Cry Freedom

With "Cry Freedom" you will have the opportunity to explore South Africa’s history at one of its most crucial and terrible era - the time of the Apartheid. On the one hand the workshop will enable you to get familiar with the historical and political background of the novel.
On the other hand the blog will provide questions of general and detailed understanding to make sure you follow what is going on in the story. For each chapter you will find several questions, one of which needs more development. Every student will be assigned to answer the questions of one chapter on the blog. Make sure you register for one set of questions. Try your best to write suitable answers in grammatically correct English...

Chapter 1

1. Describe the setting of the story. What is the area like?
2. What is exactly a township? What does a township look like?
3. Why aren't people allowed to live and sleep in Cape Town where they work?
4. In your opinion what do you think "the system" refers to?
5. What feeling does the reader get from the description of the police raid on Crossroads? What does it foretell about the rest of the story? Develop your answer.

Chapter 2

1. Biko is said to be "banned". What does it mean practically for him in his daily life?
2. The author mentions "Coloured" people. Is their status different from Black people's? In what way does it serve the ruling authority?
3. When do you think the story takes place? What clues do you have about the specific era the story refers to?
4. Define what a "homeland" is.
5.What do we learn about hygiene, water supply and general health conditions among black children. What do you think about it? How could these conditions be improved?

Chapter 3

1. How far is East London from Cape Town? Who lives there?
2. What is Woods' opinion on black people and more generally on the society he lives in?
3. What do the pictures of the raid in Crossroads describe? What do you think about the violence they depict? Dev.
4. What does Woods look like?
5. Why did Dr Mamphela Ramphele come to Woods' newspaper? What impression does her portrait and attitude give to the reader? To what effect?

Chapter 4

1. What do members of "Black Consciousness" organization believe in?
2. Explain what a "liberal" is?
3. Do you know more about the "System" now?
4. Why does Woods' idea of reverse roles make Biko laugh?
5. "It was the beginning" ends chapter 4. What do you think it was the beginning of? Imagine the sequel of the novel for a while. Dev.

Chapter 5

1. Why is the hospital an important symbol for black people?
2. What is Biko's suggestion to Woods?
3. What do you think Biko wants to achieve in doing so?
4. What sort of life does Woods live? Compare both men's respective life. What do you think about it? Dev.
5. How does Wendy react to Woods'account of his meeting with Biko? What does it show?

Chapter 6

1. What setting up do they have to use to allow Biko to exit his own house?
2. What's the matter with Woods' clothes? Why are the blacks making fun of him?
3. What does Woods realize on his taxi trip ?
4. What does Woods become aware of during his "educational journey"? What does it imply? Dev.
5. Biko tries to explain Black people's feelings to Woods. Is the latter receptive to it? How would you react if you were in his shoes?

Chapter 7

1."You've managed to do what even American slavery didn't do" What does this sentence refer to? Do you agree with it? What is the difference between the situation in the nineteenth century US and South Africa in the seventies?
2. What's the problem with "homelands"
3. Which metaphor do they use to talk about South Africa?
4. In what ways are black and white cultures different?
5. What do the two men finally agree on at the end of the discussion?

The Homelands were created under apartheid as being the traditional "tribal" areas to which ALL members of the Black population were allocated (whether they had been born there or not!) and in which areas the Black population would have "rights" (such as voting etc.) which they were denied in "white" (i.e. the rest of the country) South Africa. Everyone whose family came from one of these areas was declared a "citizen" even if they were not living there. This left the rest of the country (the good parts, economically speaking) for the whites.

There were 10 Homelands, 4 of which became "independent" All the Homelands had their own "legislative" assemblies and had a limited amount of autonomy. Those that became "independent" were considered by the South African government as such although this was never recognised by any other government.
All the Homelands were reincorporated into South Africa on 27 April 1994 and ceased to have separate identities.

Chapter 8

1. What revolution takes place at the Daily Dispatch?
2. What is Ken's reaction to it? What does it show us about the average white educated class?
3. Why do black people gather at football matches?
4. What is Biko's message to the crowd? What do you think about it? Dev.
5. What change can you observe in Woods' behaviour?

Chapter 9

1. What is a "trial"?
2. What does "SASO" stand for?
3. Who are people like Nelson Mandela, Robert Sobukwe and Gowan Mbeki? Try to gather information on these men. Why does Biko refer to them?
4. What dominant impression does the trial convey?
5. "We believe we have interpreted history correctly - that the white man is going to eventually accept the inevitable" . Do you share this opinion? What is really going to happen as far as you know? Dev.

Chapter 10

1. What consequences did the article bring to the Community Centre?
2. What happened during the following day? Who led the operation ?
3. How did the interview between Kruger and Woods go? On what impression does Woods leave Kruger's place?
4. What is Kruger's opinion on South Africa and its future? On what grounds does he base his statements? Do you share his views? Dev.
5. What happened to Biko's papers during the poilicemen's visit?
6. What do we learn about transit camps at the end of the chapter. How do you react to it?



Quotes from Biko

# "The system concedes nothing without demand, for it formulates its very method of operation on the basis that the ignorant will learn to know, the child will grow into an adult and therefore demands will begin to be made. It gears itself to resist demands in whatever way it sees fit."
("The Quest for a True Humanity", ibid.)
# "In time, we shall be in a position to bestow on South Africa the greatest possible gift—a more human face."

Chapter 11

1. On what ground did Woods escape prison?
2. What did policemen ask for when they checked on Evelina at night?
3. Find examples of derogatory language they use with her.
4. How do you explain Woods' agressive behaviour - it's the first time he holds a gun? Would he have done so a few months before?
5. What happened to Mapetla? Dev.

Chapter 12

1. Explain what "road blocks" are.
2. When did Biko die?
3. What dilemna did the doctor face?
4. What did the police say Biko died of?
5. How did people react to Biko's death? Why do you think it was an important date and event? Dev.

Chapter 13

1. What happened to Woods' family while he went to Pretoria?
2. What did he decide to do then?
3. How did he learn he wasn't a free man any more?
4. What charge is he facing then? For how many years?
5. How do you think Woods is going to keep Biko's ideas alive? Dev.

Quotes from Biko:
# "It is better to die for an idea that will live, than to live for an idea that will die."
# "Even today, we are still accused of racism. This is a mistake. We know that all interracial groups in South Africa are relationships in which whites are superior, blacks inferior. So as a prelude whites must be made to realize that they are only human, not superior. Same with blacks. They must be made to realize that they are also human, not inferior."

Chapter 14

1. What parallel can you draw between Gandhi and Biko, to your knowledge?
2. What are the two allies Biko think they have in the long run?
3. What are Woods' arguments to leave the country? What are Wendy's to stay?
4. What would you do if you were them? Dev.
5. What event made Wendy change her mind ?

Quotes from Ghandi:
"Live simply that others simply live"
"Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man."

Chapter 15

1. What was Woods'initial plan to escape South Africa?
2. Whose identity was he supposed to take up?
3. On what day are they going to leave? Why?
4. What is eventually the plan they are going to stick to?
5. Would you personally take so many risks to publish a political book? To what extent can you influence the course of political or historical events? Dev.

Chapter 16

1. What are Wendy's thought while lying on the beach?
2. What does the meeting with the Woods' aquaintance show to Wendy?
2. What did Woods do with his hair and why?
4. How did Woods exit his house?
5. What sort of flashback did Wendy have about Biko? What does it tell us about her way of thinking? Dev.

Quotes from Biko:
# "The logic behind white domination is to prepare the black man for the subservient role in this country. Not so long ago this used to be freely said in parliament, even about the educational system of the black people. It is still said even today, although in a much more sophisticated language. To a large extent the evil-doers have succeeded in producing at the output end of their machine a kind of black man who is man only in form. This is the extent to which the process of dehumanization has advanced.”
("We Blacks", ibid.)

Chapter 17

1. What is the effect of Jason's story on Woods?
2. What does this episode tell the reader about cohabitation between black and white people?
3. What did Wendy become aware of when she spoke with Don?
4. How is Wendy's anxiety expressed? How would you feel at her place? Dev.
5. What did Woods realize when he saw the way the policemen arrested black people in the township?
6. How de we know "time" is important in the course of the chapter?

Chapter 18

1. How many hours late was Woods when he met Father Kani?
2. Why was it important for Donald to be able to talk to Wendy before 10 o'clock?
3. What was the matter with the river?
4. Who helped Woods get across the river? Why is his name topic for laugh? What reference can you see there? Dev.
5. In what way is the narrative built in the last few chapters? To what effect?

Chapter 19

1.What thoughts occurred to Woods when he crossed the border? How did he let his joy out?
2. In the meantime, Evalina discovered strange things in the house. How do we feel for her? How would you feel if you were her? Dev.
3. Was Wendy's journey any easier than Donald's? Why?
4. What sort of place is Lesotho? What do you know about this country? What is different from South Africa?
5. What is an "acting" High Comissioner?
6. Did the family make it on time?

Chapter 20

1. What are their flight plan to leave Lesotho?
2. Look at the map: what is special about Lesotho's situation?
3. What happened in Soweto? Have you heard about the events there? When did it happen? Why was it important on a historical point of view? What do you think this massacre was the starting point of? Dev.
4. Many white people eventually help Woods and his family leave South Africa so he could have his book published. What does it tell the reader about mentalities, especially at the end of the novel? What sign can you see there?