Alan Paton is often known worldwide for his large success in literature. His meaningful novel, "Cry, the Beloved Country", owes him a large amount of his success. Alan Paton was raised in Pietermaritzburg Natal Province by his parents James and Eunice. His parents both from europe offered a strict childlife, but brought him into his love for literature and helped him to be an educated young man (South). Paton later taught in a school for the youth (Paton). Paton's writing changed many South Africans and the rest of the world. His book still remains popular even close to 20 years later after his death in 1988. His passionate words about the horrors and suffering in South Africa that he and many others encountered has greatly affected and touched everyone who has taken the time to really read this novel.
While making the decision of what Paton wanted to do with his life he battled between being a politician or a writer. He actively with his persistence and knowledge achieved both. He became a chairman, and led many parties and organizations. Alan Paton became most aware of the racial and social problems the colored people of South Africa were having though when he worked at Diepkloof Reformatory from 1935 to 1948 as the principal.(Alan) With this being said he continued to be a very active opposer of the Apartheid laws and continued after writing the novel to be active in changing the country of South Africa. As a white man he had many struggles fighting against as the whites would consider him as their "own kind", when those of different races were just the same as they were, despite their skin color.
Due to the time period that this novel was written in the book is very special from others about African culture. "Cry, the Beloved Country" was written a year before the laws of Apartheid began, but the segregation was still at a high. In 1950 the Population Registration Act of 1950 developed categorizing the races and distributing the rights they "deserved".