Essay on Biblical Allusion in Cry, the Beloved Country, by...

The use of Biblical allusions and references is evident in Alan Patons Cry, the Beloved Country. Against the backdrop of South Africas racial and cultural problems, massive enforced segregation, similarly enforced economic inequality, Alan Paton uses these references as way to preserve his faith for the struggling country. By incorporating Biblical references into his novel, one can see that Alan Paton is a religious man and feels that faith will give hope to his beloved country. Throughout the entire novel, Alan Paton continuously uses references to the bible and while some are not very apparent, most of them are considerable evident. Four apparent references that he uses are seen in Stephen Kumalos character, Absaloms decisions to†¦show more content†¦In his last conversation with his father, he makes a request to name his unborn child Peter if it was born a boy. In the Bible, Peter was an apostle of Jesus Christ. quot;Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Chri st! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,quot; (I Peter 3). Absalom knows that his time on earth is ending, and he feels that his unborn child is his only chance and opportunity to be vindicated of his sins. He wants his son to grow up in his hometown and live the life that he took away from himself by leaving Ndotsheni. Absalom wants his child not to follow in his footsteps. For these reasons, Absalom wants to name his unborn child Peter with reference to the Peter in the Bible. When Stephen began his journey to Johannesburg, he was looking for his lost son. John Kumalo would ask him quot;Have you found the prodigalquot; (Paton, 128) with reference to the Parable of the Prodigal Son in the Bible. In the Bible it states that a man with two sons lost one after he left to live on his own. After a couple of years, the lost son realizing his wrongdoing came back and was welcomed by his father with a feast to celebrate his return. This angered the other son who felt betrayed when his brother left. But the father did not care; he was so overjoyed to have gotten his son back. quot;My son the father said, you are always withShow MoreRelatedBiblical Allusion in Cry, the Beloved Country Essays1120 Words   |  5 PagesThe use of Biblical allusions and references is evident in Alan Patons Cry, the Beloved Country. Against the backdrop of South Africas racial and cultural problems, massive enforced segregation, similarly enforced economic inequality, Alan Paton uses the se references as way to preserve his faith for the struggling country. By incorporating Biblical references into his novel, one can see that Alan Paton is a religious man and feels that faith will give hope to his beloved country. Throughout theRead MoreAlan Paton s Cry, The Beloved The Country1358 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Blacks, leading up to the Civil War, and during the Apartheid, the Natives were segregated from the Whites. In Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved the Country, the main character Stephen Kumalo goes through a journey to restore his tribe. During his journey, he discovers and learns of the injustices in South Africa. Through the parallels and contradictions of biblical allusions, Alan Paton is able to explain the impact of racial inequality in South Africa, but signifies how unconditional love and hope