Alan Paton -- teacher, author, and politician -- was one of South Africa's most
             remarkable citizens. Repelled by the racism he saw all around him in his homeland, he wrote Cry, the Beloved Country (1948), a novel that had a profound effect in the worldwide struggle against apartheid. In the novel, Paton portrays his life through many characters and scenes to give the best explanation possible for his fight for justice and equality. Cry remains one of South Africa's greatest novels and a true testament of culture clash between Western colonialism and traditional African culture.
             Located at the Southern tip of the African continent, South Africa forms a distinct region, or subcontinent, divided from the rest of Africa by the rivers that mark its northern border, which is sparsely populated ("Demographics"). Bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Indian Ocean to the East, South Africa contains several valuable minerals, such as gold, diamonds, iron, coal, and other natural resources. Diamonds in particular have created major problems, which have persisted to present day, due to unjust military groups subjugating African populations in some regions in order to exploit and profit off of diamonds, which is still an issue today. Until 1991, South African law divided the population into four major racial categories. The first of these are the Black Africans, of which the Nguni and Sotho groups account for 90% of the Black population. The Black population accounts 75% of the South Africa's entire population, while Whites account for about 13% of the population. Then, Indians account for 3 % and Coloreds (mixed White and Black descent) account for 9% of the population ("Demographics"). Professor Susan Gallagher asserts that although the South African law of racial categories has been abolished, many South Africans still view themselves according to these categories. The black population consists of several groups: Khoi-San, Xhos...