I Am Woman, Hear My Cry Essay - 1163 Words

Humans have a unique ability to express themselves clearly and profoundly without speaking a word. The way a person sighs, cries, screams, or groans exposes his emotion and state of mind. It is a gift that all humans bear, this power to display emotion through instinctual sound. Novelist Alan Paton has a strong grasp on this aspect of the human condition, exemplifying this in his treatment of women in the novel Cry, the Beloved Country. In Paton’s stark, poetic prose, the mere manner in which a woman laughs or weeps symbolizes an entire volume of depth and feeling, providing the reader with a glimpse into the inner workings of gender roles in South African society. Through the laughter and the wailing in Cry, the Beloved Country, Paton†¦show more content†¦Therefore, she is merely herself. But as Paton reveals through Gertrude later on, a native woman with nothing but her name does not live as unhindered a life as one might expect. Mrs. Lithebe, who allows Kumalo to rent a room in her home, is an ideal native woman; she is calm, gentle, and kind. Like other respectable native women such as Mrs. Mkize or Mrs. Ndlela, the men address Mrs. Lithebe as â€Å"mother,† and she only speaks when in her proper place: the household. Female characters such as Gertrude and Absalom’s girlfriend are pariahs compared to the traditional South African image of a pious native woman, reigning in the comfortable domain of the home. Yet despite her warm disposition, Mrs. Lithebe also wields a hidden shrewdness. One memorable conversation between Mrs. Lithebe and Absalom’s girlfriend reveals the older woman’s wisdom. When Mrs. Lithebe hears Gertrude and Absalom’s girlfriend laughing in a distasteful manner, she confronts the foolish young girl with harsh but honest words: â€Å"You will not laugh so carelessly†¦ You are but a child, and laughter is good for a child. But there is one kind of a laughter, and there is another† (120). Paton leaves the definition of â€Å"careless laughter† vague to the reader, but Mrs. Lithebe’s meaning is perfectly clear to the girl. In terms of the novel’s themes, the careless laughter serves asShow MoreRelatedThat Woman Cried1463 Words   |  6 PagesThat Woman Cried Written by KyuSe7en501 Note: Forgive me if I ain’t good in writing. T_T Twenty- fourth of January a woman appeared before my eyes. She was crying, really, really hard. I didn’t know what to do, I was at a total loss of words. Since then, I started wondering why women cry; are they just fond of crying, or, do they cry for something men don’t understand? As a man myself I want to know the answer. Not that I love to interfere with their sorrows but I just want to have my curiosityRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Hairspray 1184 Words   |  5 Pagesdarting around looking for an exit, nothing. Then we hear the thudding footsteps growing louder so that it sounds echo all around- we are trying to find its origin but we can’t. 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