The Cycle of Inequality and Injustice
In the book, Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton tells us a story about the inequality and injustice that seems to slip under the radar when it comes to the government. The Whites find it easy to blame the natives because they fear them, the natives are wrongfully accused and they fear the White men. Inequality is very prevalent in this novel, the natives are shipped to far off lands, leaving their families to fend for themselves while they go and work for the White men. There are many different instances where the natives in South Africa are wrongfully accused and the people of South Africa don't do anything about it. The whites have never even bothered to think that the blacks were scared too. All
of the white population found it easy to blame the natives for all of their problems because they seemed to cause the most trouble.
Paton gives us an example through the story of Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom. Absalom moved to Johannesburg to go and find Stephen's sister Gertrude, but never returned. When Stephen goes looking for the both of them he comes to find out that his son has been convicted of murdering a white man, Arthur Jarvis. Stephen's son was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to be hanged. In the book it explains how Absalom was carrying the gun because he feared for his life. There are so many different examples of inequality and injustice in this book, there are too many to count. It is incredibly depressing how horrible the natives were treated during the time this book was written.
of the white population found it easy to blame the natives for all of their problems because they seemed to cause the most trouble.
Paton gives us an example through the story of Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom. Absalom moved to Johannesburg to go and find Stephen's sister Gertrude, but never returned. When Stephen goes looking for the both of them he comes to find out that his son has been convicted of murdering a white man, Arthur Jarvis. Stephen's son was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to be hanged. In the book it explains how Absalom was carrying the gun because he feared for his life. There are so many different examples of inequality and injustice in this book, there are too many to count. It is incredibly depressing how horrible the natives were treated during the time this book was written.
"Of course, nothing comes for free and every thing has a price. When I say stand firm for fundamental values that we keep close to our heart, I don’t mean in traditional sense of physical confrontation; it is about having the will power to stand firm for what we believe is right and try to succeed. It is not about being violent to one another but it is about adopting a fair and humane way of dealing with one another; it is about the will to break the cycle of violence and injustice. I say this not because I have a luxury to preach but because it is clear to me that justice cannot be achieved through revenge and injustice. We can only reap the seeds we sow." (Yared, HM, 2007)
What is meant by this is that the only people that can change the justice system is the people all around seeing the true effects of this system in our communities. The justice system is trying to be fair to everyone but they just don't have the time to go and see if the justice system is truly working. The words in the quote that have been enhanced all have to do with the justice system. We need to stand firm in our values and try to succeed in order to break the cycle of injustice. This picture was taken while they were filming the movie, Disgrace. This movie is about a Cape Town professor that gets caught up in post-apartheid politics. In this picture we see the native fearing the white man. In the book the natives are always getting in trouble, but not once do you hear of a white person murdering a native; or a white person being wrongfully accused. Although this is a picture that many of us don't like to see, it needs to be seen. We need to realize just how in depth this system was which the Afrikaans had towards the natives. When I first saw this I was heartbroken, but then I realized that if I hadn't seen this, I wouldn't truly understand the meaning of injustice, and how great of an impact it had on this book and not to mention the author, Alan Paton.
| "Because the land is a land of fear, a Judge must be without fear, so that justice may be done according to the Law; therefore a Judge must be incorruptible.
The Judge does not make the Law. It is the People that make the Law. Therefore if a Law is unjust, and if the Judge judges according to the Law, that is justice, even if is not just. It is the duty of a Judge to do justice, but it is only the People that can be just. Therefore if justice be not just, that is not to be laid at the door of the Judge, but at the door of the People, which means at the door of the White People, for it is the White People that make the law. " (Paton, p. 191) Although this quote begins talking about the land, its main focus is justice. This quote explains the duty of the judge. It states "The Judge judges according to the Law," All that the judge is doing is trying to create justice. Later on in this quote it states, "it is only the people that can be just," I believe this to mean that the people are the ones that need to change the way the justice system works, not the government. We all need to stand up for what we believe in and show the rest of the world that they too can do the same thing. At the end of the novel, James Jarvis and Stephen Kumalo have now become friends. They forgot about race, social class, and education and found that it was the best thing that they had done. Although this is just two people joining forces to stop the cycle of inequality this is happening all around us, we just don't see it. It doesn't matter what color of skin you have. If you are being judged because of that, just like in the book, that person is terribly wrong and they too are being injust. We are all people with needs, just because one has white skin and one has black means nothing. To make this cycle end, we must show the rest of the world that they too can do it!
|
Before you take this poll, imagine that you were taking this when the book was being written. Pretend as if you are a native living in South Africa in the 1940s. How do you think this vote will impact others? And possibly, could taking this poll get you in trouble?
|
Although they are breaking the cycle of injustice and freeing the natives in some parts of the country, there is still a large portion of natives that are still not free. In the picture above you see many people rioting and trying to make a difference in their own society. This is what South Africa needs in every society to let the government know just how unfair their system is. No one deserves to live in fear, so why have they let this go on for so long?
|
The cycle of injustice, being one of our topics of focus in the book seems to still have a lot of impact on today’s world. I was reading an article for a previous English assignment and I found that it related very well with this topic. Injustice is still prevalent in the world today, and it seems to be growing
quickly. In this article it quotes Alan Paton himself, "Have no doubt it is fear in the land. For what can men do when s0 many have grown lawless? Who can enjoy the lovely land, who can enjoy seventy years, and the sun that pours down on the earth, when there is fear in the heart? Who can walk quietly in the shadow of the jacarandas, when their beauty is grown in danger? Who can lie peacefully
abed, while the darkness holds some secret? What lovers can lie sweetly under the stars, when the menace grows with the measure of their seclusion? There are voices crying what must be done, a hundred, a thousand voices. But what do they help if one seeks counsel, for one cries this, and one cries that, and another cries something that is neither this nor that." (Alan Paton, Cry The Beloved
Country, 1949) Although this covers all four topics of focus, I believe that the quote is mainly focused on injustice. This article is all about fear of justice in their country. It talks about crime and fear inside of South Africa. It talks just like Arthur spoke about the continuous crime cycle. It is the continual violence that is causing so much fear in the land. Also the only thing that is driving these people to violence is the love and passion they have for what is going on. Just like Jarvis, South Africans’ are fighting for what they believe in. At times this causes fear, and other times, people are not treated equal. This is what drives to more violence and more fear. It is a never ending cycle in this country.
Injustice is still seen in many parts of South Africa, especially in schools. Although it isn't the time of the Apartheid, there is still segregation in schools and the distribution of wealth is heavily tilted towards the Whites and a very small number of natives. This creates high levels of poverty and unemployment, which is also unjust to all of those who are affected by it. Native schools are not nearly as funded as White schools, and this is creating a new cycle of inequality. Although there are many in South Africa with a love and passion for ending injustice, I honestly believe that South Africa will never get out of this cycle of injustice without the hope of the people that are willing to act upon their dreams and fight to end this. Too many people live in fear, they don't want to cause an upset because of something they said or did trying to end the cycle; but that is just what we need. We need to cause an uproar and get everyone together to end this awful cycle. This can only happen with your help!
Addison Beck
quickly. In this article it quotes Alan Paton himself, "Have no doubt it is fear in the land. For what can men do when s0 many have grown lawless? Who can enjoy the lovely land, who can enjoy seventy years, and the sun that pours down on the earth, when there is fear in the heart? Who can walk quietly in the shadow of the jacarandas, when their beauty is grown in danger? Who can lie peacefully
abed, while the darkness holds some secret? What lovers can lie sweetly under the stars, when the menace grows with the measure of their seclusion? There are voices crying what must be done, a hundred, a thousand voices. But what do they help if one seeks counsel, for one cries this, and one cries that, and another cries something that is neither this nor that." (Alan Paton, Cry The Beloved
Country, 1949) Although this covers all four topics of focus, I believe that the quote is mainly focused on injustice. This article is all about fear of justice in their country. It talks about crime and fear inside of South Africa. It talks just like Arthur spoke about the continuous crime cycle. It is the continual violence that is causing so much fear in the land. Also the only thing that is driving these people to violence is the love and passion they have for what is going on. Just like Jarvis, South Africans’ are fighting for what they believe in. At times this causes fear, and other times, people are not treated equal. This is what drives to more violence and more fear. It is a never ending cycle in this country.
Injustice is still seen in many parts of South Africa, especially in schools. Although it isn't the time of the Apartheid, there is still segregation in schools and the distribution of wealth is heavily tilted towards the Whites and a very small number of natives. This creates high levels of poverty and unemployment, which is also unjust to all of those who are affected by it. Native schools are not nearly as funded as White schools, and this is creating a new cycle of inequality. Although there are many in South Africa with a love and passion for ending injustice, I honestly believe that South Africa will never get out of this cycle of injustice without the hope of the people that are willing to act upon their dreams and fight to end this. Too many people live in fear, they don't want to cause an upset because of something they said or did trying to end the cycle; but that is just what we need. We need to cause an uproar and get everyone together to end this awful cycle. This can only happen with your help!
Addison Beck