Fear

Paton starts this book with a thorough description of the land in South Africa. His first descriptions are positive, such as, “The grass is rich and matted, you cannot see the soil.” However, his third paragraph becomes negative in mood. He says “They fall to the valley below, and falling, change their nature. For they grow red and bare;”

`           Paton appears to be making a metaphor, comparing the grass to the people. As they start to become narrow-minded apartheidists, and the land is covered in hatred, the grass becomes barren. It also compares the elevation of the land to the people and cultural mood of South America. They are high hills, green and rich, while the people are together. But as the Apartheid takes over, the hills turn into valleys full of barren land. However the “fires” that burn the land may not be a metaphor, but actuality.

            I’m sure that in order for the white man to inhabit and control the land of blacks, they must have had to use physical power, such as burning villages. “The soil cannot keep them anymore” refers to all the hatred destroying lives. It forced people out of homes and the land they once lived on. As the metaphorical land is destroyed, the actual peoples’ lives are destroyed.

            “Some say the earth has bounty enough for all, and that more for one does not mean less for another.” Why is it treated like does not have enough bounty? Why do people act superior over one another because of the color of their skin? If “more for one does not mean less for another”, why don’t we treat it that way? I’ll tell you why. Fear.

            Fear rules all lives. “Is it not better to hold what we have, and to pay the price of it with fear?” No. He is saying that fear was the problem of the Apartheid. With so many blacks in the country, the whites had to establish fear in order to keep it under control. Paton states “For is it not fear that drives men to ponder these things at all?”. Meaning, fear is the reason for the Apartheid. Whites and blacks both fear each other.

            “Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing…. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much.” is referring to fear being the root of all problems. The fear of his descendants and the ones after them will ruin their love for the nature of their own country, and will slowly destroy every aspect of that country. They won’t wake up in the morning thinking about how beautiful nature is, they will think of ways to avoid their fears.