crime

•        The flight to the urban areas

•       The degrading of the land reserved for the natives

•         Fear

•        Christianity

•        The future

NEW LANGUAGE

mist = foschia

bracken = felce

matted = arruffato

soil = suolo

to hold = tenere

to seep = filtrare

strema = ruscello

cattle = bestiame

bare = nudo

to keep = conservare

to guard = sorvegliare

to grow = crescere

corse = grossolano

sharp = tagliente

stone = pietra

meize = granoturco

swirl = turbine

to glimpse = intravedere

whistle = fischio

kerb = bordo marciapiede

carriage = carrozza

garment = indumento

blanket = coperta

truck = camion

wheel = ruota

endless = interminabile

dusk = crepuscolo

stin = trambusto

roar = ruggito

forlorn = perduto

to scratch = graffiare

to sigh = sospirare

expenditure = spesa

tin = barattolo

cocao = cacao

sharply = bruscamente

wearily = stancamente

harshly = duramente

hurting = nuocere/ferire

humbly = umilmente

cripple = storpio

gloomy = cupo

fancy = fantasia

to intuire = informarsi

weak = debole

cheated = imbrogliato

cheap = economico

basin = bacinella

tavel = asciugamani

lavatory = gabinetto

barely = appena

idle = pigro

to beat = picchiare

hasty = frettoloso

thoughtess = sconsiderato

painful = doloroso

to quieten = calmare

sorrow = tristezza

selfish = egoista

sinful = peccaminoso

bitter = amaro

to mend = riparare

garbage = immondizia

heap = mucchio

proud = fiero

to throw off = seminare

hooligans = teppisti

shabbiness = malandata

filth = sudiciume

loafer = scansafatiche

discomfort = disagio

sullenly = svogliatamente

sob = singhiozzo

distress = angoscia/sofferenza

to fill with = riempirsi

to stroke = accarezzare

sake = bene

greasy = untuoso

knitted = lavorato a maglia

jersey = maglia

handkerchief = fazzoletto

frayed = sfilacciato

to bow = inchinare

faithful = fedele

mad = pazzo

sweat = sudore

wet = bagnato

spark = scintilla

coldly = freddamente

suspiciously = sospettosamente

earnestly = con aria serena

to seek = cercare

lust = lussuria

to revenge = vendicare

lest = per timore che

sombre = cupo

weakening = indebolimento

fare = tariffa

foolish = sciocco

boycott = boicottaggio

politely = cortesemente

brain = cervello

regretfully = con rammarico

deed = opera

to be willing = essere disposto

toh ire = affittare

ailing = malato

rent = affitto

bribe = tangente

to bewilder = disorientare

hedge = siepe

entire = intero

sorrowfully = tristemente

bright = intelligente/brillante

widoe = vedova

to go astray = smarrirsi

preacher = predicatore

to jest = scherzare

moisture = umidità

to repent = pentirsi

to deny = negare

proof = prova

trifle = frivolezza

mercy = misericordia

to hang = appendere/impiccare

to declive = ingannare

dam = diga

slang = gergo

truly = veramente

confirmation = cresima

thunder = tuono

jest = scherzo

wreath = corona di fiori

wise = saggio

numb = intorpidito

dawn = alba

bondage = schiavitù

The language used is very suitable to tell the story. The author uses a lot of words so it is not very simple to read the book. I believe this because he adopts a specifical language for each topic (for example the structure of the city, tools and machinery, words coonnected to the law or to the religion).

The writer uses nominalisation because he describes all with care. But he adopts also a lot of verbs so that the story goes on quickly creating curiosity and suspence.

The overall effect is that the plot becomes very interesting because the actions happen one after the other quickly. In the meantime the reader can also imagine all the situation and the places where the actions of the characters happen because the description made by the writer has got many details.

In the book there is a balance between narration and dialogue because descriptions are always followed by speeches between the characters.

The language contributes a lot to the message of the book. As a matter of fact the reader is completely immersed into the story so that he is totally involved: he can understand very well the situation and the feelings of each character.

The message of the story is very important because it is linked with the real situation of South Africa during 1900. Alan Paton wants to describe the difficult moment of this country because he lives there and he knows these problems. He underlines social, political and economical problems. But the most important thing he wants to deal is the tragic opposition between black and white, poor and rich. He wants that all people can know these problems and that they can come to consciusness that this situation has to be changed.