Symbolism of Land in "Cry the Beloved Country"

The land of the country of South Africa, and the descriptions of it, play very important roles in the novel Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. There is a multitude of quotes throughout the book referencing and describing the beloved soil of their homeland. The first sentence of Book I says, “There is a lovely road from Ixopo hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling and they are lovely beyond any singing of it” and continues describing the beautiful land of their dear country. However, he then turns to describing the destruction of this magnificent piece of earth, saying that “Too many cattle feed upon the grass and too many fires have burned it.” He then describes how “It is not kept, or guarded, or cared for, it no longer keeps men, guard men, cares for men” and that “The great red hills stand desolate, and the earth has torn away like flesh.”

The host of references to the beloved terrain of South Africa illustrates the love that Paton (and many other natives to the country) have for their homeland; the beauty and awe of of the rolling hills and the sweet sounds of the titihoyas are symbols of the allure their country has on them. Or had. Paton describes the destruction to the land, and how it has become something terrible. Metaphorically, the flowing green grass has been eaten away and burned by fire. The country is no longer what it was in the glorious days of the past.

The use of the description of the land symbolizes the change that South Africa has undergone, not only physically, but morally as well. People have changed with the land. Cities have been built where the pastures used to lay, and with the cities, came crime, violence, and hatred. This is not the South Africa that the narrator knew and loved. So cry, the beloved country, for your land has changed, and so have your people.