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The narrative voice in 'Cry, the Beloved Country' (Oral tradition…
The narrative voice in 'Cry, the Beloved Country'
Oral tradition of storytelling
addressing ('you') or including ('one') the reader
sentences beginning with the conjunctions 'And' and 'But'
repetition of words and phrases
identifying characters by aspects of their appearance
punctuating dialogue without speech marks
Heightened formality/ rigidity in dialogue and narrative
formality of address: 'my friend', 'my brother', 'my son'
no contractions: 'I will not' rather than 'I won't'
sentences starting with conjunctions 'And' and 'But' also have the sense of an argument being developed
frequent use of the more archaic 'for' to mean 'because'. A form often used in the Bible.
the language of logical argument: 'indeed'; 'it is thus'; 'such a thing'
Sympathy and affinity for the land
Specialist details: 'wild watsonia and red-hot poker'
Frequent use of Zulu words in dialogue: 'Tixo' and 'Umfundisi'
Tendency to use similes and metaphors; even personification when describing the land: 'torn away like flesh'
An intention to comment on the story
switches from the narrative of the story to reflections in the present tense: 'All roads lead to Johannesburg'
openly interprets and universalises the action: 'And then he was silent, for who is not silent when someone is dead, who was a small boy?'