Cry, the Beloved Country

Cry, The Beloved Country is set in South Africa. The year is 1946. It would be another two years before racial segregation was legalized under apartheid, and Paton wrote the novel in 1948, as the segregation laws were being structured. Paton's purpose in writing the novel was in essence..... a plea for his white compatriots to reconsider their actions. For additional information on the background of the book, I suggest you read through GradeSaver's, "About Cry, the Beloved Country", in its study guide for the unit.