Alan Patons Cry the Beloved Country and Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart - Literature review Example

Compare and Contrast Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Alan Paton’s Cry the Beloved Country and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall apart are groundbreaking novels that explore, in part, the impact of colonialist policies and attitudes on a majority group. Compare and contrast the author’s depictions of the conflicts between the white colonisers and the native blacks. Which Novel, in your estimation, depicts the conflict most sympathetically? Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart are both groundbreaking novels intertwining multifarious aspects of the human condition and human relationships to highlight the conflict between the white colonisers and native blacks in Africa at different points in African history. Achebe’s narrative signals the first indicator of tribal decline in Africa, exploited by the white colonisers to exert power in their expanding empire. The death toll of tribal life in Africa in Things Fall Apart symbolises the human predisposition towards conflict as the ethnic tensions are replaced with the tensions between the whites and blacks. In contrast, Cry, the Beloved Country takes the reader forward, highlighting the predicament of native blacks under white rule, where the funeral for tribal life prophesised in Things Fall Apart is now a reality, symbolised by the theme of human loss. The industrialisation of Africa and separation of families brought about by white rule is highlighted through the Kumalo’s journey as central protagonist in Cry. Pastor Kumalo loses a brother to the city and his brother in law to the mines. Furthermore, Kumalo’s sister disappears when she goes to the city. Through contrasting perspectives both novels utilise the conflicts between the white rulers and black natives to portray a deeper themes of the complex cycle of human conflict; its resultant impact on the family nucleus and the human need for connection and family relationships particularly driven by loss and fear. Analysed in conjunction, the contrasting spectrums at which both Paton and Achebe begin their narrative effectively takes the reader through the beginning of colonial policies in Things Fall Apart, to the practical impact of white rule in Cry, the Beloved Country. The focus of this analysis is to evaluate through a comparative analysis the authors’ depictions of the conflicts between the white colonisers and the native blacks and consider which, if any depicts the predicament most sympathetically. It is submitted at the outset that both whilst both works are undoubtedly important in highlighting the plight of native blacks under white colonial policies, Paton and Achebe’s works intertwine this backdrop as a vital tool in plot and thematic development to explore wider issues of culture, family, loss and fear, which will also be considered in this analysis. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe depicts the gradual erosion of tribal life and exploitation of internal divides as a facilitator in the implementation of white colonial policies. Indeed Okonkwo, the central protagonist in the novel symbolises the pride and strength of the ancient Umofia, an Ibo tribe in Africa. The Umuofia belief in a personal god or “chi” creates a sad prophecy, when it is proclaimed that “when a man says yes, his chi says yes also” (Achebe 27). However, Okonkwo’s journey further epitomises the rise and fall of this culture, as he does not challenge his “chi”, which is further emphasised by the rise of white colonial power, resulting in his exile from his own people. Moreover, Achebe’s depiction of the Umuofia culture acts as an effective juxtaposition between the imposition of white colonial cultural policies and entrenched tribal rules. Achebe asserts that “Among the Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten” (Achebe 7). This paradoxical use of vivid imagery heightens the sense of irony as the art of conversation and negotiation central to the Ibo culture is in fact exploited by the colonists in manipulating the native blacks to convert to Christianity through “the art of conversation”. Moreover, the reference to words being “eaten” again highlights Achebe’s point that notwithstanding the polarised viewpoints of the whites and blacks, both implement rules through “words”, which in turn are enforced on society. As such, Achebe utilises the conflict between the colonisers and natives to demonstrate the parallels between both cultures and highlight man’s need to create and implement rules to exert power. Okonkwo’s observations highlight this irony as entrenched tribal rules are replaced with another set of rules: “The missionaries had come to Umofia. They had built a church there; won a handful of converts and were already sending evangelists to the surrounding towns and villages. That was a source of great sorrow to the leaders of the clan; but many of them believed that the strange faith and white man’s god would not last” (Achebe 143). The self belief of both the whites and native blacks in the precedence of their own set of rules and Okonkwo’s firm belief that the “white man’s god would not last” heightens the sense of dramatic irony culminating in the destruction of African tribal culture in its traditional form. In contrast, Cry the Beloved Country presents the reader with the result of the battle between white colonists and the native blacks, where the underlying narrative is tinged with a sense of fear and loss. The differing narrative style and quest for lost family members and a concept of “home” are highlighted through the plot development, demonstrating the motivations behind the desire of central characters and why they desire to come back to what they call “home”. Paton’s narrative voice utilises the conflict between the colonisers and blacks to highlight the sense of loss and displacement of native blacks in their own country as they seek to unify the fractured family unit and find home. In Cry, the Beloved Country, Kumalo’s journey to Johannesburg and back portrays how Paton felt about unity and the importance of family. Indeed a central theme of Cry is the symbolism of family life being broken in South Africa. This is primarily illustrated through the Kumalo family with references to other broken families as a symptom of apartheid Africa. The troubles in Johannesburg are utilised as a microcosm for the broken villages in Isopod. Kumalo’s is used by Paton as a symbol of hope in healing broken South Africa, which contrasts with the destruction that unfolds in Things Fall Apart. This is further emphasises through Paton’s use of phonetics to depict the cacophony of the poverty stricken streets of Johannesburg, which contrasts with the distant life of the privileged white minority. Both Paton and Achebe use the conflict between white rule and the native blacks to highlight the changing dynamic of the family nucleus. The conversion of the Umuofia people to Christianity brings with it a sense of disunity among the tribes, where unity is essential. This inherent paradox highlights the hypocrisy of mankind with its need to evolve concepts of “unity” to serve its purpose in acquiring power. The white colonial rule imposes an artificial sense of unity and obedience to its “rules”, oppressing the native blacks into submission. This in turn further contributes to the erosion of the African culture where unity of members and obedience to the elder ruling members is sacrosanct in Things Fall Apart. This is lost through the imposition of white colonial rule, which impacts the father/son relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye, who converts to Christianity: “Nwoye did not fully understand. But he was happy to leave his father” (Achebe 152). The conflict between whites and blacks culminates in a breakdown of family relationships. Achebe’s portrayal of the uneasy relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye highlights how through the imposition of cultural rules (whether native or of the colonisers) we are effectively conditioned to not understand these rules but obey them without question. As such, the narrative exploits the conflict between the colonisers and natives to pose the question as to whether human autonomy is ever really possible. The white colonisers have effectively replaced one set of control systems with another, which is further evidenced in Cry where the implementation of white rule has further widened the divide between African heritage and western philosophy. In posing such questions Achebe and Paton both convey the plight of native blacks under white rule in a lateral manner, raising wider issues pertaining to the human condition and its quest for power through the imposition of rules. The fragmentation of the traditional African family unit in Things Fall Apart is juxtaposed with the quest for unity in Cry, the Beloved country where through the journey of the Kumalo family, the central themes branch off to highlight the family as the essence of the home, whether white or black. Kumalo dreams of a house united by family, which in turn is symbolic of the hope for a South Africa united by family without racial barriers. Indeed, Kumalo’s journey to find his son interweaves the underlying darkness of apartheid as a key facet of his justification for unity of the races. Whilst evoking sympathetic empathy from the reader in the plight of native blacks under white rule, Paton sought to use this not to breed emotions of hate, revenge and vindication; but rather to highlight how hatred between races has led to social decline in South Africa. As Msimangu asserts: “I see only one hope for our country, and that is when white men and black men, desiring neither power nor money, but desiring only the good of their country, come together and work for it” (Paton 460). However, Msimangu further asserts that “I have one great fear in my heart, that one day when they are turned to loving, they will find we are turned to hating” (Paton 460). This is similar to Achebe’s conviction that hate feeds hate and both novels highlight that unity is more than ending oppression of native blacks under white rule. Once the seeds of hate are sown the process of healing goes beyond merely granting rights that were previously taken away, however Cry’s narrative differs from the despair in Things Fall Apart to offer some hope. In contrast, the seeds of disunity are sown paving the way for social destruction of traditional African values. The exploitation of black disunity by white colonisers renders the native blacks weak, which is ironic in describing Okonkwo’s strength as a symbol of African pride where “weak people were not welcomed”(Achebe 143). Okonkwo further observes that “The elders consulted their Oracle and it told them that the strange men would break their clan and spread destruction among them” (Achebe 138). However, on hindsight, he laments that “they were fools; they had been warned that danger was ahead. They should have armed themselves with their guns and machetes even when they went to market” (Achebe 140). The tragic prophecy of the destruction to come is heightened by Okonkwo’s disbelief when he returns from exile and realises that everything has changed. Just as the hope of finding his identity in the ancient tribal culture is lost, the concept of loss permeates Kumalo’s quest for his prodigal son. Achebe and Paton’s different perspective on loss in the father/son relationship becomes symptomatic of the conflict between white rule and blacks. In both novels culture and heritage is destroyed. Whilst Things Fall Apart begins the journey of destruction with Okonkwo clinging to a futile hope, Kumalo’s journey highlights how destruction gives birth to hope in adversity. Additionally, in both novels, the authors use human fear as a tool for character development and plot movement, which in turn highlights the conflict between the whites and blacks, where fear was exploited to exert control over a nation. Indeed both Okonkwo and Kumalo’s cultures are impacted by the unifying factor of fear between the father/son relationship, religious beliefs, traditions, societal rules, hope and colonisation. At the beginning of Things Fall Apart, Achebe asserts that Okonkwo’s “whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness” (Achebe 13). Okonkwo’s fear of being weak feeds his inner hate, which is instilled into his son. As a result, the turn in his relationship with Nwoye creates the common theme of disunity in both novels. When Nwoye converts to Christianity, which was instilled by fear, the irony of his conversion is highlighted by the fact that his fear of his father and oppression is replaced with another fear of obedience to the colonist imposed religion. In both novels, the fear perpetuated by the backdrop of conflict between the whites and blacks is a significant causal factor in the rift in the father son relationship. The impact of fear on both the native blacks and the resultant cultures leads Okonkwo to ask himself “when did you become a shivering old woman, you who are known in all the nine villages for your valour in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he was added a boy to their number?” (Achebe 65). Okonkwo’s refusal to break away from his traditional values ultimately results in his death, symbolising the death of a culture. In Cry, Paton asserts that “Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the interior of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh to gladly when the water runs though his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or a valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much”. (Paton 111). Kumalo’s belief that fear of beautiful things leads to destruction has parallels with the white colonial rule. Their love of Africa as a pawn in worldwide expansion of an empire fuels fear of the African culture, which the colonists control through breeding fear and oppression. Kumalo’s melancholic indictment of the darkness of beauty represents the oppression of native blacks in their own country. Through colonial rule, Africa has brought its natives pain and as such, it has altered the indigenous perspective on attachments. Moreover, Kumalo believes that in life fear is inflicted on everyone and seems to be resolved to not being given too much of anything, which contrasts with the colonists who have everything. Msimangu highlights this with his observations of the white man in Johannesburg “The white man has broken the tribe. And it is my belief – and again I ask your pardon- that it cannot be mended again. But the house that is broken, and the man that falls apart when the house is broken, these are tragic things. That is why children break the law, and old white people are robbed and beaten” (Paton 56). Msimangu’s observations highlight the wider ramifications of the conflict between the white colonists and native blacks. In depicting South Africa as a metaphorical “house that is broken”, Paton highlights the fragmentation of African culture caused by lack of unity. Kumalo’s journey further highlights the central message that equality between both races in form is not enough to heal the broken house that is South Africa; it is only true unity of the races through which the house can be healed. In both novels, the Western colonisation destroys Okonkwo and Kumalo’s culture by the imposition of fear and superiority. For example, Okonkwo’s references to his son Nwoye “you have all seen the great abomination of your brother. Now he is no longer my son or your brother. I will only have a son who is a man, who will hold his head up among people. If any of your prefer to be a woman, let him follow Nwoye now while I am alive so that I can curse him. If you turn against me when I am dead I will visit you and break your neck” (Achebe 172). The use of woman and abomination in a derogatory sense contrasts with the white fear of Okonkwo’s religion. It is further ironic as the colonists believed that the native African religions and customs were an abomination, hence forcible conversion to Christianity. Through Okonkwo’s exile Achebe depicts the wide changes to infrastructure “Apart from the church, the white men had also brought a government. They had built a court where the District Commissioner judged cases in ignorance. He had court messages that brought men to him for trial”. (Achebe 174). Similarly, the white influence in Cry, the Beloved Country changes Kumalo’s life where he is faced with further evolution of the white colonial judiciary system. “They come out of the Court, the white on one side, the black on the other, according to the custom. But the young white man breaks the custom, and he and Msimangu help the old and broken man, one on each side of him……… The young man’s brow is set, and he looks fiercely before him. That is partly because it is a deep experience, and partly because of the custom that is being broken. For such a thing is not lightly done”. (Paton 237). The central parallel between both novels is the depiction of the conflict between the whites and blacks, which results in the fracture and gradual erosion of indigenous culture and the African family nucleus. Whilst Achebe’s novel takes the reader to the first death knell of African tribal systems, Cry takes the reader forward to the plight of native blacks under privileged white rule. On the surface, the despair in Things Fall Apart contrasted with Kumalo’s home at the end of Cry, the beloved country would point towards Achebe’s novel appearing more sympathetic in tone. However, it is submitted that it would be far too dogmatic in ignoring the wider issues explored by both novels. Whilst both novels clearly depict the plight of native Africans under white colonial rule in a manner which evokes reader empathy and sympathy, the purpose of these novels is not to merely create sympathy. Both Achebe and Paton utilise the conflict between colonial rule and native blacks as a tool to explore wider issues through the similar themes of fear, family, oppression and unity. Beyond the obvious sympathy evoked by the subject matter of both novels, Achebe and Paton’s narratives are both extremely clever in highlighting important points about the human condition and human nature. In exploring the racial conflicts, both authors suggest that hatred and fear is rooted in the human need to create a body of rules to exert power. Indeed, Achebe’s depiction of tribal life and rules poses the question as to whether autonomy of person is ever really possible in the light of human need to have power. The thought provoking narrative of Achebe and Paton suggest that power creates conflict whether white or black and that only through unity in the truest form can the social fragmentation caused by the need for power be healed. Bibliography Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. Read More