Kumalo suffered much throughout the book. He lost his son, he lost his connection with his brother, and he lost his sister Gertrude. On the other hand, he brought two children back to Ndotsheni with him, along with Absalom's wife who he considers to be his new daughter.
Jarvis also lost his son and wife, but he received next to nothing positive to help ease his suffering. Despite all of these losses Jarvis still has the kind heart to help out the people in Ndotsheni, even though the man that killed his son came from there.
Throughout the book, the land is often personified to the point that I like to think of it as a character. The part of land that I focus on the most is Ndotsheni because Kumalo is always referring back to it. Going even further I see Ndotsheni as a parent figure. Just like Kumalo and Jarvis, the land has lost many of it's people and suffers because those people no longer care for it anymore. "Keep it, guard it, care for it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men." (2)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
10-28-10
Ashoka Fellow #1
http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/5684
This mans name is Asad Danish, and he is working in Afghanistan to allow access to education and learning, through the construction of libaries and providing information through radio
Ashoka Fellow #2
http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/3102
Maria Teresa Almada works in Mexico to help with the prevention and treatment of drug and substance abuse. She founded the Center for Assistance and Promotion of Youth, (CASA). CASA is the spanish word for home. She runs a program similar to the DARE that we have hear in America
Ashoka Fellow #3
http://www.ashoka.org/jmaguilar
Jose Berrocal Aguilar Berrocalfounded the Fundación Acción Joven (Foundation for Youth Action), a Costa Rican citizen organization that allows university students to fulfill required community service hours through specially designed projects in public secondary schools. (quoted) He also works to get the community involved and volunteering.
http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/5684
This mans name is Asad Danish, and he is working in Afghanistan to allow access to education and learning, through the construction of libaries and providing information through radio
Ashoka Fellow #2
http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/3102
Maria Teresa Almada works in Mexico to help with the prevention and treatment of drug and substance abuse. She founded the Center for Assistance and Promotion of Youth, (CASA). CASA is the spanish word for home. She runs a program similar to the DARE that we have hear in America
Ashoka Fellow #3
http://www.ashoka.org/jmaguilar
Jose Berrocal Aguilar Berrocalfounded the Fundación Acción Joven (Foundation for Youth Action), a Costa Rican citizen organization that allows university students to fulfill required community service hours through specially designed projects in public secondary schools. (quoted) He also works to get the community involved and volunteering.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
10-27-10
In Cry the Beloved Country, there are several unnamed characters. I mentioned this in class, but I believe why he decided to leave some people unnamed can be attributed to two possible reasons:
1. To emphasize the difference and void in between white and black people
2. To help accentuate other characters in some situations.
After reading the book for a while, you begin to literally think in black and white. You start to see the differences that keep the two separate. After a while you start to associate certain traits of a race to multiple people. For example, there are many white men that are unnamed; some do good things, and other do bad things. You come to link all of these things to a particular race, and therefore Paton may have seen no requirement for naming.
Sometimes, characters with no names can be reflections and results of other characters. Characters like Gertrudes child. Gertrudes child reflects innocence, and is a sharp foil to his mothers level of innocence. Gertrudes child was a source of comfort for Stephen, and I think that the child helped give Stephen hope. I think not naming the child was a good idea. The child probably did not even know his name at the time. Unlike other unnamed characters like: "the young white man", the name of "Gertrudes Child" is rather hard to mistake with other characters.
1. To emphasize the difference and void in between white and black people
2. To help accentuate other characters in some situations.
After reading the book for a while, you begin to literally think in black and white. You start to see the differences that keep the two separate. After a while you start to associate certain traits of a race to multiple people. For example, there are many white men that are unnamed; some do good things, and other do bad things. You come to link all of these things to a particular race, and therefore Paton may have seen no requirement for naming.
Sometimes, characters with no names can be reflections and results of other characters. Characters like Gertrudes child. Gertrudes child reflects innocence, and is a sharp foil to his mothers level of innocence. Gertrudes child was a source of comfort for Stephen, and I think that the child helped give Stephen hope. I think not naming the child was a good idea. The child probably did not even know his name at the time. Unlike other unnamed characters like: "the young white man", the name of "Gertrudes Child" is rather hard to mistake with other characters.
Monday, October 11, 2010
10-11-10
I believe the purpose in having multiple books in cry the beloved country is to show that things change, and actions affect more than just one person. Absalom's murder seems bad enough to him and his family, but most authors don't elaborate about how the victims feel. Alan Paton does. It really makes me sad to see parents deal with the fact that their child was murdered. A child that you gave your life for and watched grow into a strong man be taken away from you must be unbearable.
On a side note, there is not only one family in this story. Taking a look at different sides adds freshness to the story.
Some interesting notes:
Absalom= my father is peace
On a side note, there is not only one family in this story. Taking a look at different sides adds freshness to the story.
Some interesting notes:
Absalom= my father is peace
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
10-5-10
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/273088/jewish_oppression_a_closer_look_at.html?cat=37
Jewish Persecution and mass murder
http://www.rawa.org/rules.htm
Oppression of women in Afghanistan
Jewish Persecution and mass murder
http://www.rawa.org/rules.htm
Oppression of women in Afghanistan
Sunday, October 3, 2010
10-3-10
Buses Long Johannesburg Shilling
Taxi Hard Road Room
Walk
The repetition of the word bus. People ride buses everywhere and for different purposes. No one cares what you are riding for and to where. Also mentioned, is that the buses all go to Johannesburg. Remember that line "all roads lead to Johannesburg"? I think this is an excellent reference to a point in the book and I would not be surprised to see it again, in one form or another.
Concepts such as "a long way" or time are presented in chapter 8 as well, and usually in conjunction with words signifying difficulty. Living life is long and hard, and I think this is the point that Paton is trying to make
Johannesburg. Over and over this word is repeated, especially on the first page of chapter 9. Everything is in Johannesburg. Food, work, modern comforts too. Johannesburg is a contrast to the simple setting that Kumalo lives in, where there is really not much to look at. I believe this signifies that the mindset of the time period is "westernization is the road to the future"
Money is a big issue in Cry, the beloved country. From transportation fares, to food and shelter, many issues revolve around money. The poor people who don't make enough to live comfortably, the families that count every shilling they have to make life work out, and the importance that money has in everybody's life. A priest is supposed to be above earthy desires and things, but money is one thing that we need to step down a little bit for. Not to be greedy and want too much though.
Taxi Hard Road Room
Walk
The repetition of the word bus. People ride buses everywhere and for different purposes. No one cares what you are riding for and to where. Also mentioned, is that the buses all go to Johannesburg. Remember that line "all roads lead to Johannesburg"? I think this is an excellent reference to a point in the book and I would not be surprised to see it again, in one form or another.
Concepts such as "a long way" or time are presented in chapter 8 as well, and usually in conjunction with words signifying difficulty. Living life is long and hard, and I think this is the point that Paton is trying to make
Johannesburg. Over and over this word is repeated, especially on the first page of chapter 9. Everything is in Johannesburg. Food, work, modern comforts too. Johannesburg is a contrast to the simple setting that Kumalo lives in, where there is really not much to look at. I believe this signifies that the mindset of the time period is "westernization is the road to the future"
Money is a big issue in Cry, the beloved country. From transportation fares, to food and shelter, many issues revolve around money. The poor people who don't make enough to live comfortably, the families that count every shilling they have to make life work out, and the importance that money has in everybody's life. A priest is supposed to be above earthy desires and things, but money is one thing that we need to step down a little bit for. Not to be greedy and want too much though.
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