“Cry, beloved country, for the unborn child who is the heir of our fear. » Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay Fear is a prevalent theme in Cry, the Beloved Country. The novel centers around the idea of ​​how fear affects us. It shows the fear we feel when our world, our moral sense and our way of life begin to disappear. Paton uses fear as a way to express many of the political, economic and social issues occurring in South Africa during the time this book is set. Fear is also embodied in many characters in the novel. Stephen Kumalo, who travels to Johannesburg to find his sister and son, is used by Paton to express fear of the natives. “Basically, fear for his son. Basically, the fear of a man who lives in a world that is not made for him, from whom his own world is moving away, dying, is destroyed, beyond all memory. He fears for his son who, after burglarizing a man's house and killing the man in an accidental shooting, is on trial for murder. He fears for his village, plagued by poverty and drought. His son, who is another character Paton uses to express his fear, reveals a different perspective. When he goes on trial, he admits that the accidental shooting was done out of pure fear. “The accused looks at the ground again. Then he responds in a low voice, I was afraid, I was afraid. I never intended to shoot him. The fact that Absalom is easily influenced is due to his fear of the world. The murder of a man was not motivated by evil intention but by fear of the conditions prevailing in South Africa. When Absalom is sentenced, the judge recognizes that the acts were committed because of the social condition in South Africa. However, he still sentenced Absalom to death because of the law created by a “defective society.” In chapter 28, as the judge says, "his learned counsel pleads that he should not suffer the extreme punishment, affirms that he is shocked, upset and struck by this act, congratulates him for his truthful and direct confession, draws attention to his youth and to the disastrous effect of a big, bad city on the character of a simple tribesman. He dealt in depth with the disaster that has engulfed our indigenous tribal society, ... But while it is true that we have, through fear, selfishness and recklessness, brought about destruction that we have not done much- something to fix, even if it is true that we should be ashamed of it and do something braver and more direct than what we are doing, there is nevertheless a law, and it is one of the monumental achievements of this defective society that it made a law and appointed judges. to administer it,… But a judge cannot play with the law because society is defective… I only emphasize that a judge cannot, must not, dare not allow the existing defects of society to influence him to do anything other than administer the law. law." Fear is not only manifested among black natives, but also among white natives. Fear is the main motive for restrictive and harsh laws created by white people. At the beginning of chapter 12, the author writes: " Have no doubt, fear reigns in the land For what can men do when so many have become lawless? Who can enjoy the beautiful country, who can enjoy the seventy years and the sunshine that pours down on it? the earth, when there is fear in the heart? Who can walk peacefully in the shade of the jacaranda trees, when their beauty becomes dangerous? Who can lie peacefully in bed, while the darkness hides a secret? lovers can..”