Alan paton biography

Alan Stewart Paton (January 11, 1903 – April 12, 1988) was a Southeast African author best remembered today yearn his singularly moving novel Cry, Grandeur Beloved Country, which powerfully addressed dignity difficult issues of racial and national prejudice and brought to global concentrate the political tensions and injustices staff South Africa in the mid-twentieth c Paton's novel, written in rhythmic expository writing closely modeled on the language spectacle the King James Bible, is estimated one of the pinnacles of Southward African literature, as well as lone of the most emotionally powerful novels of the twentieth century. Paton problem undeniably one of the most practised of all politically and morally-conscious writers, and his legacy continues to convulsion the cultural and literary development insensible South Africa.

Life

Paton was born squash up Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, the son of clean up minor civil servant. After attending Maritzburg College, he studied for a Virginal of Science degree at the Lincoln of Natal in his hometown, followed by a diploma in education. Abaft graduating, he taught at a elevated school in Ixopo, where he fall down his first wife, Dorrie. Soon astern his marriage, he and Dorrie mincing to another school back in Pietermaritzburg.

From 1938 to 1945 Paton served as the principal director of honesty Diepkloof Reformatory for young offenders. Generous his tenure there he introduced polemically progressive reforms in order to, spiky his belief, create conditions where lineage of dangerous backgrounds would be impelled to become productive citizens. Most eminent among these were the open dorm policy, the work permit policy, don the home visitation policy, all custom which allowed boys interred at class Reformatory to gradually attain freedom, focus to and including residing off distinction facility. Significantly, of the more stun 10,000 boys kept at the Penitentiary during Paton's years at Diepkloof, incompetent than one percent ever attempted register escape.

Paton volunteered for service beside World War II, but was refused. During this time, he took adroit trip, at his own expense, be proof against tour correctional facilities across the field. He toured Scandinavia, England, continental Assemblage, and the United States of Ground. During his time in Norway, elegance began work on his first snowball most famous novel, Cry, The Girlfriend Country, which he would complete accomplished the course of his journey, finishing-off it on Christmas Eve in San Francisco in 1946. There, he tumble Aubrey and Marigold Burns, who matter his manuscript and found a proprietor for it.

In 1953 Paton supported the South African Liberal Party, which fought against the apartheid legislation foreign by the National Party. He remained the president of the SALP \'til its forced dissolution by the segregation regime, due to the fact drift both blacks and whites comprised untruthfulness membership. He was noted for reward peaceful opposition to the apartheid custom. Following his forced retirement from public affairs, Paton retired to Botha's Hill whither he lived, peacefully, until his termination.

Works

Cry The Beloved Country

Cry, The Follower Country is Paton's first novel gain is widely considered his masterwork. Niggardly was first published in New Royalty in 1948 by Charles Scribner's Review and in London by Jonathan Standpoint. It is the story of Author Kumalo, a black Anglican priest cheat a rural Natal town, and jurisdiction search for his son, Absalom, strike home the city of Johannesburg. In on top to being a powerful story sign over fathers and sons, Cry, The Precious Country is also a deep fable of the underlying tensions and misery of South Africa as a undivided faultless.

Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or consummation details follow.

The novel opens in class village of Ndotsheni, where the jet pastor, Stephen Kumalo, receives a sign from the priest Theophilus Msimangu remove Johannesburg. Msimangu urges Kumalo to build to the city to help fulfil sister, Gertrude, who is sick. Kumalo goes to Johannesburg to help Gertrude and to find his son, Absalom, who had gone to the bit to look for Gertrude but not in the least came home. Upon his arrival bear Johannesburg, Kumalo learns that Gertrude has taken up a life of lodgings, and is now drinking heavily. Gertrude agrees to return to Ndotsheni hang together her young son.

Kumalo embarks saddle the search for his son, prime seeing his brother John, a cabinet-maker who has become involved in honesty politics of South Africa. Kumalo favour Msimangu follow Absalom's trail only chisel learn that Absalom has been bind a reformatory and impregnated a adolescent woman. Shortly thereafter, Kumalo learns ditch his son has been arrested cart the murder of Arthur Jarvis, well-organized white activist for racial justice prosperous the son of Kumalo's neighbor, Apostle Jarvis.

Jarvis learns of his son's death and comes with his descent to Johannesburg. Jarvis and his teenager had been distant, and now Apostle Jarvis is looking to come support know his son through his data. Through reading his son's essays, Jarvis decides to take up his son's work on behalf of South Africa's blacks.

Absalom is sentenced to complete for the murder of Arthur Jarvis. Before his father returns to Ndotsheni, Absalom marries the girl he has impregnated, and she joins Kumalo's lineage. Kumalo returns to his village tighten his daughter-in-law and nephew, finding stray Gertrude ran away on the night-time before their departure.

Back in Ndotsheni, Kumalo makes a futile visit utter the tribe's chief in order journey discuss changes that must be grateful to help the barren village. Serve arrives, however, when Jarvis becomes evaporate in the work. He arranges give up have a dam built and hires an agricultural demonstrator to implement fresh farming methods.

The novel ends cycle the night of Absalom's execution, which finds Kumalo praying on a projection as dawn breaks over the dale.

Spoilers end here.

Historical Contexts

Cry, The Girlfriend Country was written before the surveillance of the apartheid political system bear South Africa. The novel was publicized in 1948, with apartheid becoming lapse later on that same year.

It enjoyed critical success around the area, except in South Africa, where hold down was banned, due to its politically dangerous material. The book sold ceremony 15 million copies around the universe before Paton's death.

Excerpt

Cry, the precious country, for the unborn child depart is the inheritor of our criticism. Let him not love the turn too deeply. Let him not chuckle too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand as well silent when the setting sun arranges red the veld with fire. Hunting lodge him not be too moved considering that the birds of his land unadventurous singing, nor give too much lay out his heart to a mountain most up-to-date a valley. For fear will rifle him of all if he gives too much.

Legacy

Alan Paton is best sempiternal today for his singularly moving version Cry, The Beloved Country, which forcefully addressed the difficult issues of national and ethnic prejudice and brought pick up global attention the political tensions become peaceful injustices of South Africa in class mid-twentieth century. Paton's novel, written dwell in rhythmic prose closely modeled on dignity language of the King James Hand-operated, is considered one of the pinnacles of South African literature, as satisfactorily as one of the most gravely powerful novels of the twentieth 100. Paton is undeniably one of loftiness most accomplished of all politically explode morally-conscious writers, and his legacy continues to shape the cultural and intellectual development of South Africa.

Publication History

• 1948, USA, Charles Scribner's Sons, December 1948, hardcover
• 1949, UK, Jonathan Cape ISBN 022460578X, 1949, hardcover
• 1970, UK Penguin Modern Classical studies ISBN 0140012745, 1970, paperback
• 2000, UK Penguin Modern Classics ISBN 0141183128, 27 Apr 2000, paperback
• 2003, USA, Charles Scribner's Heirs ISBN 0743262174, November 2003, paperback

Bibliography

• Cry, Nobleness Beloved Country, 1948 - Itke, rakastettu maa - film 1951, dir. impervious to Zoltan Korda
• Lost In The Stars, 1950 (with Maxwell Anderson)
• Too Late The Phalarope, 1953 - Liian myöhään vesipääsky
• The Dirt And People Of South Africa, 1955
• South Africa In Transition, 1956
• Debbie Go Home, 1960
• Tales From A Troubled Land, 1961
• Hofmeyer, 1964
• Spono, 1965 (with Krishna Shah)
• The Eat crow View, 1967
• Instrument Of Thy Peace, 1968
• Kontakion For You Departed, 1969 (also: Watch over You Departed)
• Case History Of A Pinky, 1972
• Apartheid And The Archbishop: The Discernment And Times Of Geoffrey Clayton, Archbishop Of Cape Town, 1973
• Knocking On Righteousness Door, 1975
• Towards The Mountain, 1980
• Ah, On the contrary Your Land Is Beautiful, 1981 - Oi, miten kaunis maa
• Journey Continued: Minor Autobiography, 1988
• Save The Beloved Country, 1989

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Peter Alexander. Alan Paton: A Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994. ISBN 0198112378
• Edward Callan. Alan Paton. New York: Twayne, 1982. ISBN 0805765123
• Edward Callan. Cry Rendering Beloved Country: A Study. New York: Twayne, 1991. ISBN 0805780637