Difference between revisions of "Alan Paton" - New World Encyclopedia

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'''Alan Stewart Paton''' ([[11 January]] [[1903]] – [[12 April]] [[1988]]) was a  [[South Africa]]n  [[author]].
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'''Alan Stewart Paton''' (11 January 1903 – 12 April 1988) was a  [[South Africa]]n  author best remembered today for his singularly moving novel ''Cry, The Beloved Country'', which powerfully addressed the difficult issues of racial and ethnic prejudice and brought to global attention the political tensions and injustices of South Africa in the mid 20th-century. Paton's novel, written in rhythmic prose closely modeled on the language of the [[King James Bible]], is considered one of the pinnacles of South African literature, as well as one of the most emotionally powerful novels of the 20th-century. Paton is undeniably one of the most accomplished of all politically and morally-conscious writers, and his legacy continues to shape the cultural and literary development of South Africa to this day.
  
He was born in [[Pietermaritzburg]], [[KwaZulu-Natal]], the son of a minor civil servant. After attending [[Maritzburg College]], he studied a Bachelor of Science degree at the [[University of Natal]] in his hometown, followed by a diploma in education.
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==Life==
 +
Paton was born in [[Pietermaritzburg]], [[KwaZulu-Natal]], the son of a minor civil servant. After attending [[Maritzburg College]], he studied a Bachelor of Science degree at the [[University of Natal]] in his hometown, followed by a diploma in education.
  
 
After graduating, he taught at a high school in [[Ixopo]], where he met his first wife, Dorrie, and then at another school back in [[Pietermaritzburg]].
 
After graduating, he taught at a high school in [[Ixopo]], where he met his first wife, Dorrie, and then at another school back in [[Pietermaritzburg]].
  
 
He served as the principal of the [[Diepkloof]] Reformatory for young offenders from [[1935]] to [[1948]], where he introduced controversial reforms of a progressive slant. Most notable among these were the open dormitory policy, the work permit policy, and the home visitation policy.  Boys were initially housed in closed dorms.  Once they had proven themselves trustworthy, they would be transferred to open dorms within the compound.  Boys who showed high levels of trustworthiness would be permitted to work outside the compound.  In some cases, boys were even permitted to reside outside the compound under the supervision of a care family.  Interesting to note is that of ten thousand boys given home leave during Paton's years at Diepkloof, less than 1% ever failed to return.
 
He served as the principal of the [[Diepkloof]] Reformatory for young offenders from [[1935]] to [[1948]], where he introduced controversial reforms of a progressive slant. Most notable among these were the open dormitory policy, the work permit policy, and the home visitation policy.  Boys were initially housed in closed dorms.  Once they had proven themselves trustworthy, they would be transferred to open dorms within the compound.  Boys who showed high levels of trustworthiness would be permitted to work outside the compound.  In some cases, boys were even permitted to reside outside the compound under the supervision of a care family.  Interesting to note is that of ten thousand boys given home leave during Paton's years at Diepkloof, less than 1% ever failed to return.
 
  
 
Paton volunteered for service during World War II, but was refused. During this time, he took a trip, at his own expense, to tour correctional facilities across the world.  He toured Scandinavia, England, continental Europe, and the United States of America.  During his time in Norway, he began work on his first and most famous novel, ''[[Cry, The Beloved Country]]'', which he would complete over the course of his journey, finishing it on Christmas Eve in San Francisco in 1946.  There, he met Aubrey and Marigold Burns, who read his manuscript and found a publisher to publish it.   
 
Paton volunteered for service during World War II, but was refused. During this time, he took a trip, at his own expense, to tour correctional facilities across the world.  He toured Scandinavia, England, continental Europe, and the United States of America.  During his time in Norway, he began work on his first and most famous novel, ''[[Cry, The Beloved Country]]'', which he would complete over the course of his journey, finishing it on Christmas Eve in San Francisco in 1946.  There, he met Aubrey and Marigold Burns, who read his manuscript and found a publisher to publish it.   
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In [[1953]] he founded  the [[South African Liberal Party]], which fought against the [[apartheid]] legislation introduced by the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]].  He remained the president of the SALP until its forced dissolution by the Apartheid regime, due to the fact that both blacks and whites comprised its membership.  He was noted for his peaceful opposition to the [[Apartheid]] system, as were many others in the party, though some did take a more direct, violent route.  Consequently, the party did have some stigma attached to it as a result of these actions. He retired to [[Botha's Hill]] where he lived until his death.
 
In [[1953]] he founded  the [[South African Liberal Party]], which fought against the [[apartheid]] legislation introduced by the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]].  He remained the president of the SALP until its forced dissolution by the Apartheid regime, due to the fact that both blacks and whites comprised its membership.  He was noted for his peaceful opposition to the [[Apartheid]] system, as were many others in the party, though some did take a more direct, violent route.  Consequently, the party did have some stigma attached to it as a result of these actions. He retired to [[Botha's Hill]] where he lived until his death.
  
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==Works==
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===''Cry The Beloved Country''===
  
Selected Works:
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{{infobox Book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books —>
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| name        = Cry, The Beloved Country
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| orig title  =
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| translator  =
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| image        = [[Image:crybelovedcover.jpg|200px|2003 paperback edition (Scribner's)]]<!--prefer 1st edition—>
 +
| image_caption =
 +
| author      = [[Alan Paton]]
 +
| cover_artist =
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| country      = [[South Africa]]
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| language    = [[English language|English]]
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| series      =
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| genre        = [[Novel]]
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| publisher    = [[Scribners]] (USA) & [[Jonathan Cape]] (UK)
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| release_date = December 1948
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| media_type  = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
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| pages        = 256 pp (hardback edition) (UK)
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| isbn        = ISBN 0-224-60578-X (hardback edition) (UK)
 +
| preceded_by  =
 +
| followed_by  =
 +
}}
  
 +
'''''Cry, The Beloved Country''''' is a novel by [[South Africa]]n author [[Alan Paton]]. It was first published in [[New York City|New York]]  in [[1948]] by [[Charles Scribner's Sons]] and in [[London]] by [[Jonathan Cape]]. It deals with the Stephen Kumalo, a black Anglican priest from a rural [[Natal Province|Natal]] town, and his search for his son Absalom in the city of [[Johannesburg]].  Two motion-picture adaptations of the book have been made, the first in 1951 and the second in 1995.
  
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====Plot summary====
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{{spoiler}}
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The novel opens in the village of Ndotsheni, where the black pastor, Stephen Kumalo, receives a letter from the priest Theophilus Msimangu in Johannesburg. Msimangu urges Kumalo to come to the city to help his sister, Gertrude, who is "sick." Kumalo goes to Johannesburg to help Gertrude and to find his son, Absalom, who had gone to the city to look for Gertrude but never came home. Upon his arrival in Johannesburg, Kumalo learns that Gertrude has taken up a life of prostitution, and is now drinking heavily. Gertrude agrees to return to Ndotsheni with her young son.
 +
 +
Kumalo embarks on the search for his son, first seeing his brother John, a carpenter who has become involved in the politics of South Africa. Kumalo and Msimangu follow Absalom's trail only to learn that Absalom has been in a Reformatory and impregnated a young woman. Shortly thereafter, Kumalo learns that his son has been arrested for the murder of Arthur Jarvis, a white fighter for racial justice and son of Kumalo's neighbour James Jarvis.
 +
 +
Jarvis learns of his son's death and comes with his family to Johannesburg. Jarvis and his son had been distant, and now James Jarvis is looking to come to know his son through his writings. Through reading his son's essays, Jarvis decides to take up his son's work on behalf of South Africa's blacks.
 +
 +
Absalom is sentenced to death for the murder of Arthur Jarvis. Before his father returns to Ndotsheni, Absalom marries the girl he has impregnated, and she joins Kumalo's family. Kumalo returns to his village with his daughter-in-law and nephew, finding that Gertrude ran away on the night before their departure.
 +
 +
Back in Ndotsheni, Kumalo makes a futile visit to the tribe's chief in order to discuss changes that must be made to help the barren village. Help arrives, however, when Jarvis becomes involved in the work. He arranges to have a dam built and hires an agricultural demonstrator to implement new farming methods.
 +
 +
The novel ends on the night of Absalom's execution, which finds Kumalo praying on a mountainside as dawn breaks over the valley. The book ends with a tone of rejuvenation and hope for the country.
 +
 +
====Main themes====
 +
''Cry, the Beloved Country'' is a social protest against the structures of the society that would later give rise to [[apartheid]].  Paton attempts to create an unbiased and objective view of the dichotomies this  entails: he depicts the Whites as affected by 'native crime', whilst the Blacks suffer from social instability and moral issues due to the breakdown of the tribal system. It shows many of problems with South Africa such as the land reserved for the natives degrading, which is sometimes considered to be the main theme, the disintegration of the tribal community, native crime and the flight to the urban areas.  The [[Cry, The Beloved Country#Quotation|quote]] below shows another recurring theme which is how fear affects the characters and society of South Africa.
 +
 +
Paton makes frequent use of literary devices such as [[Macrocosm and microcosm|microcosms]], [[intercalary chapter]]s, [[dash (punctuation)|dash]]es instead of [[quotation mark]]s for dialogue, and a number of other things to show the state of South Africa.  A microcosm is a form of symbolism that uses a small thing to depict something on a larger scale.  Intercalary chapters are literally chapters that are '[[Intercalation (disambiguation)|in between]]': they have almost nothing to do with the story, but often are microcosms.  There are no double quotes in the whole book; instead Paton uses dashes (–) to indicate the start of speech acts.  This may not seem like a literary device at first, but soon it becomes evident that they do a lot more than would be expected.  Because there are no phrases such as "he said" or "she said", it is faster to read and, especially in the intercalary chapters, adds a feeling of desperation and rapid progress towards the novel's final catastrophe.
 +
 +
====Contexts====
 +
''Cry, The Beloved Country'' was written before the implementation of the [[apartheid]] political system in South Africa. The novel was published in 1948, with apartheid becoming law later on that same year.
 +
 +
It enjoyed critical success around the world, except in South Africa, where it was banned, due to its politically dangerous material. The book sold over 15 million copies around the world before Paton's death.
 +
 +
====Quotation====
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<blockquote>Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or a valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much. &mdash; ''Cry, The Beloved Country,'' Chapter 12.<ref>
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 +
====Publication History====
 +
*1948, USA, Charles Scribner's Sons, December 1948,  hardback
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*1949, UK, Jonathan Cape ISBN 0-224-60578-X, 1949, hardback
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*1970, UK Penguin Modern Classics ISBN 0-14-001274-5, 1970, paperback
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*2000, UK Penguin Modern Classics ISBN 0-14-118312-8, 27 April 2000, paperback
 +
*2003, USA, Charles Scribner's Sons ISBN 0-7432-6217-4, November 2003, paperback
 +
 +
===Bibliography===
 
• CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY, 1948 - Itke, rakastettu maa - film 1951, dir. by Zoltan Korda  
 
• CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY, 1948 - Itke, rakastettu maa - film 1951, dir. by Zoltan Korda  
 
 
• LOST IN THE STARS, 1950 (with Maxwell Anderson)
 
• LOST IN THE STARS, 1950 (with Maxwell Anderson)
 
 
• TOO LATE THE PHALAROPE, 1953 - Liian myöhään vesipääsky
 
• TOO LATE THE PHALAROPE, 1953 - Liian myöhään vesipääsky
 
 
• THE LAND AND PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1955
 
• THE LAND AND PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1955
 
 
• SOUTH AFRICA IN TRANSITION, 1956
 
• SOUTH AFRICA IN TRANSITION, 1956
 
 
• DEBBIE GO HOME, 1960
 
• DEBBIE GO HOME, 1960
 
 
• TALES FROM A TROUBLED LAND, 1961
 
• TALES FROM A TROUBLED LAND, 1961
 
 
• HOFMEYER, 1964
 
• HOFMEYER, 1964
 
 
• SPONO, 1965 (with Krishna Shah)
 
• SPONO, 1965 (with Krishna Shah)
 
 
• THE LONG VIEW, 1967
 
• THE LONG VIEW, 1967
 
 
• INSTRUMENT OF THY PEACE, 1968
 
• INSTRUMENT OF THY PEACE, 1968
 
 
• KONTAKION FOR YOU DEPARTED, 1969 (also: For You Departed)  
 
• KONTAKION FOR YOU DEPARTED, 1969 (also: For You Departed)  
 
 
• CASE HISTORY OF A PINKY, 1972
 
• CASE HISTORY OF A PINKY, 1972
 
 
• APARTHEID AND THE ARCHBISHOP: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GEOFFREY CLAYTON, ARCHBISHOP OF CAPE TOWN, 1973
 
• APARTHEID AND THE ARCHBISHOP: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GEOFFREY CLAYTON, ARCHBISHOP OF CAPE TOWN, 1973
 
 
• KNOCKING ON THE DOOR, 1975
 
• KNOCKING ON THE DOOR, 1975
 
 
• TOWARDS THE MOUNTAIN, 1980  
 
• TOWARDS THE MOUNTAIN, 1980  
 
 
• AH, BUT YOUR LAND IS BEAUTIFUL, 1981 - Oi, miten kaunis maa  
 
• AH, BUT YOUR LAND IS BEAUTIFUL, 1981 - Oi, miten kaunis maa  
 
 
• JOURNEY CONTINUED: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 1988
 
• JOURNEY CONTINUED: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 1988
 
 
• SAVE THE BELOVED COUNTRY, 1989  
 
• SAVE THE BELOVED COUNTRY, 1989  
 
 
''Cry, The Beloved Country'' has been  [[film]]ed twice (in [[1951]] and [[1995]]) and was the basis for the Broadway musical ''[[Lost in the Stars]]'' (adaptation by [[Maxwell Anderson]], music by [[Kurt Weill]]).
 
 
The [[Alan Paton Award]] for non-fiction is conferred annually in his honour.
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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[[Category: Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 
[[Category: Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
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Revision as of 09:55, 16 March 2007

Alan Stewart Paton (11 January 1903 – 12 April 1988) was a South African author best remembered today for his singularly moving novel Cry, The Beloved Country, which powerfully addressed the difficult issues of racial and ethnic prejudice and brought to global attention the political tensions and injustices of South Africa in the mid 20th-century. Paton's novel, written in rhythmic prose closely modeled on the language of the King James Bible, is considered one of the pinnacles of South African literature, as well as one of the most emotionally powerful novels of the 20th-century. Paton is undeniably one of the most accomplished of all politically and morally-conscious writers, and his legacy continues to shape the cultural and literary development of South Africa to this day.

Life

Paton was born in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, the son of a minor civil servant. After attending Maritzburg College, he studied a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Natal in his hometown, followed by a diploma in education.

After graduating, he taught at a high school in Ixopo, where he met his first wife, Dorrie, and then at another school back in Pietermaritzburg.

He served as the principal of the Diepkloof Reformatory for young offenders from 1935 to 1948, where he introduced controversial reforms of a progressive slant. Most notable among these were the open dormitory policy, the work permit policy, and the home visitation policy. Boys were initially housed in closed dorms. Once they had proven themselves trustworthy, they would be transferred to open dorms within the compound. Boys who showed high levels of trustworthiness would be permitted to work outside the compound. In some cases, boys were even permitted to reside outside the compound under the supervision of a care family. Interesting to note is that of ten thousand boys given home leave during Paton's years at Diepkloof, less than 1% ever failed to return.

Paton volunteered for service during World War II, but was refused. During this time, he took a trip, at his own expense, to tour correctional facilities across the world. He toured Scandinavia, England, continental Europe, and the United States of America. During his time in Norway, he began work on his first and most famous novel, Cry, The Beloved Country, which he would complete over the course of his journey, finishing it on Christmas Eve in San Francisco in 1946. There, he met Aubrey and Marigold Burns, who read his manuscript and found a publisher to publish it.

In 1953 he founded the South African Liberal Party, which fought against the apartheid legislation introduced by the National Party. He remained the president of the SALP until its forced dissolution by the Apartheid regime, due to the fact that both blacks and whites comprised its membership. He was noted for his peaceful opposition to the Apartheid system, as were many others in the party, though some did take a more direct, violent route. Consequently, the party did have some stigma attached to it as a result of these actions. He retired to Botha's Hill where he lived until his death.

Works

Cry The Beloved Country

Cry, The Beloved Country
2003 paperback edition (Scribner's)
Author Alan Paton
Country South Africa
Language English
Genre(s) Novel
Publisher Scribners (USA) & Jonathan Cape (UK)
Released December 1948
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 256 pp (hardback edition) (UK)
ISBN ISBN 0-224-60578-X (hardback edition) (UK)

Cry, The Beloved Country is a novel by South African author Alan Paton. It was first published in New York in 1948 by Charles Scribner's Sons and in London by Jonathan Cape. It deals with the Stephen Kumalo, a black Anglican priest from a rural Natal town, and his search for his son Absalom in the city of Johannesburg. Two motion-picture adaptations of the book have been made, the first in 1951 and the second in 1995.

Plot summary

The novel opens in the village of Ndotsheni, where the black pastor, Stephen Kumalo, receives a letter from the priest Theophilus Msimangu in Johannesburg. Msimangu urges Kumalo to come to the city to help his sister, Gertrude, who is "sick." Kumalo goes to Johannesburg to help Gertrude and to find his son, Absalom, who had gone to the city to look for Gertrude but never came home. Upon his arrival in Johannesburg, Kumalo learns that Gertrude has taken up a life of prostitution, and is now drinking heavily. Gertrude agrees to return to Ndotsheni with her young son.

Kumalo embarks on the search for his son, first seeing his brother John, a carpenter who has become involved in the politics of South Africa. Kumalo and Msimangu follow Absalom's trail only to learn that Absalom has been in a Reformatory and impregnated a young woman. Shortly thereafter, Kumalo learns that his son has been arrested for the murder of Arthur Jarvis, a white fighter for racial justice and son of Kumalo's neighbour James Jarvis.

Jarvis learns of his son's death and comes with his family to Johannesburg. Jarvis and his son had been distant, and now James Jarvis is looking to come to know his son through his writings. Through reading his son's essays, Jarvis decides to take up his son's work on behalf of South Africa's blacks.

Absalom is sentenced to death for the murder of Arthur Jarvis. Before his father returns to Ndotsheni, Absalom marries the girl he has impregnated, and she joins Kumalo's family. Kumalo returns to his village with his daughter-in-law and nephew, finding that Gertrude ran away on the night before their departure.

Back in Ndotsheni, Kumalo makes a futile visit to the tribe's chief in order to discuss changes that must be made to help the barren village. Help arrives, however, when Jarvis becomes involved in the work. He arranges to have a dam built and hires an agricultural demonstrator to implement new farming methods.

The novel ends on the night of Absalom's execution, which finds Kumalo praying on a mountainside as dawn breaks over the valley. The book ends with a tone of rejuvenation and hope for the country.

Main themes

Cry, the Beloved Country is a social protest against the structures of the society that would later give rise to apartheid. Paton attempts to create an unbiased and objective view of the dichotomies this entails: he depicts the Whites as affected by 'native crime', whilst the Blacks suffer from social instability and moral issues due to the breakdown of the tribal system. It shows many of problems with South Africa such as the land reserved for the natives degrading, which is sometimes considered to be the main theme, the disintegration of the tribal community, native crime and the flight to the urban areas. The quote below shows another recurring theme which is how fear affects the characters and society of South Africa.

Paton makes frequent use of literary devices such as microcosms, intercalary chapters, dashes instead of quotation marks for dialogue, and a number of other things to show the state of South Africa. A microcosm is a form of symbolism that uses a small thing to depict something on a larger scale. Intercalary chapters are literally chapters that are 'in between': they have almost nothing to do with the story, but often are microcosms. There are no double quotes in the whole book; instead Paton uses dashes (–) to indicate the start of speech acts. This may not seem like a literary device at first, but soon it becomes evident that they do a lot more than would be expected. Because there are no phrases such as "he said" or "she said", it is faster to read and, especially in the intercalary chapters, adds a feeling of desperation and rapid progress towards the novel's final catastrophe.

Contexts

Cry, The Beloved Country was written before the implementation of the apartheid political system in South Africa. The novel was published in 1948, with apartheid becoming law later on that same year.

It enjoyed critical success around the world, except in South Africa, where it was banned, due to its politically dangerous material. The book sold over 15 million copies around the world before Paton's death.

Quotation

Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or a valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much. — Cry, The Beloved Country, Chapter 12.<ref>

Publication History

Bibliography

• CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY, 1948 - Itke, rakastettu maa - film 1951, dir. by Zoltan Korda • LOST IN THE STARS, 1950 (with Maxwell Anderson) • TOO LATE THE PHALAROPE, 1953 - Liian myöhään vesipääsky • THE LAND AND PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1955 • SOUTH AFRICA IN TRANSITION, 1956 • DEBBIE GO HOME, 1960 • TALES FROM A TROUBLED LAND, 1961 • HOFMEYER, 1964 • SPONO, 1965 (with Krishna Shah) • THE LONG VIEW, 1967 • INSTRUMENT OF THY PEACE, 1968 • KONTAKION FOR YOU DEPARTED, 1969 (also: For You Departed) • CASE HISTORY OF A PINKY, 1972 • APARTHEID AND THE ARCHBISHOP: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GEOFFREY CLAYTON, ARCHBISHOP OF CAPE TOWN, 1973 • KNOCKING ON THE DOOR, 1975 • TOWARDS THE MOUNTAIN, 1980 • AH, BUT YOUR LAND IS BEAUTIFUL, 1981 - Oi, miten kaunis maa • JOURNEY CONTINUED: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 1988 • SAVE THE BELOVED COUNTRY, 1989

See also

  • Liberalism
  • Contributions to liberal theory
  • List of African writers
  • List of South Africans — In 2004 Paton was voted 59th in the SABC3's Great South Africans

Notes


External links

Credits

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