An analysis of paton`s social criticism toward the South-African society as reflected in kumalo`s internal conflicts in cry, the beloved country.

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ABSTRACT

Novero Ferdinand (2008). An Analysis of Paton’s Social Criticism toward the South African Society as Reflected in Stephen Kumalo’s conflicts in Cry, the Beloved Country Yogyakarta : Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.

This thesis concerns the novel, Cry, the Beloved Country written by Alan Paton. This novel tells about a journey of a priest looking for his son, brother and sister. Through a long journey, Stephen Kumalo faces conflicts happen within himself. I found this novel interesting because there are some factors that could raise conflicts to someone. This novel becomes more interesting because Paton uses these conflicts to criticize the South African society at that time.

This thesis is intended to answer three questions, namely (1) how is the character of Kumalo depicted in the novel? (2) what are the conflicts and the causes of the conflicts that are faced by the main characeter? (3) what is Paton criticism toward South African society in the twentieth century as reflected in Kumalo’s conflicts?

The method used is library research. The data were collected from the novel, criticism on the novel, and other sources realted to the novel. I employed the theory of character and the theory of characterization to answer the first question. To answer the second question, I used the theory of conflicts to explore the conflicts faced by the main character. To answer the third question, I adopted the sociocultural historical approach. This approach was used because I would like to study the socio cultural historical aspect of the story as a reflection of the social condition of the society in South Africa.

From the analysis, I draw conclussion: (1) Kumalo is a humble man and strong dealing with the situation he faces. Although he is old, he is able to face every circumstances in his life. (2) The conflicts that kumalo has when he has to struggle within himself. The conflicts that Kumalo has made him feel affraid,sad, desperate and suffering. The causes of the conflicts comes from the member of his family and his own village. (3) Paton’s critcism of South African society are social injustice, moral degradation, and descrimination between black people and white people.

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Novero Ferdinand (2008). An Analysis of Paton’s Social Criticism toward the South African Society as reflected in Stephen Kumalo’s Conflicts in Cry, The Beloved Country Yogyakarta : Program Study Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Skripsi ini mengenai novel yang berjudul Cry, The Beloved Country yang di karang oleh Alan Paton. Novel ini mengenai perjalanan seorang pendeta dalam mencari anak serta adik dan kakaknya. Melalui perjalanan yang cukup panjang yang di laluinya. Terdapat banyak kendala yang harus dihadapinya yang mengakibatkan banyak konflik terjadi di dalam dirinya. Novel ini menarik karena penulis dapat menemukan beberapa factor yang dapat mengakibatkan konflik-konflik pada diri seseorang. Novel ini menjadi lebih menarik karena pengarang menggunakan novel ini sebagai kritik social terhadap masyarakat Afrika Selatan pada masa pertikaian antara kulit putih dan kulit hitam.

Skripsi ini bermaksud menjawab tiga pertanyaan, yaitu (1) bagaimana karakter dari tokoh utama dilukiskan dalam novel tersebut (2) konflik-konflik apa saja yang dihadapi tokoh utama dan apa penyebab dari konflik-konflik tersebut (3) Kritik sosial apa yang di sampaikan oleh Alan Paton untuk mengkritik masyarakat Afrika Selatan pada masa abad ke-20 yang di refleksikan di dalam konflik yang dihadapi oleh tokoh utama.

Metode yang digunakan adalah penelitian data yang dikumpulkan berasal dari novel itu sendiri, kritik pada novel, dan sumber sumber lain yang berhubungan dengan novel yang di ambil dari study pustaka. Penulis menggunakan teori karakter dan teori karakteristik untuk menjawab pertanyaan pertama. Teori-teori ini digunakan untuk mempelajari dan menganalisis karakteristik dari tokoh utama. Untuk menjawab pertanyaan kedua, penulis menggunakan teori konflik untuk mempelajari dan menganalisis konflik konflik dan penyebab dari konflik-konflik yang di hadapi oleh tokoh utama. Untuk menjawab pertanyaan ketiga, penulis menggunakan pendekatan sosiokultural-sejarah yaitu dengan mempelajari apa yang terjadi pada waktu pengarang menulis novel tersebut dan mempelajari latar belakang masyarakat Afrika Selatan pada waktu itu.

Dari analisis yang di lakukan penulis menyimpulkan (1) Kumalo adalah seorang yang rendah hati dan sabar dalam menghadapi tantangan yang ada di hadapannya. Walaupun ia tua namun ia kuat dalam menghadapi setiap masalah yang ada dalam kehidupannya. (2) Konflik-konflik yang di hadapi Kumalo adalah ketika ia harus bergumul dengan dirinya sendiri. Konflik-konflik yang di hadapi oleh Kumalo membuatnya merasakan takut, sedih, putus asa dan menderita. Penyebab dari konflik-konflik tersebut berasal dari anggota keluarganya dan desanya. (3) Kritik sosial yang di sampaikan Paton untuk masyarakat Afrika selatan pada waktu itu ialah ketidakadilan sosial, penurunan moral dan diskriminasi ras antara kulit hitam dan putih.

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AN ANALYSIS OF PATON’S SOCIAL CRITICISM TOWARD

THE SOUTH-AFRICAN SOCIETY AS REFLECTED IN

STEPHEN KUMALO’S CONFLICTS IN CRY, THE BELOVED

COUNTRY

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters

Novero Ferdinand

Student Number: 994214166

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2008

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AN ANALYSIS OF PATON’S SOCIAL CRITICISM TOWARD

THE SOUTH-AFRICAN SOCIETY AS REFLECTED IN

STEPHEN KUMALO’S CONFLICTS IN CRY, THE BELOVED

COUNTRY

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

NOVERO FERDINAND Student Number: 994214166

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA 2008

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Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go

and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye

shall search for me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you, Saith the Lord.

(Jeremiah 29: 12-14a)

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This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to My beloved family My beloved mother and father My awesome God And all my supporting friends And my girlfriend

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to my Father in heaven for his love and kindness through Jesus Christ for giving me a chance to finish this thesis. I thank you for all the forgiveness, faithfulness and blessings in my life.

I would like to thank my advisor, Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum for her guidance, corrections, suggestions, and comments on every steps of this thesis. I would like to thank my co-advisor Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum for the advices to make my thesis better and for helping me to evaluate my Subjects and for everything. I also would like to thank all of English Letters Lecturers and the secretariat staffs for their guidance in all these years. I also wish to express my gratitude to Pak Alip for all the efforts during my last year in Sanata Dharma.

I would like to thank my beloved father Rolly Kussoy and my beloved mother Dortje Posumah. To my Aunt Jenny and Uncle Dyan for helping me in all the finance during my study in Sanata Dharma. To my girlfriend Pamela Felita for all the prayer and love and care. To my Best Friends Nova, Ibrahim, Michael, Didik, Esti and Henny for always supporting me, may God bless them all. To Bapak Kost and Ibu Kost who were so kind in helping me when I was sick, I would like to thank all of my friends both in Sanata Dharma and in my church that I cannot mention one by one.

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Finally, I would like to dedicate this thesis to my loving memory Aunt Natje for introducing me the novel Cry, the Beloved Country and for all the supports that I cannot mention them all. Thank you so much, Jesus is always with you.

Novero Ferdinand

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE………... i

APPROVAL PAGE………... ii

ACCEPTANCE PAGE……… iii

MOTTO PAGE……….. iv

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN……….. v

DEDICATION PAGE………... .. vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………...…... vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS………. ix

ABSTRACT………..………...……. xi

ABSTRAK……….. . xii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION……….………...1

A. Background of the Study...………...1

B. Problem Formulation………...5

C. Objective of the Study………...5

D. Definition of terms………...6

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW………...9

A. Review of Related Studies………... 9

B. Review of Related Theories………...12

C. Review on South Africa Social Condition in the Early 20th Century…... 23

D. Theoretical Framework………... 27

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY……… 28

A. Object of the Study……….. 28

B. Approach of the Study………. 29

C. Method of the Study……… 31

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS………. 32

A. The Characterization of Stephen Kumalo………...………. 32

B. 1. Stephen Kumalo Conflicts………..……...……….. 34

a. Afraid of Something Uncertain …..….……….34

b. Sad of Gertrude’s Condition…………...……..……….35

c. Desperate of Absalom’s Murder Case..……….36

d. Suffering because of the Treatment of His Family...36

2. The Causes of Stephen Kumalo Conflicts……….………....37

a. Gertrude’s Sickness……….. 38

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b. Absalom’s Crime………...………....40

c. John’s Political Intrigue…………..………...42

d. Ndotsheni Dry Season…...………44

C. Paton’s Social Criticism of South African Society as reflected in Stephen Kumalo’s Conflicts………..………..45

CHAPTER V CONCLUSSION………...50

BIBLIOGRAPHY………..53

APPENDICES…..………..…56

A. Biography of Alan Paton………..……….…56

B. Summary………58

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ABSTRACT

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

A nation usually has norms which exist in society. However, if one of those norms fall down or break down, it can cause differences between one society and the others. Those things happen in South-Africa in the early of the 20th century which

takes Paton’s attention to write about the social condition of South African society in 1946.

The situation and condition between urban society and rural society are different in many ways such as norms, attitudes or even point of view in a religion. Those are some causes which Paton tries to criticize toward the South African society in his novel Cry, the Beloved Country.

Paton was born at Pietermaritzburg, Natal, in 1903. He attended Pietermaritzburg College, at which he afterwards taught at the Natal University College and he took his B.Sc. degree in Mathematics and Physics and the Diploma of Education. In 1925 he went to Ixopo to teach, where Cry, the Beloved Country opens. Before writing this book Alan Paton had written numerous articles on South African problems for national periodical, which he has continued to do (1944: 2).

During his life he has seen racial discrimination happen in South-Africa and using his talent as a writer he tries to criticize the condition of society of South African through one of his literary work Cry, the Beloved Country. He has spoken out

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against apartheid and his country’s policy of racial segregation with the memory group of whites in control.

In this thesis I found some conflicts happen in the character of Stephen Kumalo which becomes Paton’s criticism on the society. At that time there was a huge gap between town and country society. Many people in rural society go to urban society for some purposes but finally found that the circumstances in urban society not as they expected which makes them have to choose a hard way to live. Rural society shown in the novel are poor while Urban society are rich but they work in different ways. Rural society still sticks with their norms and religion while in urban society, there are many intricts, politics, and different point of view about a religion.

Wellek and Warren in their book A Theory of Literature stated that Literature as a social institution, using as its medium language, a social creation. Such traditional literary devices as symbolism and metre are social in their very nature. They are conventions and norms which would have arisen only in society. Literature which also a social function, or ‘use’, which cannot be purely individual. Thus a large majority of the questions raised by literary study are, at least ultimately or by implication, social questions: questions of tradition and convention, norms and genres, symbols and myths (1956: 42). We can see that literature has a close relationship with society and by using Stephen Kumalo’s character and through the conflict that Kumalo faced in almost all of the story, Paton succeeded to arise the world’s eyes to take their attention to South Africa. The conflicts of the main

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character related to the social condition in the novel and in South Africa at that time will become my focus later in describing the problem formulation.

Daily newspaper, The New York Times wrote about the novel, “A beautiful novel, rich, firm and moving… its writing is so fresh, its projection of character so immediate and full, its events so compelling, and its understanding so compassionate that to read the book is to share intimately, even to the point of catharsis, in the grave human experience treated.” (http://archives.obs-us/obs/english/films/mx/cry/aboutb.htm). The quotation above shows that Cry, the Beloved Country is able to move the reader’s compassion and to share the intimate feeling because Paton use many aspects in life in describing the character and the social condition in the novel.

Cry, the Beloved Country soon become famous after its first publication and invite many comments from other country. Many newspapers from other country put a comment about Paton’s novel and some of them admires Paton’s work as one of the best novel at that time. Another quotations written in The New Republic said that, “The greatest novel to emerge out of the tragedy of South Africa, and one of the best novels of our time.” (http://archives.obs-us.com/obs/english/films/mx/cry/aboutb.htm).

The novel sold well both in North America and in Great Britain. It was soon translated into 20 languages, and made into a film in England (1952) and a musical in the United States (Lost in the Stars, 1949, script by the playwright Mazwell Anderson and music by the German-American composer Kurt Weill). The South African

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edition, dedicated to Jan Hofmeyr, came out three months before Hofmeyr’s death at age 53 in December 1948. Book sales in South Africa were second only to those of the bible, and Paton became famous. (http://archives.obs-us.com/obs/english/films/mx/cry/aboutb.htm). Paton became famous after the first edition of Cry, the Beloved Country not only in South Africa but also in Europe because the novel soon translated into 20 languages.

Paton knew the area around Ndotsheni well. He taught school there when he was a young man. It is here where most of the main character in the novel was born. Paton wants to write a literary work because he wants to reveal his minds and ideas, which concern with his environment. We can learn many things in literature, such as the characterization of the main character, the conflict faced by the main character, the setting of the story, and the ideas or criticism that the author wants to show, and through the conflict, we can see that the author describes his ideas of social criticism and fate by using a language that the reader may understood. Basicly, the internal conflicts happen in the story faces by the main character Stephen Kumalo wants to show the people of South-Africa against the discrimination of races and the injustice at the time when Paton lives.

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B. Problem Formulation

This part discusses three problems which I formulate to give a brief definition of my study. The problems are formulated as follows:

1. How is Stephen Kumalo depicted in the novel?

2. What are the conflicts and the causes of the conflicts faced by Stephen Kumalo? 3. What are Paton’s criticism of the South African Society in the early 20th century as

reflected in Stephen Kumalo’s conflicts?

C. Objectives of the Study

This study aimed to answer the questions in problem formulation. First, the study discusses the characterization of Stephen Kumalo as the main character of the novel. Second, the study discusses the conflicts and the causes of the main character’s conflicts. This discussion will reveal other characters and condition which causes the main character having conflicts. Third, the discussion will be focused on the conflicts faced by the main character. This study will connected the problem formulation one and two to answer problem formulation four. Four, the discussion will reveal the author criticism toward the South African society at that time. This study will reveal the conflicts of the main character to show what Paton criticizes toward the South African society at that time.

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D. Definition of Terms

To get a clear understanding about the study, I try to explain some important terms or definition related with the topic of the discussion. Those terms are as follows:

1. Conflicts

I would like to give a little brief definition about what the meaning of conflict. Conflict is the struggle that grows out of the interplay of two opposing forces in a plot (At least one of the opposing forces is usually a person, or, if an animal or animate object is treated as though it were a person, a protagonist). There may be involvement in conflicts of four different kinds (1) a struggle against nature (2) a struggle against another person (3) a struggle against society (4) a struggle for mastery two elements within the person (Holman and Harmon, 1986 :107).

Conflict may be divided into two kinds, internal and external conflict. Internal conflict is between two desires within a character; external conflict is between characters or between a character and his environment (Stanton, 1965 : 62). I can conclude that internal conflicts is the condition where the character have to struggle inside himself while external conflicts is the struggle between the character and the force outside the character which could be anything. This internal conflicts makes the character shows certain feelings such as fear, suffer, depressed, angry or even sad.

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2. Social Criticism

The definition of Social Criticism in this section I divided into two. First I try give the definition of Criticism itself then Social, and then I try to draw conclusion from both definitions. The definition of the word “criticism as Paul Procter states in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English is “the act of forming and expressing judgements about the good or bad qualities of anything, especially artistic work, work of a critic” (1978:263).

In the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literature Terms edited by Chris Baldick, “Criticism is an activity which one of them is judgement of its worth by comparison with other work”. Baldick also adds more specific explanation that “criticism is concerned with revealing the author’s explanation (sometimes called ‘expressive’ Criticism) (1991: 48).

While Society, used by a novelist, sometimes refers merely to the high or fashionable class. However, ‘society’ can be wider in sense, not only comprehending merely people and their class but also their customs, conventions, beliefs and values, their institutional-legal, religious and cultural and their physical environments (Langland, 1984: 6). I can conclude that society is a group of people who live together with their own values, beliefs and customs.

A society in this study refers to the South African Society. There are many aspects I can learn through the South African society such as their customs, how they live, their believes, norms, and politics.

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I conclude that Social Criticism is an act of expressing judgment toward a group of people that live in one area, and that judgment could be toward anything such as values, norms or even politics.

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CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW

A. Review of Related Studies

Cry, the Beloved Country as one of Alan Paton’s works was written in 1948. It is the story of Zulu Christian Pastor’s journey from quite Natal province to a modern, sinister Johannesburg in search of his son, his sister and his brother-all whom have disappeared into an urban life, sin and political intrigue. By tragic circumstances his son Absalom, has accidentally killed the social reformer son of a leading Natal farmer. The novel deals with social condition in South-Africa where Paton used to live and spent most of his work and life there.

There are many opinions about the theme of this novel. Some critics said that the theme of Cry, the Beloved Country is about the tension between urban and rural society. In this novel, Paton presented rural society as a united family a religious person and having good morality and stability, while urban society as broken family, hedonism and atheism. It can be seen that the tension is a comparison of living between Johannesburg as a place of urban society and Ndotsheni as a picture of a place where rural society live. Other critics said that the theme is about social disintegration and moral restoration (Ross, 1997: 8).

Cry, the Beloved Country may be longer remembered than any other novel of 1948, but not because it fits into any pattern of the modern novel. It stands by itself; it

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creates rather than follows a tradition. It is at once unashamedly innocent and subtly sophisticated. It is a story; it is a prophecy; it is a psalm. It is passionately African, as no book before it had been; it is universal (Lewis Gannett, 2005: 1).

According to Gannet, Cry, the Beloved Country is a sophisticated novel. It is a combination of a story, a prophecy and a psalm. It is a fiction that includes Christian values as the dominant influence of the characters. Dealing with Paton’s interest in the race relation in South Africa, Gannet had an opinion that Cry, the Beloved Country is a story, which tries to offer a solution to the problem of South Africa, which is based on Christian values, such as love and kindness (2005: 1).

Randoph Vigne stated that Cry, the Beloved Country was the book that enabled Paton to say, when campaigning against the Group Areas Act 1957: ‘Having a voice which, by God’s grace, can be heard beyond the confines of South Africa, I use it to speak for people who have no voice at all’. The novel, Cry, the Beloved Country is well known in many countries outside South Africa. It means that Paton’s voice for the injustice in South Africa also reaches to other country and to other people outside South Africa (2006: 1).

According to Vigne, Alan Paton allowed politics to interfere his literary works: For Paton, as he makes clear several times, politics was a duty, interference in his life as a writer. To literature he owes always an equal, perhaps a higher duty. Nowhere, however, does he examine the failure of his hopes for political change through actions in which he participated (2006: 1)

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Maris Kobe in his review on the novel says, “In language both simple and eloquent, Alan Paton has created a masterpiece of symbolism, compassion and understanding. This book is a must read as a modern rendering of Greek tragedy.” (1997: 2)

From those criticisms, I can conclude that Cry, the Beloved Country is a novel but it contains with some values and critics about the society of South Africa. Paton succeeds to a remarkable degree in portraying a segment of South African life during period immediately following the end of World War II. He succeeds, to an even more remarkable degree, in endowing this regional portrait with universal significance. He accomplishes this by incorporating into the actualities of South Africa’s physical and social setting a fundamental theme of social disintegration and moral restoration. This theme is worked out through two complementary, or counter pointed, actions: Stephen Kumalo’s physical search for his son Absalom, and James Jarvis intellectual search for the spirit of his son Arthur. In each case, the journey, once undertaken, leads to an inner, spiritual awakening.

Another criticism stated by Rooney said that Cry, the Beloved Country is a great novel about racism, since it shows the injustice without any violence. It is intended to evoke and summon the readers compassion to the effect of the injustice (2005: 1). Through this novel, Paton tries to show the reader what is really happen in South Africa at that time. Paton tries to realize the readers about the effect of the injustice.

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Paton himself stated in his note of this novel, that Cry, the Beloved Country is a compound of truth and fiction. The story is not true, but the social condition is a record of the plain and simple truth. It is not only a portrait of social condition of South Africa, but it also conveys Paton’s feelings and opinions about racism. It seems that through this novel, Paton tries to fight against the practice of racism, especially racism in South Africa (1974: 5).

In this study, I focus on the main character’s conflicts and the author’s criticism toward the South African society in the novel. As I stated above, there are some opinions and critic about the novel. Most of them are to show social condition of the South African society at that time. Using the fact that the author was live in South Africa at that time, I compare the society with the society of South Africa where the author lives at that time. Although the novel is not real, the fact of social condition in South Africa at that time is real. The conflicts of the main character show the criticism of the author toward the South African society.

B. Review of Related Theories

1. Theory of Character

According to Abrams (1981: 20) in his book, A Glossary of Literary Terms, characters, the basic of the word characterization, are “the persons presented in a dramatic or a narrative work, who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral or disposition qualities that are express in what they say-the dialogue-by

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what they do-action.” The ground in the character’s temperament and moral nature for his speech and action constitute his ‘motivation’. A character may remain essentially ‘stable’ or unchanged in his outlook and disposition from beginning to the end of work, or he may undergo a radical change, either through a gradual development or as the result of an extreme crisis.

According to Holman and Harmon (1986: 81), character is a complicated term that includes the idea of the moral constitution of the human personality, the presence of the moral uprightness, and the simpler notion of the presence of creatures in art that seem to be human beings of one sort or another. I conclude that within a character we can see moral constitution that usually exits in society, the moral constitution express the human personality.

A main character can be either static or dynamic. A static character is one who changes little if at all. Things happened to such character without things happening within. The pattern of action reveals the character rather than showing the changing in respond to do the actions. A dynamic character is one who is modified by actions and experience. One objective of the work in which the character appears is to reveal the consequences of these actions (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 83).

According to Forster, characters can be divided into two terms. First, a flat character. It is build around ‘a single idea or quality’ and is presented without much individualizing detail, and therefore can be fairly adequately described in a single phrase or sentence. Second, a round character, it is complex in temperament and

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motivation and is presented with subtle particularly. Thus, he is as difficult to describe with any adequacy as a person in real life, and like most people, he is capable of surprising the reader (1974: 46-48).

2. Theory of Characterization

Abrams in his book A Glossary of Literary Terms states that characterization must have three principles, they are as follows: (1981: 6).

a. The characters must be consistent in their behavior. In other words, the characters’ way remains essentially stable or unchanged in their outlook and disposition from the beginning to the end of the work

b. The characters must clearly be motivated in whatever they do, especially when there is a change in their behavior.

c. The characters must be plausible or lifelike, credible, realistic, and probable.

Abrams states in his book, A Glossary of Literary Terms, there are two methods of characterization namely showing and telling. In Showing method (called `dramatic method), the author only presents his characters to talk and act and leaves the readers to infer what motives and dispositions lie behind what they say and do. While in Telling method (called `direct method), the author himself becomes a kind of narrator in order to describe and evaluate the motives and disposition qualities of the characters.

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According to Barnet, Berman and Burto in their book Literature for Composition there are some important factors that must be considered when we want to see the character involved in a story. Those are: (1988: 2)

1. What the character says

What the character says can give a clue how the author describes him, for example whether he is a kind or bad person, educated or uneducated person.

2. What the character does

We are to know whether he is from upper or lower class, and he is a kind bad person from what the character does.

3. What other characters say about the character

It is needed to get additional information and clear description about some characters that will be described in the story.

4. What others do

The action of others may help indicate what the character could do but he does not do. It is very important to know his characteristics such as lazy, or careless.

I also used M.J. Murphy, Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students. Murphy mentions nine ways in which an author attempts to make his characters understandable and come alive for his readers. The following ways are as follows: (1977: 23)

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1. Personal description

Personal description means that the author can describe a person’s appearance and clothes in the story.

2. Character as seen by another

Instead of describing a character directly the author can describe him through the eyes and opinion of other characters.

3. Speech

It is an important way that may be used to describe a character. The author can give us an insight into the character of one person in the book through what the person says. Whenever a person speaks, whenever he is in conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an opinion, he gives us some clues to his character.

4. Past Life

By letting the readers learn something about a person’s past life, the author can give them a clue to an event that has helped to shape a person’s character. This can be done by direct comments by the author, through the person’s thought, through his conversation, or through the medium of another person.

5. Conversation of Others

We can take clues of a person’s characteristics through the conversation of other people and the thing they say about him. People do talk about other people and the things they say often give us a clue to the character of the person spoken about.

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6. Reactions

Through the person’s reaction to various situation and event, the author can also give us a clue to know the person’s characteristics.

7. Direct Comment

The author can describe or comment on the person’s characteristic directly. 8. Thoughts

The author can give us direct knowledge of what person is thinking about. In this respect, he is able to do what we cannot do in real life. He can tell us what different people are thinking.

9. Mannerism

The author can describe a person’s mannerism and habits, which may also tell us something about his character.

3. Theory of Conflict

Conflict happens in our life, whether it is unpleasant thing but it can bring a positive or negative effect and can change our point of view of something. Sometimes people do not realize the meaning of conflicts itself and sometime event tries to avoid a conflict so they do not trap in the situation which the conflict exist. Meredith and Fitzgerald define that conflict is something which is unpleasant, which has happened or to be experienced by the character, if the character has free choice to choose, he will not choose it (1972: 27).

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Sometimes, people do not realize that conflict can bring a positive effect, and then people usually avoid confronting conflict. Beaty and Hunter (1989: 778), in their book, say that most people try hard to avoid conflict. People prefer living without complication. Nevertheless, no one escapes conflict for long, even without war or large-scale disagreement. If people are given a choices between livings without problems or living with problems, they will choose living without problems. But as human being, we should realize that in daily live, man must face some problems willingly.

According to James W. Vander Zanden in his book, Social psychology, conflict is a form of interaction in which people (individually or in group) perceive themselves as being involved in a struggle over resource or social values. People in conflict find themselves at odds. They feel separated by incompatible objectives. They see one another as competitors or threats, and thus their interaction is antagonistic. (1984: 314).

Conflicts are not always restricted to two parties. At times, three or more individuals have an interest in a competitive outcome. By forming an alliance with one or more others, people can combine their resources in order to advance their own individual interest. However, as sociologist have long recognized, situations involving three or more persons are quite different from those involving two people (Zanden, 1984: 314).

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In a novel, Holman and Harmon point out that conflict plays an important role, conflict is the struggle that grows out of the interplay of the two opposing forces in a plot. It provides interests, suspense and tension (1986: 107). In other words, a conflict is the basis of all fiction; the structure of any given piece of fiction is determined by the way in which the conflict is developed (Brooks, 1952: 27). A conflict could create the tension and also the plot to be more interesting. The story could be more complex and interesting, when the authors could develop the conflict.

Most authors write a story based on conflicts. Holman and Harmon state clearly about conflict, conflict can be a struggle against another person, a struggle against society, a struggle for mastery by two elements within the person (1986: 107). Here, Holman and Harmon want to say that conflict is caused by two different forces. It could be within person or between two persons. It is clearer as I put the statement from Redman (1964: 363), which divide conflict into two, “Inner or internal conflict and external conflict. The inner or internal conflict means a struggle within the heart and minds of protagonist, while the external conflict means a struggle between the protagonist and an outside force.”

In this novel, Paton presents conflicts that are faced by Stephen Kumalo in order wants to show the author criticism toward the South African society in his time. In the novel, Paton presents Stephen as a priest who is struggling with himself and with the society around him. Stephen has conflicts dealing with the circumstances around him because he has to make some decision whether it is good or bad.

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4. The Relation between Literature and Society

There are many opinions about society in life between analyst. However, the general view of society refers to the human relationship. Rose (1977: 87-89), in the study of society says that the basic fact of human behaviors is oriented in so many things in the world. Not only do men live together and share common opinions, values, beliefs and customs, they also continually, interact, responding to one another.

According to Staub (1978: 5), there is very strong relationship between values, beliefs and personal goal and behavior in the society. The primary focus of a person in an action. A person is helped by action not by beliefs that one ought to act. Values and empathy are important as motivation of social action.

From Rose’s and Staub’s statements, I can conclude that society is the interaction between people. People live together and they also interact each other. They share their beliefs, opinions, values and customs in their interactions. They do their activities in society based on their personal goals, beliefs, and values.

Literature is a social institution and traditional literary device, it may symbolize society. In a literary work, there are convention and norms, which could have arisen only in society. Further, literature represents life and life itself is a social reality, though the natural world and the inner or subjective world of the individual have also been object of literary intuition. Thus, the topic which is raised in literary study is the problems in the society (Wellek and Waren, 1956: 94).

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Wellek and Warren also gives a comment in their book that Literature as a social institution, using as its medium language, a social creation. Such traditional literary devices as symbolism and metre are social in their very nature. They are conventions and norms which would have arisen only in society. Furthermore, literature `represents` ‘life’; and ‘life’ is, in large measure, a social reality, even through the natural world and the inner or subjective world of the individual have also been objects of literary ‘imitation’. Literature which also a social function or ‘use’, which cannot be purely individual. Thus a large majority of the questions raised by literary study are, at least ultimately or by implication, social questions: questions of tradition and convention, norms and genres, symbols and myths. (1956: 94).

It can be seen from Wellek and Warren’s statement above, that literature has a close relation with society because literature `represents` ‘life’; and ‘life’ is, in large measure, means social. Wellek and Warren in their book, theory of literature, state their argumentative opinion about those relationships as follows.

The relation between literature and society is that literature is an expression of society, but if it assumes that literature, at any given time, mirrors the current social situation correctly, it is also, its vogue if it means only that literature depicts some as poet of society reality. To say that literature is mirror of expression life is even more ambiguous. An author in edibility expresses life is total conception of life, but it would be manifested untrue to say that he expresses the whole of life even the whole life of a given time completely and exhaustively (1956: 95).

Dealing with the analysis, Literature represents the novel, Cry, the Beloved Country while society represents the South African society at the time Paton wrote the novel.

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Wellek and Warren also give three actual relations between literature and society, which are explained in descriptive way. The descriptive relations between literature and society can be classified as follows.

First, there are the sociology and the profession of the author and institutions of literature. The problems appearing in this case are the economic basic of literary production, the social provenance and status of the author, his social ideology, which may be found in extra literary pronouncement and activities. Second, there are the problems of the social content, the implications and the social purpose of the works of literature themselves. Third, there are the problems of the audience and the actual social content of works themselves and the influence of the literature on society (1956: 95-96).

From the quotation above, It is clear that the relation between the author’s work and literature can be seen from its influence on society. Those ideas are expressed through the related events and characters in a literary work.

Literature can be a medium to criticize the society. Furthermore, Rohrberger (1971: 10) mentions that the humanist takes the view that literature is a criticism of life that affects men in society and that great literature should express the values of order, restraint and human dignity.

A person can learn about society through the study of art. It is because the idea of a literary work is taken from society. It means that the literary work can be the imitation of life in society itself.

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C. Review on the South Africa Social Condition in the Early 20th Century

South Africa is one of the largest and most powerful states situated in the southern part of Africa. South Africa is a beautiful country with many natural resources. However, it is handicapped by lack of water and by soil erosion. South Africa’s population is diversed racially and ethnically. Blacks make up 72,2 % of the population, whites 15,9%, coloureds (person of mixed racial origin) 9,1% and Asians 2,8 %. The black population consists of nine main ethnic groups, the largest are Zulu and Xhosa (The Encyclopedia Americana, 1995: 262-263).

South Africa is also well-known as the most industrialized and prosperous nation in Africa. South Africa is the world’s leading gold-producing nation, ranks second as a producer of diamond and manganese, and holds third place in output of uranium. It also has an abundance of chrome, coal, iron, and manufactures three fifth of Africa’s steel. Besides the mineral resources, South Africa also produces wool, fruit, and wines (Joy, 1967: 128).

The primary problem of South Africa starts from the rule of a huge African majority by a small European minority. During the end of the 15th century, some

countries came to explore South Africa, but the European colonial powers’ scramble for Africa reached its peak at the last quarter of the 19th century. By 1876 only 10%

of Africa’s territory had been seized, this figure reached 90% by 1900. British was in the lead (Ketelbey, 1959:529).

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At the turn of the century, for the first time, South Africa had an extremely valuable resource that attracted foreign capital and large-scale immigration. Discoveries of gold and diamonds in South Africa exceeded the natural resources in any other parts of the world, and more foreign capital had been invested in South Africa. The white population expanded eightfold, while hundreds of thousand of Africans sought work each year in the newly developed mines and cities of industrializing areas. However, not all shared equally in this newfound wealth. Diamond and, in particular, gold mining industries required vast amounts of inexpensive labor in order to be profitable. Therefore, there must be a group of people to be sacrified that were the native African (Wallbank, 1969: 78).

The situation forces Black Africans to relocate in urban areas for employment, and to struggle in the workplace and in the township outside the cities, has eliminated the essential of traditional tribal life and relationships. African workers were subjected to a confusing arrangement of discriminatory laws and practices, all enforced in order to keep workers cheap and pliable. For example, they were not allowed to join in black trade union. Laws restricting the movement of Black Africans outside the reserves were instituted. Breaking a labor contract became a crime under the Master and servants laws. Black Africans were also subjected to special taxes. It can be seen that the life of the black African themselves really did not change, even it went worse. Earlier, they had often been low-paid farm workers. Then, in the development of their country, the native African still became the

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unskilled, low-wage mine workers, while a much smaller number of whites held the skilled positions with much higher salary (Wallbank, 1969: 78).

Not only the men suffered because of the discriminatory treatment, but women and children did too. In the much rural areas, the wives and children of these migrant laborers had to struggle hard in continuing their life with the limited remittances sent back by the men. It was a familiar story that they would live in poverty and shortage of everything because wages were too low to feed and clothe and old age, and public revenues insufficient for public services which would give the African the basic necessities for a reasonable standard of living (Wallbank, 1969: 78). In short, many of the discrimination features as the typical of twentieth-century South Africa—pass laws, urban ghettos, impoverished rural homelands, African migrant labor—were first established in the course of the South Africa’s development.

Fortunately, the presence of the Christian missions with all of their activities could bring a little fresh air in the daily life of society. The good influence of the missions have extended over a wide area and have been sustained over a long period. They helped many people by providing the principal vehicle for education and they had brought to many Africans a personal religion and morality which had helped to fill the gap caused by the disintegration of the society (Wallbank, 1969:79).

Cry, the Beloved Country takes place after these upheavals and immediately before the implementation, in 1948, of apartheid, which codified the systematic inequalities depicted in the novel. During the time in which the novel is set, black

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workers were permitted to hold only unskilled jobs and were subject to “pass laws” that restricted their freedom of movement. In 1913, the Natives Land Act radically limited the amount of land that black South Africans were permitted to own. As the character Arthur Jarvis states in the novel, just one-tenth of the land was set aside for four-fifths of the country’s people. The resultant overcrowding led many black South Africans to migrate to Johannesburg to work in the mines. Those in power welcomed the influx of cheap labor but failed to provide adequate housing or services to address the mass migration. These are the circumstances under which the character Stephen Kumalo leaves his impoverished rural village to search for his son in Johannesburg (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/cry/context.html).

Though Paton’s novel helped raise the social consciousness of white South Africa, things got much worse before they got better. In 1948, the National Party (representing Africaner and conservative interests) gained power and introduced apartheid. Under apartheid, every South African was classified according to race, and the Group Areas Act enforced the physical separation of blacks from whites. Every aspect of South African life was racially segregated. Under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, the African National Congress (ANC), which had been founded in 1912 as the South African Native National Congress and renamed in 1923, began protests against the new laws in the form of strikes and marches. After decades of struggle and bloodshed, the ANC prevailed, and South Africa held its first free election in 1994. Mandela was elected president, apartheid was dismantled, and the country

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ratified one of the most liberal constitutions in the world. (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/cry/context.html)

D. Theoretical Framework

In doing this study, I use the theories of conflict and theories of character and characterization mentioned in the review on related study. The theories are related to social criticism of the analysis which is about the main character’s conflicts and the causes of the conflicts. It is necessary to understand the theories of conflict because they will be helpful in analyzing the criticism of the author. The theories of character and characterization are also play an important role to show the social conditions of South Africa at that time through the characters in the story.

Since this analysis is about the conflicts and the causes of the conflicts as criticism toward the society, the historical background on the South African social condition are also needed to be presented in order to provide guidance to the analysis. The historical background helps in finding the criticism of the author toward the South African society at that time. It will limit the topic so that the analysis will be focused on the main character’s conflicts and the causes of the conflicts as the social criticism of the author. Therefore, by giving the background on South African Social condition, the analysis will be more reliable.

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

The object of work that I analyze is a novel and the title is Cry, the Beloved Country. It is made and printed in Great Britain by Hazell Watson and Viney Ltd, published by Penguin Books Ltd, Middlesex, England in 1944. It became an immediate worldwide bestseller. It is about a black man’s country under white’s man law is a work of searing beauty. Cry, the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom, set against the background of a land and a people risen by racial injustice. Remarkable for its lyricsm, unforgettable for character and incident, Cry, the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope, courage and endurance, born of the dignity of man.

Cry, the Beloved Country was published in 1948 to overwhelming international acclaim—at the time of the author’s death, in 1988, more than fifteen million copies of the novel had been sold, and it had been published in twenty different languages. In Paton’s native South Africa, however, praise for Cry, the Beloved Country remained muted, and the novel’s objectives take on the problems of racial inequality in South Africa created much controversy. Nonetheless, Paton’s reputation as one of South Africa’s greatest writers remained secure, though his

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subsequent novels, Too Late the Phalarope (1953) and Ah, But Your Land is Beautiful (1981), were praised by critics but failed to generate the same excitement as Cry, the Beloved Country.Alan Paton died in South Africa in 1992.

B. Approach

Analyzing a literary work needs an approach in order to lead the researcher to a better understanding of a novel. Rohrberger and Woods (1971: 6-15) present five approaches in their book Reading and Writing about Literature. They are the formalist approach, the biographical approach, the socio-cultural-historical approach, the mythopoeic approach, and the psychological approach.

The socio-cultural-historical approach insists that the only way to locate the real works is in reference to the civilization that produced it. It means that referring to the civilization or history in which the literary work produced is important in this approach.

The approach that I apply in this study is the sociocultural-historical approach. The approach is stated by Rohrberger as follows.

Critics whose major interest is the sociocultural-historical approach insist that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the to the civilization that produced it. Civilization is defined as the attitudes and action of a specific group of people and point out that literature take the attitudes and actions as its subject matter (1971: 9).

The critics also define civilization as the attitudes and actions of a specific group of people and point out that literature takes these attitudes and actions as its

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subject matter. It is necessary that the critic investigates the social milieu in which a work was created in a vacuum and second, literature embodies ideas significant to the culture that produced it. There are two factors that need to get attention to socio-cultural. First, accuracy in the presentation of historical facts is of value to the historian, but not necessarily to the author. Second, a work of literature might have a historical significance, but not necessarily a literary significance.

The themes of Cry, the Beloved Country is about social inequality and injustice in the main character’s conflicts; the focus of the sociocultural-historical is the South African society, the time when Paton lives and exists. Nevertheless, he is able to join with the culture and society at that time was bad, especially for the Black people, the working class. They were described as a second class in society because of the politics Apartheid. Looking at the bad conditions, Paton, who came from the white society but born and live in South Africa wrote a novel about the condition of South Africa, he put his criticism on it.

I use the sociocultural-historical approach because of its relation between the author and the society at the time Paton wrote the novel. In the novel, Paton wants to criticize the society at that time and he describes it through the representation of each character problem in the novel. The sociocultural-historical approach also related to this study which examining the criticism and the conflicts and the causes of the conflicts of the main character personality which closely related with the society and the background of the author.

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C. Method of the Study

There were some steps to analyze the novel. First, I read the story many times in order to gain in a deeper understanding on the novel, then I made some notes concerning the evidence of some problems that I found in the novel, such as characters, conflicts, and society. Second, I collected some books and papers or articles from the Library which related with the subject matter of my study. I also tried to find some criticism about the novel in the internet. Then I read them all and compare the theories and criticism toward the novel. Third, I analyzed the novel.

There were still few of steps that I did in analyzing the novel. First, I explain the main character personality then I tried to find some interaction between characters o find out the conflicts which are faced by the main character. After that, I tried to find out the society which influences the conflicts. Then I compared the society in the twentieth century and the society in the novel to reveal the criticism of the author in the novel. Method of the study I used is a Library research because some of the sources I taken form the library, learning other thesis that have close relation with my study and then comparing them. I also did some browsing in the internet to find some criticism about the novel I analyze.

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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS

This chapter contains the answers of three problems as I stated in the previous problem formulation. This analysis will be divided into three parts. The first part will describe the analysis of Stephen Kumalo’s characterization. The second part will be the description of Stephen Kumalo’s conflicts and the causes of the conflicts. The third part will answer Paton’s criticism toward South African society as reflected in Stephen Kumalo’s conflicts.

A. The Characterization of Stephen Kumalo

As described in the novel, Kumalo is an old man around sixty. He has occupation as a priest and he used to be called Umfundisi by people in Ndotsheni which means a parson.

“Kumalo Felt a pang of jealously for he had never earned ten pounds a month in all his sixty years. (p. 214) “

“The Reverend Stephen Kumalo looked up from the table where he was writing, and he called, come in. The small child open the door carefully like one who is afraid to open carelessly the door of so important a house, and stepped timidly in. – I bring a letter, Umfundisi. (p. 8) “

Stephen Kumalo is a kind hearted and a humble man. He always spoke his words humbly and almost all of his speech with another person he said it humbly.

“He is kind and gentle, and treats her with courtesy and respect, and uses the house as if it were his. And she admires him for what he has done, for saving

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Gertrude and the child, for getting his sister a new dress and a clean white clothe for her head, for getting shirt and jersey and trousers for the child. According to the custom she has thanked him for these gifts. (p. 104) “

“Kumalo could not boast anymore. He had been safely guided and warmly welcomed. He spoke humbly. I am much confused, he said. I owe much to our friend. (p. 20) “

Kumalo has a habit to pray in the church and read the bible when he has to struggle which is uncertain to him. It can be seen from the quotation below that Kumalo sometime use his time to pray and read his bible in the middle of circumstances he faces.

“They rose and Kumalo said, It is my habit to pray in the church. Maybe you will show me. (p. 24)”

“The humble man reached in his pocket for his sacred book, and began to read. It was this world alone that was certain. (p. 16)”

At the end of the novel, Kumalo sees the restoration of his own Village, Ndotsheni and he feels relief about it and what he had done. After all of the struggle he experience in the great city of Johannesburg, he gives thanks to everything. He remembered with profound awareness, that he had great cause for thanksgiving, and that for many things. He took them one by one, giving thanks for each, and praying for each person that he remembered (p. 233).

In this novel, Paton describe Kumalo as a Portrait of saintly man. A figure of an old priest who used to pray and read his bible whenever he struggle with something, have strong character but still humble in all of his suffering. He is able to

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manage the problems and survive till the end of the story and see the restoration of his own land although he cannot meet with his son again.

B. Stephen Kumalo’s Conflicts and the Causes of the Conflicts

In the characterization of Kumalo, Paton describes Stephen Kumalo as a figure of an old village priest who has to struggle with himself because of the condition he sees in Town not the same as the condition he has in Village. Especially when he deals with the member of his family which cause him some conflicts. In other situation he has to struggle with his own land that is his own village. I will explain briefly about Stephen Kumalo’s conflicts and the causes of the conflicts in the section below.

1. Stephen Kumalo’s Conflicts

This section will describe some conflicts that Stephen Kumalo has during his struggle to find the member of his family. As I stated before that conflicts is a struggle between two desires inside the character, Conflicts can consist certain feelings that a character have. Stephen Kumalo conflicts during the searching of his family are as follows.

a. Afraid of something uncertain

Kumalo feelt afraid when he had to go to Johannesburg, a great city not known to him. Fear when he thinks about Gertrude and Absalom. Fear about something uncertain to him.

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“The journey had begun, and now the fear back again, the fear of the unknown, the fear of the great city where boys were killed crossing the street, the fear of Gertrude’s sickness. Deep down the fear for his son. Deep down the fear of a man who lives in a world not made for him, whose own world is slipping away, dying, being destroyed, beyond any recall. (p. 15)”

“They walked to the gate of the little house of Mrs. Lithebe. Kumalo lifted to his friend a face that was full of suffering. This thing, he said. Here in my heart there is nothing but fear. Fear, fear, fear. (p. 67)”

Afraid has become one of Stephen Kumalo’s conflicts because he has to decide between his own will and the situation he face. He feels fear because he does not know what will going to happen next while he is still hoping the good side from the situation he faces. Kumalo’s afraid will brought him to another conflicts that he is going to face later.

b. Sad of Gertrude’s Condition

Kumalo cries when he knows Gertrude has become a liquor seller and a prostitute with a child, he feels sad because he cannot do nothing to change the condition. And he also sad when he knows that his son had been sent to reformatory.

“His eyes fill with tears, his deep gentleness returns to him. He goes to her and lifts her from the floor to the chair. Inarticulately he strokes her face, his heart filled with pity. (p.30)”

“He glanced at his friend, but Kumalo’s eyes were on the ground. Although Msimangu could not see his face, he could see the drop that fell on the ground, and he tightened his grip on the arm. (p. 59)”

Kumalo sad because he feels pity to see what happen while in other situation he cries because he looses his hope. He feels sad and cries, he struggles in his heart because he can not do anything to help his relatives. Kumalo’s sadness has become

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one of conflicts because he cannot do anything to help Gertrude although he is a priest so he just Struggle within himself and feels the sadness inside him.

c. Desperate of Absalom’s murder case

Kumalo feels desperate when he is hoping some support and a help to help his son from his brother John but when he look at him, John did not give what he expected. Kumalo becomes tired and dispirited when he feels desperate, it can be seen when he arrived at Mrs. Lithebe’s house.

“Kumalo look at his brother, but his brother does not look at him. Indeed he walks away. Wearily, wearily he goes from the great gate in the wall to the street. Tixo, he says, Tixo, forsake me not. Father Vincent’s words come back to him, anything, anything, he said, you have only to ask. Then to Father Vincent he will go. (p. 92)”

“Kumalo returned to Mrs. Lithebe’s tired and dispirited. The two women were silent, and he had no desire to speak to them, and none to play with his small nephew. He withdrew into his room, and sat silent there, waiting till he could summon strength enough to go to the Mission House. (p. 92)”

Kumalo feels desperated because the situation he face was to hard for him. He has to help his son but he does not receive any help especially from his own brother so he has to choose to find any help from another man. He struggles within himself between learned to be humble and the desires to be something that is himself (p. 93) d. Suffering because of the treatment from his family

Kumalo suffers because he has been shamed and humiliated when he came to speak to his brother about their son and John consider it as provokating him and he became angry and humiliating Kumalo in front of people.

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“Out there in the street, he was humiliated and ashamed. Humiliated because the people passing looked in astonishment, ashamed because he had not come for this purpose at all. He had come to tell his brother that power corrupts. That a man who fights for justice must himself be cleansed and purified, that love is greater than force. And none of these things had he done. (p.182)” Suffering has become the major factor of Stephen Kumalo’s conflicts because he always feels suffer when he has to deals with the member of his family. He feels suffer because he thinks that his family hurting him, for he is a priest but his son has become a murderer, and his sister has become a prostitute and his brother live with a woman but not married. From the beginning of the story, Kumalo already shows his suffering when he receive letter from Johannesburg telling about his family in Johanessburg.

“-Hurting myself? Hurting myself? I do not hurt myself, it is they who are hurting me. My own son, my own sister, my own brother. They go away and do not write anymore. Perhaps it does not seem to them that we suffer. Perhaps they do not care for it. (p. 11)”

After all the conflicts Kumalo had experience, he learns that he can believe in all his suffering. It means he begins to understand what the meaning of his life is. It makes him have a strong character with an understanding of life. The journey had opened his eyes of what had happening in Johannesburg is different from Ndotsheni.

“Kumalo looked at him under the light of the lamp. I believe, he said. But I have learned that it is a secret. Pain and suffering, they are a secret. Kindness and love, they are a secret. But I have learned that kindness and love can pay for pain and suffering. There is my wife, and you, my friend, and these people who welcomed me, and the child who is so eager to be with us here in Ndotsheni –so in my suffering I can believe. (p.193)”

“Kumalo came to himself with a start and realized how far he had travelled since that journey to Johannesburg. The great city had opened his eyes to something that had begun and must now be continued. For there in

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Johannesburg things were happening that had nothing to do with any chief. But he got to his feet, for they had summoned him to the presence of the ruler of the tribe (p. 196).”

It can be seen that from all of the conflicts Stephen Kumalo faces, Kumalo learns many things that shapes his character to be more humble and not depend to himself or the situation or to other people because it can cause him to have internal conflicts.

2. The Causes of Stephen Kumalo’s Conflicts

This analysis is also important because it will figure out the main points of what Paton criticizes toward the South African Society. Each character will describe the social condition in South Africa and the criticism of the author toward the South African society.

There are some causes of the conflicts that Stephen Kumalo has and most of them comes from the member of his family. Each characters and nature below will represents the social condition of South Africa at that time.

a Gertrude’s Sickness

Gertrude is Stephen Kumalo’s sister, she is twenty-five years younger than him. Gertrude goes to Johannesburg to search his husband who had never come back from the mines. Kumalo receives a news about her when someone send him a letter told that Gertrude is very sick and ask him to come to Johannesburg quickly.

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David Livingston, as well as The Christian Approach to Racial Problems in the Modern World.

In 1967 Doris Olive Paton died, and two years later Alan Paton married Anne Margaret Hopkins. Paton continued to write throughout his life, publishing a third novel, Ah, but Your Land is Beautiful, in 1981 and two of a projected three volumes of his autobiography in 1980 and, posthumously, in 1988. Paton died in April of 1988 at Lintrose, Botha's Hill in Natal.

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Summary of the Novel

Stephen Kumalo, the pastor at the village of Ndotsheni in the Ixopo region of South Africa, receives a letter from the Reverend Theophilus Msimangu that requests that he go to Johannesburg to rescue his sister, Gertrude, who is very ill. In order to undertake the journey, Kumalo must use the money intended to be used to send his son, Absalom, to St. Chad's for his education. Absalom had gone to Johannesburg himself, and has not been heard from since. When a friend of Stephen Kumalo takes him to the train station to Johannesburg, he requests that Kumalo give a letter to the daughter of Sibeko, who now works for the Smith family in Johannesburg.

When Kumalo reaches Johannesburg, he waits in line for a bus and is tricked by a young man whom Kumalo gives money to buy a ticket for him. Kumalo finally arrives at the Mission House, where Msimangu arranges for him to stay in the house of Mrs. Lithebe. Msimangu tells Kumalo that Gertrude's husband has not returned from the mines where he was recruited to work, and now Gertrude has "many husbands" and was sent to jail for making bootlegged liquor and working as a prostitute. Msimangu also tells Kumalo that Kumalo's brother John is no longer a carpenter, and now works as a politician. The two men visit Gertrude in the Claremont district of Johannesburg. Kumalo chastises Gertrude for her behavior and for not considering her young son, and tells her brother that John Kumalo will know where his son, Absalom, lives in Johannesburg. Kumalo takes Gertrude and the young child back to the house of Mrs. Lithebe.

Stephen Kumalo goes to visit his brother John, who tells him that his wife has left him and that he is now living with another woman. John claims that he is more free in Johannesburg, for he is no longer subject to the chief and he has his own business. John tells his brother that his son and Absalom had a room together in Alexandra and they were working at the Doornfontein Textiles Company. At Doornfontein, Kumalo learns that Absalom was staying with a Mrs. Ndlela in Sophiatown. Mrs. Ndlela gives him a forwarding address, care of Mrs. Mkize in Alexandra. She also tells Kumalo that she did not like Absalom's friends.

Because of a bus boycott in Alexandra, Msimangu and Kumalo must walk to Alexandra. They reach the house of Mrs. Mkize, who seems obviously afraid and claim that Absalom has been away from the house for nearly a year. Msimangu tells Kumalo to take a walk to get a drink, and while he is gone interrogates Mrs. Mkize. He tells her that no harm will come to her from whatever he tells her, so she admits that they should talk to the taxi driver Hlabeni. From this taxi driver, they learn that Absalom went to Orlando to live amongst the squatters in Shanty Town. On the way back to the Mission House, Msimangu and Kumalo see a white man driving black passengers, and Kumalo smiles at the white man's sense of social justice, while Msimangu claims that the kindness beats him.

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Kumalo goes to Shanty Town with Msimangu, where they meet Mrs. Hlatshwayos, who tells them that Absalom stayed with her until the magistrate sent him to the reformatory. At the reformatory, a white man who works there informs them that Absalom left the reformatory early because of good behavior and that he is now in Pimville, ready to marry a girl whom he got pregnant. At Pimville, they meet the girl, who admits that Absalom went to Springs on Saturday and has not yet returned. Msimangu warns him that he can do nothing about the girl, but Kumalo says that the girl's child will be his grandchild and that he is obligated. Kumalo learns from the white man at the reformatory that Absalom has not been at work this week.

While the white man at the reformatory undertakes a search for Absalom, Kumalo accompanies Msimangu to Ezenzeleni, the place of the blind, where he will hold a service. At dinner, they learn of the murder of Arthur Jarvis, a renowned city engineer who was the President of the African Boys' Club and the son of James Jarvis of Carisbrooke. Arthur Jarvis was renowned for his interest in social problems and for his efforts for the welfare of the non-European sections of the community. It is eventually acknowledged that Absalom Kumalo is suspected of the murder of Arthur Jarvis, and Kumalo wonders how he failed with his son.

Stephen Kumalo tells John about his son's involvement in the murder of Arthur Jarvis, and the two visit the prison together, since John knows that his son was friends with Absalom and thus a possible accomplice. At the prisoner, Kumalo finds his son, and interrogates him about the various facts of the case. Absalom claims that he shot Arthur Jarvis merely because he was frightened, but did not intend to kill him. John Kumalo claims that there is no proof that his son, who was involved in the robbery with Absalom and another friend, Johannes Pafuri, was involved.

The young white man from the reformatory visits Mrs. Lithebe's house in order to talk to Kumalo about a lawyer, because he does not trust John and thinks that he will attempt to place all of the blame on Absalom. He warns Kumalo that no matter what happens his son will be severely punished. The next day, Kumalo visits the pregnant girl in Pimville and tells her what happened to Absalom. He interrogates her, asking whether she really wants to become part of their family and whether she wants another husband. Kumalo eventually becomes convinced that the girl will come with him and live a quiet life in rural Ixopo.

The girl returns with them to the house of Mrs. Lithebe. Unlike Gertrude, the girl enjoys being there, while Gertrude behaves carelessly and dislikes living there. Kumalo visits Absalom in prison again and attempts to arrange a marriage between his son and the girl. He learns that John Kumalo's son (also named John) and the other suspect, Johannes Pafuri, have placed the blame entirely on Absalom. Father Vincent, a white pastor, introduces Kumalo to the lawyer Mr. Carmichael, who will take the case pro deo.

The second section of the novel takes the perspective of James Jarvis, the father of the murdered Arthur Jarvis. James Jarvis learns from the police captain van Jaarsveld that his son has been murdered and that there is a plane waiting at Pietermaritzburg that

(4)

can take him to Johannesburg. Jarvis tells his wife Margaret as he arranges to make the journey to Johannesburg. When they arrive, Jarvis meets John Harrison, the brother of Mary, the wife of the late Arthur Jarvis. He tells them that Mary and her children have taken the news poorly, and that the police have been combing the plantations on Parkwold Ridge. Jarvis also learns that his son had been writing a paper on "The Truth About Native Crime" and admits to John that he and his son did not agree on the question of native crime. Arthur Jarvis had been learning Afrikaans and considered learning Sesuto, perhaps to help him stand as a Member of Parliament in the next election. Jarvis wonders why this crime happened to his son, of all people, and laments that he never learned more about his son.

During the funeral service at Parkwold Church for Arthur Jarvis, James Jarvis experiences several firsts. The service is the first time that Jarvis attends church with black people, and it is also the first time that he shakes hands with one. Jarvis, wishing to learn more about his son, asks John Harrison to take him to the Boys' Club in Claremont where his son did a great deal of community service work. Jarvis soon learns that Richard Mpiring, the servant at Arthur's house, was able to identify one of the culprits as a former servant. Jarvis reads through his son's manuscript, and is touched by his son's criticisms of South Africa as a nation that claims to be Christian yet practices few of the Christian ideals.

During the trial, the defendants (Absalom Kumalo, John Kumalo and Johannes Pafuri) are each asked their plea. They each plead not guilty, but Absalom does so only because he cannot plead guilty to culpable homicide. Absalom testifies that Johannes hit Mpiring in the back with an iron bar, and that he shot Arthur Jarvis simply because of fear. The prosecutor asks Absalom why he carried a loaded gun when he did not actually intend to use it, but Absalom cannot give a satisfactory answer. After court is adjourned for the day, Stephen Kumalo exits the courtroom with Msimangu, Gertrude and Mrs. Lithebe. He trembles when he sees James Jarvis, wondering how he can look at the man whose son Absalom murdered.

Upon returning to his son's home, Jarvis finds another work, "Private Essays on the Evolution of a South African," in which Arthur wrote that it is difficult to be a South African and that, although his parents gave him a great deal, they sheltered him from the actual South Africa. In this paper, Arthur Jarvis wrote that he dedicates himself to South Africa because he cannot deny the part of himself that is a South African.

James and Margaret Jarvis visit the home of Barbara Smith, one of Margaret's nieces. While they are visiting there, Stephen Kumalo visits with the letter from Sibeko. When Jarvis sees him, Stephen Kumalo trembles and nearly falls ill. Jarvis comforts him, and asks what is wrong. Kumalo admits that there is a heavy thing between then, and finally tells him that it was his son who murdered Arthur Jarvis. Jarvis tells Kumalo that there is no anger in him. Kumalo and Jarvis learn from the Smith daughter that Sibeko's daughter was fired because she started to brew liquor in her room, and that she does not know nor care where the girl is now. When translating Smith's words into Zulu, Jarvis leaves out the part that she does not care where the girl is. When Kumalo leaves

(5)

respectfully, Jarvis admits to his wife that he is disturbed because of something that came out of the past.

During a meeting in the public square, John Kumalo gives a speech demanding greater reparations for blacks in South Africa, but despite the possibility that he may cause unrest and even riots, John Kumalo restrains himself, for he does not want to be arrested, simply out of the discomfort that it may cause. Jarvis is also at the rally, and listens as John Kumalo speaks.

Mrs. Lithebe and Gertrude argue over Gertrude's behavior, for Mrs. Lithebe believes that Gertrude associates with the wrong type of people and warns her not to hurt her brother any further. Gertrude finally suggests that she wants to become a nun, and although Mrs. Lithebe is happy at the change in Gertrude, she asks her to think of the small boy. Gertrude finally asks the pregnant girl if she would take care of her son if she were to become a nun, and the girl eagerly agrees.

The judge issues a guilty verdict int eh case for Absalom Kumalo, but finds no legitimate evidence that John Kumalo and Johannes Pafuri were present and thus finds them not guilty. The judge finds no mitigating circumstances, and sentences Absalom to death by hanging. When the court is dismissed, the young white man from the reformatory leaves court with Kumalo, thus breaking tradition and exiting along with the black men, an action that is not taken lightly.

Father Vincent performs a wedding ceremony at the prison, marrying Absalom and the pregnant girl. After returning from prison, Kumalo visits his brother's shop and they argue when Stephen suggests that he may have some reason to be bitter toward his brother. Wishing to harm his brother, Stephen suggests that there may be someone in his household who wants to betray him. When John laments having such a friend, Stephen says that Absalom had friends who betrayed him. John throws Stephen out of his shop and shouts at him in the street. Stephen feels ashamed for provoking his brother, for he only wished to tell his brother how power corrupts and that a man who fights for justice must be pure.

Before Jarvis leaves, he gives John Harrison a letter requesting that John continue Arthur's work, and includes a check for ten thousand dollars asking him to start the Arthur Jarvis club. Before Kumalo leaves, Msimangu hosts a party at Mrs. Lithebe's home in which he praises her for her kindness. Before they leave, Msimangu tells Kumalo that he is giving up all his worldly possessions and gives Kumalo money for all of the new duties he has taken up. Before departing for home, Kumalo finds that Gertrude has left, presumably to become a nun.

Stephen Kumalo returns home and tells his wife the verdict and the sentence. He learns that the area where they live has suffered from a drought for a month. Kumalo gives his first sermon since his return, in which beseeches God to give them ran and prays for Africa. Kumalo wonders whether he can remain as pastor considering his family. Kumalo decides that he must speak to the chief and the headmaster of the school

(6)

about the state of Ndotsheni. When Kumalo speaks to the chief, the chief offers little help. Kumalo suggests that they should try to keep as many people as possible in Ndotsheni. When he returns home, a small white boy visits Kumalo and wishes to learn some words in Zulu. The boy asks for milk, which prompts Kumalo to tell him about the drought and about how small children are dying from it. The boy vows to visit Kumalo again. After dinner, Kumalo's friend asks if a small white boy visited him today, and tells him that he has milk to distribute to the small children. The milk is presumably a gift from the Jarvis estate.

Kumalo receives letters from Johannesburg, including one from Absalom to his wife and parents, one from Msimangu, and one from Mr. Carmichael. Carmichael writes that there will be no mercy for Absalom, and that he will be hanged on the fifteenth of the month. Kumalo's wife suggests that Kumalo distribute milk to the children in order to distract him from the pain. Kumalo sees Jarvis, who meets with the magistrate and the chief. Although Kumalo cannot hear their discussion, they appear to be discussing an important matter and use sticks to discuss their plans. Jarvis remains after the others leave. As a storm approaches, Jarvis and Kumalo remain in the church together. Jarvis learns that there will be no mercy for Absalom.

The small white boy returns to the house to learn Zulu, and meets Gertrude's child and Kumalo's wife. When he leaves, Kumalo goes to the church and meets Napoleon Letsitsi, the new agricultural demonstrator. He says that Jarvis has sent him to teach farming in Ndotsheni, and tells Kumalo that there will be a dam so that the cattle always have water to drink and thus produce milk.

Kumalo's friend tells Kumalo that Mrs. Jarvis is dead, and Kumalo writes a letter of condolence to James Jarvis, despite the worry that she might have died of grief and that a letter might be inappropriate. When the Bishop visits Kumalo, he suggests that Kumalo retire as pastor, but Kumalo says that if he were to retire his post and leave Ndotsheni, he would die. The Bishop says that he must leave because Jarvis lives nearby, but when the Bishop learns that Jarvis is sending milk for the children, he agrees that Kumalo can remain as pastor.

A new sense of excitement overcomes the valley concerning the new developments. On the day that Absalom is to be executed, Kumalo decides to go up on the mountain, as he had done in various other times of crisis in his life. On his journey to the mountain, Kumalo sees Jarvis, who tells him that he is moving to Johannesburg to live with his daughter-in-law and her children. While on the mountain, Kumalo thinks of various reasons to give thanks, such as Msimangu, the young man from the reformatory, Mrs. Lithebe, Father Vincent, his wife and friend. He wonders why Jarvis has been so kind despite their history, but he also thinks of those who are suffeirng and wonders when South Africa will become emancipated from fear and bondage.

An analysis of paton`s social criticism toward the South-African society as reflected in kumalo`s internal conflicts in cry, the beloved country.

ABSTRACT

AN ANALYSIS OF PATON’S SOCIAL CRITICISM TOWARD

THE SOUTH-AFRICAN SOCIETY AS REFLECTED IN

STEPHEN KUMALO’S CONFLICTS IN CRY, THE BELOVED

COUNTRY

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Novero Ferdinand

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2008

AN ANALYSIS OF PATON’S SOCIAL CRITICISM TOWARD

THE SOUTH-AFRICAN SOCIETY AS REFLECTED IN

STEPHEN KUMALO’S CONFLICTS IN CRY, THE BELOVED

COUNTRY

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go

and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye

shall search for me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you, Saith the Lord.

(Jeremiah 29: 12-14a)

ABSTRACT

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An analysis of paton`s social criticism toward the South-African society as reflected in kumalo`s internal conflicts in cry, the beloved country.

ABSTRACT

AN ANALYSIS OF PATON’S SOCIAL CRITICISM TOWARD

THE SOUTH-AFRICAN SOCIETY AS REFLECTED IN

STEPHEN KUMALO’S CONFLICTS IN CRY, THE BELOVED

COUNTRY

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Novero Ferdinand

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2008

AN ANALYSIS OF PATON’S SOCIAL CRITICISM TOWARD

THE SOUTH-AFRICAN SOCIETY AS REFLECTED IN

STEPHEN KUMALO’S CONFLICTS IN CRY, THE BELOVED

COUNTRY

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go

and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye

shall search for me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you, Saith the Lord.

(Jeremiah 29: 12-14a)

ABSTRACT

Parts

Dokumen yang terkait

The Main Character’s Struggle As The Lower Class Society Reflected In Suzanne’s Novel The Hunger Games

The Madness Characters Reflected In Poe’s Three Short Stories

Leading Characters’ Ambition In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

The Morality Reflected In Characters Through Sidney Sheldon’s The Sands Of Time

Virgin Tragic Perfume In Patrick Suskind Novel “Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer”

The practices of apartheid as portrayed in Alan Paton`s Cry, The Beloved Country.

Stephen Kumalo`s struggles to solve his family problems in Alan Paton`s Cry, The Beloved Country.

Ethelberta`s internal conflicts in Hardy`s the hand of ethelberta, a criticism of english society in the nineteenth century.

An analysis of paton`s social criticism toward the South-African society as reflected in kumalo`s internal conflicts in cry, the beloved country - USD Repository

Stephen Kumalo`s struggles to solve his family problems in Alan Paton`s Cry, The Beloved Country - USD Repository

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