The Decay of Tribal Culture in South Africa Is Analyzed Partially Using the Novel "Cry, the Beloved Country" by Alan Paton

A Culture Clash at its Worst
South Africa's history is marked by social turmoil and racial injustice. Harboring tremendous diversity, South Africa fought, and still fights, towards the creation of a single nation of unity and common purpose. The tribal culture predominant in the early 1900s began slipping away as industrialization swept through the country and power shifted into the hands of whites. The black population's tribal lifestyle was slipping away with the times, yet they were not accepted in the cities and rather were plunged into a state of limbo. The whites feared the power that the predominant black population would gain if they were to become skilled and adopt western culture, and they therefore instilled restrictive laws as a defense. This increased repression was accompanied by increased resistance, and the racial divisiveness gained strength.
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