Lesson 2, Cry, The Beloved Country

Standards
 RL 9-10.2  W 9-10.11
 RL 9-10.3  SL 9-10.1
 RL 9-10.6  SL 9-10.3
 W 9-10.10

Objective
 Students will read chapters 2-5 of Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan
Paton and participate with discussion questions. Then, students will
complete a Google Form featuring comprehension questions in multiple
choice and short answer form. Students will be allowed to use the text
for this assignment.

Instruction
 Read chapters 2-5
o Discussion
 How would you describe the way that Paton characterizes
Stephen Kumalo? What are some prominent character
traits, and what about him puts him in a particularly
unique position in his society?
 Why do you think Paton ends Chapter 2 with the
statement, “All roads lead to Johannesburg” (40)? How
might there be deeper or certain “universal” qualities of
Stephen’s journey to the city?
 What notable differences between rural and urban life are
evident in these chapters? And how would you describe the
perspective that “city people” and “country people” have
on each other?
 What do you make of the significance of Stephen’s
description of the “sickness of the land” (52) in Chapter 5?
How might this be connected to the
symbolism/personification of Chapter 1?
 What do you think of this powerful statement from
Stephen: “The tragedy is not that things are broken. The
tragedy is that they are not mended again” (56)? Why do
you think he says this? How do you think he envisions the
“tragedy” being mended? Do you think he is letting the
“white men [who have] broken the tribe” (56) off too
easily?
 Google Form assignment
o Comprehension questions
 Multiple choice and short answer.