Bolshevik Revolution

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Themes of Cry, The Beloved Country

Cry, The Beloved Country has many themes that contribute to the main point of the book. Two main themes of the book are Christianity and inequality, both in which connecting with injustice.

One major theme in this novel was Christianity. In the challenges that Kumalo faces, his main comfort comes from his faith in God. When he finds out what happened to his son, his faith is questioned but he still believes, and he turns to his other priests for comfort. A lot of Kumalo’s time is spent in prayer, for the souls lost in Johannesburg and for the broken society of his village. Christianity also proves to be useful for defying harsh authority. Arthur Jarvis’s final essay, calls the policies of South Africa’s mine un-Christian. As shown with Msimangu, religion is often held up as South Africa’s only possible way of avoiding racial tensions.

Christianity also ties in with injustice. John Kumalo reminds his brother that black priests are paid less than white ones, and claim that the church works against social change. He paints a blood boiling picture of a bishop who criticizes injustice while living in the luxury that such injustice provides. At the same time as he calls the policies of the mines un-Christian, Arthur Jarvis states that these policies have long been claimed through false Christian reasoning. Jarvis brings up that some people argue that God meant for blacks to be inexperienced laborers and that it is wrong to give opportunities for improvement and education. Cry, The Beloved Country analyzes the idea that in the wrong hands, Christianity can put a poor population to sleep or can give authority brutal ideas.

Another major theme in this novel was inequality. Gertrude’s and Absalom’s stories recur on a large scale in Johannesburg, and the result is a city with bad neighborhoods and black gangs that take their anger out on white people. In search of fast money, the poor steal from white people homes and threaten their occupants. The white population becomes paranoid, and the little sympathy they have for problems disappears. Blacks find themselves dealing with even more injustice. Both sides tell their responses to violence from the other side. Absalom’s lawyer, for instance, claims that Absalom is society’s victim, and white homeowners gather the government to counter what they see as a rising threat. There is precious little understanding on either side, and it seems that the cycle of inequality and injustice will go on endlessly.

In conclusion, Christianity and inequality, tying in along with injustice, are major themes in Cry, The Beloved Country. Throughout the book, Paton analyzes many aspects of these themes. Without the themes, the book might of have been as good. All good books have themes that lead up to the main situations.

 

Giving to Others

 

 

As a child, I always knew that in the world there were rich people and there were poor people. I also always knew there are people who run our country and try to help the people become better as a nation. One thing I never understood and still don't understand is why all this money that's coming into the country is being wasted on unnecessary things and there are people who are starving, thirsty, and homeless.

 

I believe the things the President and everyone else say in the country say about helping people are lies. For example the White House, the White House have a million rooms. If they are so worried about homeless people why won't they take some people off the street and let them stay with them? Another example is the lottery, you have millions of dollars going to people who win the lottery, but you can't open up more shelters for poor people. Its crazy how the government wants to lower food stamps, but lottery prizes continue to rise.

 

Giving is the key a happy, long lasting life. I believe giving back to the community is one of the greatest things a person could do in this world. Me personally never been in a situation were I just really needed help as far as with money, food, shelter, etc., but that doesn't mean I don't understand those people situation. Whenever I see a homeless person on the street I give them money to at least help them to get a meal for that day.

 

Not only is giving a blessing, it also makes you feel better about yourself. After giving back to someone you'll be really happy. If you have more than enough for yourself, what is wrong with giving something to others? I used to be someone really stingy until I had a long talk with my mother. After the first time of giving someone something, I never been the same. After that day my life positively changed forever. Giving back is my happy place. Whenever I'm sad I go and help people. Some people don't have all the opportunities that I have in life. I give less fortunate people things to help them to let them know I care.

 

 





Saturday's Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons of white sugar
• 3 tablespoons of baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3 cups of butter milk
• 1/3 cup of melted butter

 
Preparation:
 
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. On one side of the kitchen, my granny was doing this. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. On the other side of the kitchen there was me doing that. Some Saturdays my granny and I would take turns on who would combine what in which bowl.

One particular Saturday while mixing those things I was listening to my mom and auntie gossiping at the table. Saying things like "Girl, you know she finally have a husband.." or "Girl, I see the police at the Johnson's house every Friday..." always catches my attention. While they should have been helping me and their 67 year old mother in the kitchen, they rather discuss other people business. Suddenly the front door opened, surprisingly my older brother, who has been gone for two years away in Little Rock, walked in. Everyone reactions changed. We were all very delighted to see him. We jumped up and suffocated him with hugs and kisses.

Cutting that fantastic reunion short, I heated a lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat. Sometimes, I flick water across the surface and if it sizzles up, it's ready! After that, I let my granny take over. She pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture using a wooden spoon. Stir it until it blend together, but do not over stir. Pour  or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/2 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

While my grandma was waiting on the pancakes to get done, I joined my aunt, mom, brother, and cousin at the table. He began to tell us about his time in Little Rock. We realized that the whole he was talking, everyone was smiling. Not knowing if the smiles were coming from his presence or the smell of the pancakes! After what seemed like a long time of listening and smiling, the pancakes were done!

The plates were already set, but we added one more for my brother. My granny came over with a hot plate with a stack of pancakes on it. She came around a gave everyone two pancakes. We waited for her to settle, we said grace as an unit, finally we began to eat.

We do this routine every Saturday, but this specific Saturday seemed very special!
  

Only God Can Judge

          God made everyone different. Everybody is special and unique in their own way. People come in all shapes and sizes. Some people may have better shapes than others, but all people are beautiful. Regardless of how a person is made no one deserves to be picked on because of their size.

          In "The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World" people picked on Esteban because of how tall and wide he was. No man is better than the other, so no one have the right to make fun of other people because of looks. In the story he was so use to people talking about him that he changed his everyday life. He even stood up in other people homes because he didn't want to break anything. It's really sad when people have to change their way of living just to please others.

          At the end of the story the people started to realize that what happened to Esteban was wrong. So basically, even though people might treat a person wrong, good days will come their way. Nothing ever good happens to those who mistreat others. Considering the fact that we all bleed the same blood, we all are equal. God made everybody different for a reason.

          In conclusion, no one is perfect. You shouldn't change the way you think of yourself because of what others think. Self-confidence is a quality everyone should have. Karma always come back for those who treat others bad. God always bless those who stay humble. My mother always told me, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all!"

         





A Clearer Understanding

          Those of you who know Beyoncé, knows that she is a very well known artist and one of the greatest singers of all time. Personally, I chose the documentary Life is But a Dream because the majority of people don't know everything celebrities go through and also because I love Beyoncé. In Life is But a Dream Beyoncé shows a side that no one knows about her. After watching this documentary I have a clearer understanding on who Beyoncé really is and how her everyday life really goes. It also made me love her even more! Although you only see what the media give you, her real life and the life you see are very well different.
          One of many things that come with being an artist is knowing how much to tell your fans and how much to keep to yourself. Something Beyoncé had to personally go through was firing her manager which was her dad. By this decision, Beyoncé was sadden, but relieved. At least once in everyone's lifetime they will have to make a decision onto where to draw the line between family and business. Another thing Beyoncé personally went through was having a miscarriage. By getting through that, she went and wrote lyrics, in which she described, "The most saddest song I've ever wrote." Her lyrics is her way of letting out all the emotions she have inside of her. These are just two of the numerous things Beyoncé, and other artists, have to go through in their personal lives as celebrities.
          Sometimes the media can be really cruel towards celebrities. While Beyoncé was pregnant with her daughter, Blue Ivy, the media started rumors about how it was a fake pregnancy. She was so shocked about this statement and the fact that her fans actually started to believe it was true. So on this documentary Beyoncé actually showed her bare stomach and her baby bump to prove that the rumors were wrong. The reason of me telling you this is because you shouldn't always believe what people tell you, in this case it's their job to make celebrities look bad.
          As you can see Beyoncé go through more things than she appear to be going through. We may think celebrities are perfect when in reality they go through the same things as we do. I really hope this blog was helpful to many. I also hope you'll have a clearer understanding on the lifestyle of Beyoncé.
         
          Life is But a Dream   http://rollingout.com/videos/beyonce-life-is-but-a-dream-documentary/
   

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