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Show Volume IX Issue I THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 11 October 15, 2003 Readin’ in Eden — “Cry the Beloved Country” By Martha Schickedanz Thursday evening, October 9, was the second meeting of the Readin’ in Eden book club. Since the first meeting in September was purely organizational, this was the first actual book discussion. “Cry the Beloved Country” by Alan Paton was the selected reading. There was a lively discussion by those who met together. The story begins, “There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it.” You can almost feel the peace and beauty of the “back country” where character Stephen Kumalo lives. He is a country parson, a Zulu, and his character is built throughout the book as a sensitive, gentle, humble and caring man, mindful of his responsibilities as a father, grandfather, pastor, and citizen. The plot of the book is simple, and the main characters are Stephen Kumalo and James Jarvis, a white man who is a wealthy landowner who happens to live in the same area of South Africa as Kumalo. Most of the story takes place in Johannesburg, where a murder occurs that inextricably ties Kumalo and Jarvis together. It is helpful to know a little of South African history to better understand the volatility of emotion in this novel. South Africa “belonged” to the natives prior to world discovery by the navigators of the 17th century. In the latter part of the 1600’s, Dutch explorers stopped off at the Cape of Good Hope (southern most tip of the African Continent) on their way to the East Indies where spices were traded. After the long journey from Western Europe, it was needful to stop and take on supplies of fresh water and food so that they could continue on to Indonesia. Thus began a settlement of farmers in the area of Cape Town who grew the necessary gardens to provide these crucial vegetables and fruit that would prevent scurvy, a disastrous health problem that plagued sea-bound crews. From this modest community came the roots of white settlement on the continent. Over the next couple of hundred years a layering of peoples and cultures took place; English, German, French, Indian (from India), Malaysian, Chinese, and many others, who came to South Africa for employment and the rich farming land that it offered, thus creating the “melting pot” that is so similar to our cultural history in America. Of course there were many tribal peoples already living in this area, peoples that were pushed across the country so that the new residents would have farmland and prime coastal areas. Without going into detail, it needs to be noted that there was a strong and conservative religious presence, particularly among the Dutch (or Afrikaners as they called themselves—also referred to as “Boers”), and one of the manifestations was a belief of white racial superiority. This book was written in 1948 during a period of time when the Afrikaners, the Nationalist Party, was in power. A system of racial segregation, apartheid or “separate development” was in place. Johannesburg was a booming city at that time due to the discovery of gold and diamonds, and tribal peoples from all over Africa came to the city to work in the mines. All the problems that we relate to, as blacks moved to the Northeastern cities of the USA during industrialization, took place in Johannesburg. Young men left their families, their home Halloween Party! Join us for fun, games, scary stories and prizes. Monday, October 27 at 7:00 p.m. at the Ogden Valley Library. Call 45-2220 for more information. 801-745-4000 2555 WOLF CREEK DR. HALLOWEEN SPECIALS X-Large Fresh communities, and their rural roots to seek fortune in the city. Crime and immorality became substitutes for personal honesty and integrity as the family and community presence crumbled into individual desperation. Enter Stephen Kumalo, who journeys to Johannesburg to locate his sister and his son who have lived in that city for several years and who have not been heard from. What he finds is great sadness. His sister has turned to prostitution, and his son has murdered a man during a botched robbery. The story is told in great simplicity of dialogue, but so powerful that you feel the anguish and heartache of this good and gentle man. The other main character you meet in Book II is James Jarvis—father of the murdered man. As his story unfolds you become acquainted with his remarkable son who has worked diligently for equality of races, organizing clubs where black and white could come together to understand one another. Among his heroes were Christ and Abraham Lincoln. Of course the irony is that this good man, so eagerly pursuing justice for the blacks, is the one who is murdered during a crime targeting his home. Much of Book II is the epiphany that James (the father) has about his son, and about his own belief structure. Alan Paton, the author, uses this opportunity to bring out his own passion for political and racial justice. From a letter that Jarvis finds his son has written, we read, “The old tribal system was, for all its violence and savagery, for all its superstition and witchcraft, a moral system. Our natives today produce criminals and prostitutes and drunkards, not because it is their nature to do so, but because their simple system of order and tradition and convention has been destroyed. It was destroyed by the impact of our own civilization. Our civilization has therefore an inescapable duty to set up another system of order and tradition and convention.” And then in a reflection of whence he has come, and where he finds himself at this writing, the son of Jarvis continues, “It is hard to be born a South African . . . One can read . . . the brochures about lovely South Africa, the land of sun and beauty sheltered from the storms of the world, and feel pride in it and love for it, and yet know nothing about it at all. It is only then that one learns of the hates and fears of our country. It is only then that one’s love grows deep and MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL EDEN STORE HOURS: MON. - SAT. 7 AM - 10 PM SUNDAY 7 AM - 9 PM Deli Pizzas 16 inch Combo or Pepperoni Big-Screen TV! Comfortable Stadium Seating! Expires 10/31/03 Child’s Play Assorted Candy 2 for $10.00 with coupon Large 4 lb. Bag Limit 2 per coupon Assorted Expires 10/31/03 Join us in the “Living Room” every Monday at 6 p.m. $8.99 with coupon Limit 2 per coupon passionate, as a man may love a woman who is true, false, loving, cruel and afraid. I was born on a farm, brought up by honourable parents, given all a child could need or desire. They were upright and kind and lawabiding; they taught me my prayers and took me regularly to church; they had no trouble with servants and my father was never short of labour. From them I learned all that a child should learn of honour and charity and generosity. But of South Africa I learned nothing at all.” It is difficult to read this text and not reflect on our own experience here in this country of ours, the United States of America. The book concludes with a coming together of these two men, their personal discoveries, their regrets, their hopes. There is such love and forgiveness, that it jumps from the page. As Kumalo and Jarvis meet together and discover that their two anguishes are as one, the following conversation takes place. “The suffering in the old man’s (Kumalo) face smote him, so that he said, sit down, umfundisi. Then the old man would be able to look at the ground, and he would not need to look at Jarvis . . . ‘I see you are afraid, umfundisi. But I tell you, you need not be afraid. I shall not be angry. There will be no anger in me against you.’” Kumalo replies, “Then, said the old man, this thing that is the heaviest thing of all my years, is the heaviest thing of all your years also . . . It was my son that killed your son, said the old man.” Jarvis is silent and then says, “I have heard you . . . I understand what I did not understand. There is no anger in me.” It ends on a note of optimism, and yet realism. It is difficult not to be deeply moved by the characters that Paton creates, and by the problems which are yet unanswered in either South Africa, or our own country. The next Readin’ in Eden book club meeting will be held November 13. The hostess is Darla Van Zeben who can be reached at 745-4740. The book to be discussed is “The Red Tent,” by Alexandra Diamonte. Everyone in the community is invited to attend. For more information regarding place and time, RSVP the hostess. $10 Pizza and Buffalo Wing Buffet! Pepsi Cola Products 50 c Limit 2 per coupon 2 Liter Bottle with coupon Expires 10/31/03 Farr Ice Cream 5 qt. bucket $3.99 with coupon Limit 1 per coupon Expires 10/31/03 3900 N.Wolf Creek Drive in the Clubhouse Eden, UT (801) 745-3737 |