Schooling Criminals? Chapter 12

In a debate over native crimes between Mr. de Villiers and Mr. Scott, Mr. Scott asks if “schooling simply means cleverer criminals” (76). Paton does not leave a clear answer to whether schooling does make cleverer criminals or not. The argument just falls apart. The argument is a strong one with both opposing sides having strong positions against each other. I believe schooling does not mean cleverer criminals. Schooling is for people to be educated. Governors do not want Johannesburg to be an uneducated society. It would prove to have a bad reputation among people and travelers would not want to go there. Plus, schooling has not been tried for most Africans. If Africans were put to school, then they would be educated. They would understand what to do and what not to do. Once they marry and have children, they can tell their children about what is right and what is wrong. Then the children will tell their children and it will end the vicious cycle. Even if schooling does create cleverer criminals, most criminals would understand the consequences to committing crimes. Knowledge would be the deterrent for committing crimes. At least “cleverer criminals” know what is wrong. Schooling criminals is a way to keep them from committing crimes. By the way, who knows what kind of minds dwell in the children who are not educated? These children who are not educated could have the key to stop racial profiling, the key to stop discrimination, the key to change the world.

"Cry, the beloved country" Chapter 11

Alan Paton chose the title for the book, Cry, the Beloved Country, not because it sounds great, but because it relates to the story on a deeper level. The words “Cry, the beloved country” (74) were actually spoken after an incident in Claremont. Kumalo just learned about a tragic murder when natives allegedly murdered Arthur Jarvis, a man known for his welfare efforts for non-European people, natives implying Africans. For most Africans, it symbolizes a tear in their efforts to help other nationalities in South Africa. To white people, it’s another crime that makes headlines. However, the crime symbolizes one hole made in the country only to be filled with sadness, sorrow, and hatred. The crimes committed by Africans do not just happen and are filed away. They have a devastating effect on the people, the tribes, and the country. This is why the country cries. It is weighed down crimes and soon knows that it will face doom. Everyone cries for the country. Everyone knows the country is falling apart. The people who stand for the country are the ones who try to bring the country back from the point of no return. These people are recognized and are labeled as heroes. This is why when other Africans murder heroes, Africans feel that the murderers only make the country stumble. Murders make the country cry. The tears from the country can be felt at the bottom of the people’s hearts. They do not go unnoticed.

Significance of Boycotting in Chapter 8

Boycotting proved to be the most effective way to protest against the government for African Americans. They were not able to do anything outrageous or else they would be thrown straight to jail. African Americans had only one option to safely rebel against the government. Boycotting is “withdraw from commercial or social relations with (a country, organization, or person) as a punishment or protest” (google.com). By boycotting, African Americans are able to protest for lower prices for certain fares. Most African Americans during the time period did not have money to spend left and right. From Chapter 2, we learned that Kumalo’s family had to save up for Kumalo to travel to Johannesburg. In search of his son, Kumalo needs to take a bus to Alexandra. However, the man stops him saying, “This boycott is urgent” (42). The strategy behind boycotting is smart. By stopping people from taking the bus due to a high price, the government will be forced to lower prices making it more convenient for people to ride the bus now at a lower price. However, the African Americans that need to get to Alexandra either have to walk eleven miles, a very long journey in the scorching heat, or take a taxi, which costs a fortune. Either or, people still find a way to make it there in the end. Seeing the “boycott is urgent,” it can be implied that the boycott is one of many. With each boycott piling up, the more desperate the government will become and maybe give in.

Difference in Societies based on Chapter 7

Difference in societies is equivalent to difference in cities. The difference between Johannesburg and Ndotshemi shows the two very different societies our world contains. The two different societies are the “One leader society” and the “All have a chance society”. Ndotshemi represents the “One leader society” while Johannesburg represents the “All have a chance society”. Stephen Kumalo’s brother, John Kumalo explains this concept as he says, “at least I am free of the chief,” (35). In other words, John is saying he is proud to be part of the “All have a chance society,” which is in Johannesburg. In John’s speech, he expresses the concept of being able to be part of the group. He describes that he has a role in society unlike how in Ndothshemi, everything is reliant on the Chief. This is why he says he could not write back the Stephen Kumalo. The inexpressible freedom John has cannot be simply put in words. Not only does John feel part of the society but he also makes more money. Money is the driving force of all behind most businesses and jobs. Therefore being an impact to the society and earning four times as much as the people in Ndothshemi earn is worth it. The idea of being, “free of the chief” is a thought that most people under the chief must have thought at one point. The difference between the people in Johannesburg and Ndotshemi, however, is that the people living in Johannesburg took a stand against the chief and left the city.

Racism in Chapter 5

The definition of racism is as follows: “the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races” (google.com). Many people misuse the word racism in situations where the word racism isn’t the right word. Most people are just racially insensitive. However, Paton describes the realities of racism in the real world. He shows the world, through literature, that racism isn’t just a joke. It is part of our society. His description could be no clearer as he says, “white Johannesburg was afraid of black crime” (22). These words speak for themselves. Even if a white person committed a crime, it does not weigh as much as an African American’s crime. The preconceived notion that white people had toward the whole race of African Americans is what is defined as racism. A crime is a crime. A white man committing murder is the same as a black man committing murder. There is no difference. However in a dominantly white town, the crime of a black man weighs more. There is no equality in that. There is no humanity in that. All that accounts to a form of superior race when all people on this earth were created equally. People just have different ethical backgrounds. If different races can overcome the racial barriers between each other, the world would be a better place. There would be real equality in between races. There would be no racism. There would be nothing to worry about.

Racial Distinction shown in Chapter 3

Racial distinction in South Africa is a subject that is lightly touched on. However, through methods of transportation, the differences can be clearly spotted. Kumalo describes them by saying, “all country trains in South Africa are, it was full of black travellers” (13). In other words, African Americans used the trains as their only method of transportation. In the same paragraph, Alan Paton writes, “Europeans of this district all have their cars” (13). Essentially, Europeans were able to afford cars because of the jobs they had. African Americans used trains because of their jobs. Most African American’s jobs were more laborious than European jobs. Examples of jobs they had were carpenter work and working in the mines. These jobs in present time relate to minimum wage jobs. Which means, Africans struggled to buy their own cars due to lack of pay in their jobs while Europeans had no trouble because of their high paying jobs. The struggles Africans face are depicted through Kumalo’s point of view in preparation for his train trip to Johannesburg. He described his family saving up for his son’s departure, however, his family decided to use it on Kumalo. While riding the train, Kumalo noticed people working in the mines, a typical African American job. However, he didn’t notice European people working out in the country. Europeans had jobs in the city, in buildings with a controlled temperature. Therefore Kumalo was able to witness the racial distinction apart from his hometown consisting of a full African American population.