what is so special about poetry?

  Poetry explains something that is hard or even impossible to describe in any other way.  Which is why I find it plausible and pragmatic to explain what is so special about poetry using such an convenient medium:

  Craft so honed, work so chic, poets live to create
A medium, an art, something of which we can relate
Through our eyes, we read through his eyes
But through our souls, we feel through our own
Change makes no difference, for perception is reality
Though what makes poetry so divine, is when we feel our own mortality.

Some Thoughts About The Author

The overall grasp Volitare has on society and ethics at such a time when views were so different is extremely interesting.  I find it compelling that he is able to reach such moral standards and not fall to the embarrassingly overused excuse:" but that's just how they grew up", which is commonly seen defending those who were racist back in the day.  Not only Racism, but Volitare is able to see right through all of the ethical fallacies at the time.  Volitare seems to be a direct opposite of his character Candide.  Where Candide is completely unable to form his own opinions, Volitare can separate himself from the common thoughts of  society and think and believe completely independent of societal pressure.  Come to think of it, that was perhaps Volitares strategy... to convey his opinions throughout a character incapable of forming his own. That way the truth could not be more obvious, and the people reading could not feel more stupid

Candide, Just

Candide is a interestingly dull character that is very amusing throughout the novel.  He demonstrates his large capacity for naivety, ignorance, and outright stupidity.  Not only that, but manages to kill a few men along his travels.  The book constantly demonstrates forms of punishment and consequence, and from these things one is usually able to learn from their mistakes or misbeliefs.  But not Candide, it takes entire armies, wait,... more than entire armies to teach Candide to re-correct himself.  Only after he endured so much, was he finally introduced to the feeling of doubt regarding Pangloss's Philosophy.  Yet such a dull character has a certain complexity to him, and as I read more of the book this become more and more obvious.  Perhaps the character of Candide could be more than just a medium for the author to broadcast his satirical views.  Candide's character may unfold as the book ends, and perhaps the author will expand on his sympathy.  Or he may just remain the innocent dim-wit, incapable of forming any opinions.  

Racism Thesis, based off Cry, the Beloved Country

There are many contradicting instances of racism that happen throughout the entire book of Cry the Beloved Country.  It appears that there is not a single group of people that are "racist" or "not racist", and this discovery makes how we acted towards blacks all the more heinous.  At first I thought, its generational...meaning the old white men running everything were the racist ones, and the young people weren't.  Yet the Jarvis's niece was incredibly racist, and her old relative Jarvis was more accepting.  That also meant it was not familial either as Arthur, and James  had no effect on their racist relative.  So really their are no excuses for ones racism, it was not how they were raised (familial) and it is not the world they grew up in (generational), ones racism must truly depend on the individual, which tells us all the more how terrible we individuals really are.  

Final Thoughts on The Book

Cry the Beloved Country takes a unique approach on representing modern south african history.  Unlike some movies which give the audience a first hand experience of what it was like to live under such an oppressive regime, Cry, the Beloved Country speaks very generally for the problems that started apartheid and how we could have fixed them.  The way he portrays this puts a lot of emphasis on family which was a major contribution to south Africa at the time.  He talks about, through Arthur Jarvis, how family is the roots for the blacks, and since the indirectly government stripped that away, they are the cause for the mayhem.  One way to fiz all of this would be to restore  the land so families would not break apart. A sentence to summarize the novel would be: the tribe is broken, restore the land to save the tribe

Messages and Fear

 Fear grips all black societies and is widespread not only for black people but also white people. An unborn child will inherit this fear and will be deprived of loving and relishing his country because the greater he loves his country the greater will be his pain. Paton shows us this throughout this book but at the same time he also offers deliverance from this pain. This, I believe is the greater purpose of this book.  For example: Kumalo has fear when in search for his son, but Msimangu offers him deliverance from the pain.  Absolom, was under terrible fear because he was to be hanged and was in fear of being alone, yet his father, Stephen, comforts him.  Paton's message is when we help and serve each other then only can we drive out fear. Only brotherhood will bring comfort to the people and our beloved country. `The bondage of fear, why that is a secret', when will South Africa and its people be free of fear?

Who is responsible for Absolom's death?

  The practical part of me wants to say that one cannot give blame solely to one person and walk away, but the literary part of me thinks otherwise.  This question really does have some depth...Was his father responsible for not parenting good enough?  Was it Absolom's friend for influencing him poorly in the first place?  Was it the unjust judge or Kumalo's selfish brother?  Or was it Absolom's, for actually firing the gun and killing Arthur Jarvis.  Those people may be partially to blame, but majorly the blame truly goes to not a person, but something else.  The answer goes back to the title, Cry, the Beloved Country.  It is the broken tribe to blame, the greedy leaders, and the racist speakers.  The families split up, “The men are away, the young men and the girls are away." And Why? Because," The soil cannot keep them any more.”  Poor Absolom was just another victim to the bigoted fiends that tore what was once a lovely place.  From this ,one can clearly understand the title: Cry, the beloved country.

An Inevitable Truth, A Segregated South Africa

The brewing storm in South Africa is not an easy topic to talk about, as the hints in the book are subtle and sparse, but I feel it important to talk about regardless.  In the beginning of Cry, the Beloved Country there are a number of examples of the horror the country is about to endure.  Clues like the brusque racism in the media, the shanty towns, the complex role of the free city, Alexandria, and the story of Msimangu's friend that lived on Potchefstroom road give much insight.  Examples that present white and black alliance, and white and black segregation bring many variables to the complex issue of the future South African Apartheid.  What we know is that South African segregation will get worse very quickly, and will soon be the overlying message the book has to offer.  What is expected is the ability to glimpse at what it would be like to live in South Africa at this time, and this sight will be most certainly heinous.   There are very high tensions in the country, and it seems as though all weapons are loaded.  South Africa is doomed for tragedy.    

Letters, and One of Their Many Roles

              A major motif or symbol in Cry, The Beloved Country are letters.  Letters tell Kumalo of his sister, and aid him when looking for his son.  I am fascinated by the formal and distinguished form of communication, but besides that the deeper meaning of letters are prevalent when the beloved umfundisi reaches Johannesburg.  Kumalo has three family members that all have gone to Johannesburg, and all three have not written to him.  Yet, when he reaches this prominent, intimidating city, he finds all three family members unscathed.  His repetitious encounters with his family give no real reason to why they haven't written to him.  He heard things like, "I haven't had the money", and," Life is different here", but no one has truly answered him.  That is what is so interesting, why has no one written to Kumalo? And if they did truly tell Kumalo why they had not written, would their answers be the same?  I feel that the reserved and refined(and old) umfundisi has some skeletons in his closet, because who wouldn't want to write such a nice man? Perhaps moments like when Kumalo lied in the train and snapped at his son's partner are sheds of light unto the religious man's past self.  More is to be known, and hopefully we will see more letters in Cry, The Beloved Country.

Reaction to "You can encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated"

Why? Why must one not be defeated? As if our overly competitive society didn't delude us enough.    Throwing around lose ultimatums  like this I find just to be a cheap way to get writer's brownie points.  I firmly believe that one's goals tell a lot about a person, and if ones main goal is to be able to lose but not give up is not the wisest of options.  Every person should strive to be happy, and if being defeated ensures that happiness then so be it.  Win or loss one should just be happy, because life is too short to be sad.  And life is way too short to not play devil's advocate.  

Last time I was filled with joy

The last occasion which I was filled with joy was at the Anderson House with my family.  Every other year, before Christmas, my Dad's brothers and all of their children stay together in a big house in DC.  During the day we visit museums and memorials, and at night my cousins and I venture through the old mansions various rooms looking for secret passageways.  We have group lunches and go to events, and usually we all view a movie together at IMAX, this year it was The Hobbit.  The trip is a nice way to get into the christmas spirit, as the snow filled, light covered District of Columbia is hard to ignore.  Above all else, though, is the last night where everyone has dinner at a restaurant in china town.  We all reminisce about previous times at the restaurant, and it never fails to bring me somewhat overdone calamari which as grown on me over the years.   I never really liked any of my family members personally, and I still don't know why I get so excited to see them around christmas.  Yet I do, and it is great fun, and it fills me with joy.

Winnie as a Mother

The relationship between Pearl and Winnie has unraveled itself as I read further into the book.  At first I was introduced with the stereotypical overbearing, foreign mother who starts her phone calls in mid-argument and is annoyingly hospitable to the point where one choses a hotel over her house.  She acts in such a way that pushes her daughter away even though she is trying to do the opposite.  As the book progresses, though, I realize how Winnie's past plays a huge role in why she acts the way she does.  She isn't such a good mother because she didn't  had a mom to raise her, and she doesn't know how to act.  Also, she is so overbearing because she doesn't want her daughter to ever feel as though she has "disappeared".  It is important to recognize that a lot of Winnie's past has to do how she acts now.

Pearl's Secret

Pearl's secret is that she has a terrible disease called multiple sclerosis, which is a maiming illness which slowly takes away ones ability to function.  She decides to keep this as a secret from her mother.  It is sad because a typical mother and daughter relationship would not warrant such secrecy, yet here it is present.  Pearl keeps this from her mother to avoid her mother's overflow of emotions.  Winnie is a very superstitious lady, and if she would hear that her daughter has this disease, she would most certainly overreact.  In this overreaction she would probably blame herself, saying that her "bad luck" caused her this.  Pearl's choice to keep this from her mother is more selfish than not because it shows she is actively shutting her mother out of her life because she is too much.  In order to mend the bonds of their relationship,  Pearl will have to learn to tolerate Winnie or they will lose connection entirely.   Both Winnie and Pearl have to have better communication and need tell each other exactly how they feel.