The Land in Cry

In Cry, the Beloved Country, Paton contrasts the Kumalo family and the Jarvis family through the use of the setting. He often describes the valley where Kumalo's village is as being barren, wasted, and torn. The imagery he uses evokes the vision of something dying. This is very fitting because many in his village are dying due to starvation, because nothing grows in the valley anymore and it doesn't rain. The Jarvis family, however, lives up in the hills. There, they say the grass is watered by the mist, and that things are not too dry. The imagery Paton uses for the Jarvis' land makes it seem peaceful, plentiful, and thriving; the exact opposite of Kumalo's village in the valley. So, while both families are going through times of grief for their sons, the white family is much better off than the black family in the valley.